Complete Coverage

When It Comes to Math and Science, Mom and Dad Count

Parent attitudes influence how their offspring take to those subjects.

For Pieter Noordam, good mathematics is a part of good parenting.

Math is crucial to the work of the Northern California father, who owns a business that specializes in radio-frequency technology. But when he talks with his two children about math, he tries to make it fun—by encouraging them to take part in independent math projects and clubs and by taking them to museums with math-related exhibits.

There’s no telling whether Mr. Noordam’s son and daughter, ages 13 and 11, will choose a career in a math or science field. But studies suggest that subtle prodding and more direct encouragement from parents go a long way to determining whether boys—and especially girls—take an interest in math and science as they get older, and whether they thrive...