Bridging Literacy and Numeracy: Folding Family Math into Proven Engagement Models
By Rebecca Chrystal, Raising a Reader At Raising a Reader, our evidence-based model has long focused on building home-based reading routines to drive literacy. However, research shows that math skills at kindergarten entry are the strongest predictor of both math and literacy achievement by 8th grade. Recognizing this, we forged a unique partnership with the […]
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What the Inaugural Family Math Dissertation Fellows have Taught Us about Family Math
By Holly Kreider, Director of Family Math at NAFSCE, and Jeffrey Snyder, Research and Policy Associate at NAFSCE We launched the Family Math Dissertation Fellows Program with the goal of strengthening the bridge between rigorous research and everyday practice with families. The inaugural cohort took that charge seriously. Each Fellow produced a research-to-practice brief grounded […]
Continue ReadingPress Release: Sunrise Elementary Hosts First Family Math Backpack Distribution as part of the California Family Math Initiative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SUNRISE ELEMENTARY HOSTS FIRST FAMILY MATH BACKPACK DISTRIBUTION AS PART OF THE CALIFORNIA FAMILY MATH INITIATIVEFamily Event Ensures Every TK–2nd Grade Student Receives Resources to Support Math Learning at Home Los Angeles – January 28, 2026 – Sunrise Elementary School will be the first school to receive Family Math Book Bags for […]
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Connecting through numbers: Lessons from a Family Math pilot program
By Iliana Gallego, Communication Specialist at the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) For many families, math is a difficult subject to support at home. Countless adults might not see math as part of their daily life and practices, and it soon becomes a distant memory of what they learned in school rather than an […]
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Designing At the Margins: A Conversation with Dr. Cristina Santamaría Graff and Dr. Paulo Tan on Engaging Families of Children with Learning Differences in Mathematics
In this conversation, Dr. Cristina Santamaría Graff and Dr. Paulo Tan speak with The Center for Family Math about how families raising children with learning differences can reshape the way we think about math learning. Their conversation explores inclusive practices, Universal Design for Learning, the importance of time, and how families can be advocates, co-creators, […]
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Math Festivals: Bringing Joy, Confidence, and Community Back Into Math
Daniel Kline, Executive Director, Julia Robinson Math Festival When I tell people that I work with math, I often get reactions like “I was never good at math” or “Math was always too hard for me.” For many, math was boring, anxiety-inducing, and the subject that made them feel stupid. As early as 5th grade, […]
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If You Build It, Will They Come?
Dr. Jessica Tilli, Director of Math, School District of Philadelphia What happens when a school in one of the most underserved communities in America decides to prioritize family partnerships as a strategy to boost math and reading achievement? If you build it, will they come? Charlotte Gillum, a former social worker turned school leader, is […]
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Playing with Math: Using Games to Engage Families in Young Children’s Math Learning
By Geetha B Ramani and Gillian Grose For most people, math and fun rarely feel like they go together. Often, parents associate math practice with their children using repetitive worksheets and flashcards. Although learning math does involve consistent practice, worksheets are not the only way for students to engage in math. Math learning can be […]
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Press Release: New Program Launches to Enhance Math Outcomes for L.A.’S Young Learners
LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2025 — The Masons of California, in partnership with the Center for Family Math, Raising a Reader, PowerMyLearning and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, today announced the approval of a three-year, $968,000 investment to improve math outcomes for young students. The initiative, which funds a range of family math engagement programs […]
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The California Family Math Mapping Project
Math skills in the early years and early grades predict students’ later math success and broad academic success. Research tells us that one way to boost early math skills is by engaging families – through high parental expectations, parent-child math talk and math activities, a rich home learning environment with books and games, and family […]
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