When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences
Early math experiences predict children’s later math abilities and beliefs. However, less is known about longer-term associations between early childhood math experiences and adult math outcomes. The present study examined emerging adults’ earliest memories of mathematics and reading experiences, as...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Insitute for Psychology
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Numerical Cognition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.14771 |
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| author | Nicole R. Scalise Isabella M. Santiago Elizabeth A. Canning |
| author_facet | Nicole R. Scalise Isabella M. Santiago Elizabeth A. Canning |
| author_sort | Nicole R. Scalise |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Early math experiences predict children’s later math abilities and beliefs. However, less is known about longer-term associations between early childhood math experiences and adult math outcomes. The present study examined emerging adults’ earliest memories of mathematics and reading experiences, asking whether characteristics of their early learning memories differ across domains of learning and relate to their adulthood math achievement and beliefs. Undergraduate students (n = 161, MAge = 19.6 years) described their earliest memories of math and reading, then completed measures of their math anxiety, math task value, and math achievement. Our results reveal significant domain differences in participants’ age during their earliest memories, the level of social interaction, and their overall rating of the experience. Emerging adults with more positive memories of their earliest math experiences had lower math anxiety, higher math task value, and higher math achievement. Our results provide additional evidence of the long-term associations between early math experiences and later math outcomes and underscore the need to promote early math experiences that are positive and engaging for young children. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4c8f0800b5d4f739f7fe19bdcff7d7e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2363-8761 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Insitute for Psychology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Numerical Cognition |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4c8f0800b5d4f739f7fe19bdcff7d7e2025-08-20T03:35:44ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Insitute for PsychologyJournal of Numerical Cognition2363-87612025-07-011110.5964/jnc.14771jnc.14771When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics ExperiencesNicole R. Scalise0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1186-0375Isabella M. Santiago1https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7503-6461Elizabeth A. Canning2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6864-2224Department of Human Development, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USADepartment of Human Development, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USADepartment of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USAEarly math experiences predict children’s later math abilities and beliefs. However, less is known about longer-term associations between early childhood math experiences and adult math outcomes. The present study examined emerging adults’ earliest memories of mathematics and reading experiences, asking whether characteristics of their early learning memories differ across domains of learning and relate to their adulthood math achievement and beliefs. Undergraduate students (n = 161, MAge = 19.6 years) described their earliest memories of math and reading, then completed measures of their math anxiety, math task value, and math achievement. Our results reveal significant domain differences in participants’ age during their earliest memories, the level of social interaction, and their overall rating of the experience. Emerging adults with more positive memories of their earliest math experiences had lower math anxiety, higher math task value, and higher math achievement. Our results provide additional evidence of the long-term associations between early math experiences and later math outcomes and underscore the need to promote early math experiences that are positive and engaging for young children.https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.14771early mathematicsmath anxietymath task valuemath achievementmemory |
| spellingShingle | Nicole R. Scalise Isabella M. Santiago Elizabeth A. Canning When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences Journal of Numerical Cognition early mathematics math anxiety math task value math achievement memory |
| title | When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences |
| title_full | When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences |
| title_fullStr | When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences |
| title_full_unstemmed | When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences |
| title_short | When We Were Young: Memories of Early Mathematics Experiences |
| title_sort | when we were young memories of early mathematics experiences |
| topic | early mathematics math anxiety math task value math achievement memory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.14771 |
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