A cross-cultural longitudinal research project will be conducted (1) to compare the development of informal mathematical cognition in 3- to 6-year-old Chinese, Japanese, and American children, and (2) to investigate how these cultures support children's early mathematical development in multiple learning enviornments. One component of the project is a comprehensive cross-cultural study of early mathematical cognition encompassing both numerical and spatial geometric knowledge in young children. We will include children from families representing different socioeconomic strata or parent-education levels in all three countries to ensure that variation within cultures as well as between cultures is addressed in the research. A second component of the project comprises two intensive studies of young children's mathematical learning environments. The objective of these studies is to examine the nature and extent of support for informal mathematical development which children are receiving at home and in classroom environments across diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Our investigation of how young children's learning environments support early mathematical development is informed by the theoretical construct of the "developmental niche" which includes three subsystems: (1) the physical and social settings in which the child develops, (2) culturally influenced customs of child rearing and care, and (3) knowledge and belief systems of parents, teachers, and other caregivers about children's behavior, learning, and development. It is expected that the findings of this research will reveal when and how to support effectively the development of children's informal mathematical knowledge prior to formal mathematics instruction in elementary school. Moreover, these results will have implications for standards-based education reform efforts in mathematics in the United States. They will also inform federal, state, and private preschool programs' efforts to accommodate to our nation's need for all children to enter school ready to learn formal mathematics.
