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Abstract
There are concerns about the low mathematical attainment of school children in the UK and debate has concentrated on the raising of standards of teaching. Research indicates, however, that there are other influences which impinge on the mathematical attainment of our children. One of these influences is the home environment and the attitudes of parents to mathematics. Little research has been carried out in the home that focuses on the mathematical activity that occurs there and the support which parents do or do not give their children in this area. This study, therefore, is a small multi‐methods case study looking at the mathematics of the home and seeks to uncover the mathematical practices that occur there. The more modest objectives for this paper are to examine the research methodology, to describe the rationale behind the choice of research procedure and to discuss the merits or otherwise of the methods used for collection of data during observations. Examination of data collected so far in this study showed that mathematical activity occurred in all of the homes studied but also seemed to indicate that for parents the mathematical development of their children was not high on the agenda.
