The home mathematics environment of dual-language learning children and their early mathematics skills

The home mathematics environment (HME) can foster children's mathematics skills. Little is known about this association for children from culturally diverse backgrounds. Using Head Start FACES dataset we categorize children into three groups: English monolingual (n = 949); Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLLs) fluent in English (n = 346); and Spanish-speaking DLLs not-yet-fluent in English (n = 192), to examine whether the HME is related to children's early mathematics abilities above and beyond their vocabulary skills. Using multi-group analyses with a structural equation-modeling framework, we found that measurement invariance test supports the factorial equivalence of HME construct between groups. However, while HME positively and significantly predict children's mathematics skills for the English monolingual group, HME did not significantly predict mathematics skills among the Spanish-speaking DLL groups regardless of their English proficiency. We discuss our findings in relation to the need for additional HME items that are sensitive to diverse cultural contexts.