Parent Ratings of Preschoolers’ Numeracy Skills are Predictive of Direct Assessments

Abstract

The current study examines whether parent ratings of children’s numeracy skills are skill- and domain-specific to inform how to best utilize parent ratings in research. Children in the sample (N=129) ranged from 3.07 to 5.95 years old and 52.3% were male. Most (81%) of the children were White. Parents were asked to rate their children’s counting, simple arithmetic, and numeral identification skills. Children were directly assessed on these skills, as well as their broad numeracy abilities, and other cognitive skills (e.g., expressive vocabulary, executive function). Parent ratings of their children’s numeracy skills varied in terms of how skill-specific they were. However, aggregated parent ratings predicted directly assessed broad numeracy abilities, more so than other cognitive skills, providing evidence for discriminant validity. Findings inform how parent ratings may be used in research, especially in cases where children cannot be directly assessed, such as when large-scale parent surveys are used.