Children’s participation in extracurricular activities (EAs) has become increasingly prevalent across countries and is believed to support children’s developmental outcomes. However, little is known about which specific categories of EAs matter for children’s early mathematical development and about the motivations underlying parents’ investment in these enrichment activities. The present study examined Chinese preschoolers’ ( N = 85, 44 girls and 41 boys; M age = 58.85 months) participation in EAs and its associations with early mathematics skills. Parents listed all EAs in which their child participated, including activity content and weekly time spent. Reported activities were coded into four categories: STEM-related activities (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), non-STEM academic activities, arts, and sports. Children’s numeracy and mental transformation skills were assessed. In addition, parental factors, including intelligence mindsets and knowledge of early childhood development, were examined. Results indicated that the breadth of participation in sports and STEM-related activities was each uniquely related to children’s mental transformation skills. Moreover, greater intensity of sports participation was positively related to both children’s numeracy and mental transformation skills. Controlling for child characteristics and family household income, parents’ knowledge of early childhood development was associated with greater investment in arts activities, whereas growth mindset was not associated with EA participation across categories. These findings highlight the importance of considering EA categories when examining pathways related to early mathematical development and provide insight into parental motivations for supporting children’s learning through EAs.
Yang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.