Project Grant 2222218

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program, formerly known as Education and Human Resources, will fund research examining family engagement in early math education and developing interventions to promote such engagement, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. With $300,000 in funding provided over two years from October 2022 to September 2024, the Trustees of Boston College will conduct focus groups and naturalistic observations of family math engagement routines. They will also co-design an experimental intervention with families recruited from Head Start preschool classrooms. The research aims to deepen understanding of math development and inform evidence-based tools and guidance to support children's learning and interests in math. Findings have potential applications to support children from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds in pursuing STEM studies and careers.