112-01: Fathering and Children’s Cognitive Development: Methodological Suggestions For a Father-Centered Approach

Parenting processes involve the synergistic roles of mothers, fathers, and children of varying gender in diverse racial-ethnic and socio-economic family contexts.  Family systems perspectives acknowledge that parents affect children and children elicit varying interactions with mothers and fathers uniquely contributing to children’s cognitive development, and school readiness in infancy and early childhood.  Given that our society is moving from a more industrialized to a technological society, it is increasingly important to explore the ways in which racial-ethnic minority families foster children’s cognitive development and achievement in math.  Racial-ethnic minorities are under-represented in higher-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math.  This symposium explores the influence of mothers and fathers in children’s early cognitive development, particularly in areas that might reflect later disparities.

Objectives

- To apply family systems theory to research including maternal and paternal influences upon children’s early cognitive development.
- To examine research that is nuanced in the frequency and types of maternal and paternal interactions that foster children’s math understanding and school readiness.
- To stimulate discussion of the ways in which this emerging innovative research might be translated into practices and policies with low-income, racial-ethnic minority parents of young children to reduce historical disparities.   

Keywords: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino/a/Latinx, fatherhood

112-02: Low-Income Mothers’ and Fathers’ Math Talk During Parent-Child Free Play: A Look at Quantity and Quality

Parenting processes involve the synergistic roles of mothers, fathers, and children of varying gender in diverse racial-ethnic and socio-economic family contexts.  Family systems perspectives acknowledge that parents affect children and children elicit varying interactions with mothers and fathers uniquely contributing to children’s cognitive development, and school readiness in infancy and early childhood.  Given that our society is moving from a more industrialized to a technological society, it is increasingly important to explore the ways in which racial-ethnic minority families foster children’s cognitive development and achievement in math.  Racial-ethnic minorities are under-represented in higher-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math.  This symposium explores the influence of mothers and fathers in children’s early cognitive development, particularly in areas that might reflect later disparities.

Objectives

- To apply family systems theory to research including maternal and paternal influences upon children’s early cognitive development.
- To examine research that is nuanced in the frequency and types of maternal and paternal interactions that foster children’s math understanding and school readiness.
- To stimulate discussion of the ways in which this emerging innovative research might be translated into practices and policies with low-income, racial-ethnic minority parents of young children to reduce historical disparities.   

Keywords: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino/a/Latinx, fatherhood

112-03: Influence of Fathering on Children’s School Readiness in Low-Income Ethnic Minority Families

Parenting processes involve the synergistic roles of mothers, fathers, and children of varying gender in diverse racial-ethnic and socio-economic family contexts.  Family systems perspectives acknowledge that parents affect children and children elicit varying interactions with mothers and fathers uniquely contributing to children’s cognitive development, and school readiness in infancy and early childhood.  Given that our society is moving from a more industrialized to a technological society, it is increasingly important to explore the ways in which racial-ethnic minority families foster children’s cognitive development and achievement in math.  Racial-ethnic minorities are under-represented in higher-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math.  This symposium explores the influence of mothers and fathers in children’s early cognitive development, particularly in areas that might reflect later disparities.

Objectives

- To apply family systems theory to research including maternal and paternal influences upon children’s early cognitive development.
- To examine research that is nuanced in the frequency and types of maternal and paternal interactions that foster children’s math understanding and school readiness.
- To stimulate discussion of the ways in which this emerging innovative research might be translated into practices and policies with low-income, racial-ethnic minority parents of young children to reduce historical disparities.   

Keywords: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino/a/Latinx, fatherhood