Family socioeconomic status and young children’s mathematical process skills: chain mediating roles of parents’ mathematics education beliefs and parent–child mathematics activities

Prior research has documented SES-related gaps in children’s mathematics achievement and early numeracy, but the family processes linking family socioeconomic status (SES) to mathematical process skills remain unclear. Drawing on the family investment model and cultural capital theory, this study examined whether parents’ mathematics education beliefs and parent–child mathematics activities mediated the association between family SES and young children’s mathematical process skills. Parents of 280 preschool children completed questionnaires on family SES, mathematics education beliefs, and parent–child mathematics activities, and children’s mathematical process skills were directly assessed. Structural equation modelling showed that, controlling for child age and gender, family SES was positively associated with mathematical process skills. Parents’ mathematics education beliefs and parent–child mathematics activities each mediated this association and also formed a sequential mediation path, while the direct effect of family SES was not significant. These findings highlight key family processes through which SES-related differences may be transmitted.