Do you like gesturing while you speak? If so, you probably know that gestures add context, nuance, and depth to spoken language, offering an alternative representational format. In classroom settings, combining teachers’ gestures with math language has been shown to strengthen children’s math skills. But what about parents? How do their gestures contribute to their toddlers’ math learning at home?

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​We video-recorded and analyzed interactions between toddlers (24 to 37 months old) and their parents as they freely engaged with shape sorters and magnet boards, focusing on both parents’ and children’s use of communicative gestures. Our analysis revealed that parents combine gestures with math language far more frequently than they use either talking or gesturing alone. This multimodal math input significantly sparked toddlers’ subsequent math-related actions and verbal expressions. These findings highlight the vital role parents play in inspiring their children’s deeper understanding of math concepts during the crucial early years!