Talking about space: The role of parent and child sex on the frequency of parental spatial talk, and its association with child numeracy and school readiness

Parental talk plays an important role in facilitating children’s cognitive development and academic success, with parental spatial language shown to independently facilitate children’s spatial abilities. However, work in this field has almost exclusively focused on mothers leaving many unanswered questions: (1) Do mothers and fathers vary in their spatial talk to children? (2) What is the interplay between parent and child sex with respect to parental spatial talk? (3) Is the role of parental spatial talk for child outcomes the same for mothers and fathers? The current study observed 66 families engaging in mother-child and father-child block play at 24- and 48-months-of-age, coding parental spatial talk. At 48 months children’s numeracy skills and school readiness was assessed. We found no differences in spatial talk between mothers and fathers to their sons or daughters at either 24- or 48-months-of-age. Only father spatial talk was associated with child school readiness.