Of the articles reviewed, 52% (n = 13) examined caregivers' attitudes and beliefs about STEM, most of which (n = 7) focused on math followed by technology (n = 2), engineering (n = 2), science (n = 1) and STEM broadly (n = 1).

Descriptive findings from the math-focused studies show the majority of caregivers defined math in terms of numeracy, including use of numbers, counting, and mathematical operations like addition and subtraction (Caspe et al., 2023; Galindo et al., 2019). Fewer defined math using other math areas or more advanced or applied knowledge, such as measurement, data, geometry, algebra, and spatial reasoning (Caspe et al., 2023; Galindo et al., 2019). Caregivers also framed math more broadly, describing it as problem solving, present “everywhere,” and relevant to daily activities like paying bills, cooking, shopping, and for getting ahead in life (Caspe et al., 2023; Cosso et al., 2024b; Galindo et al., 2019). Galindo et al. (2019) found that about half of Latina mothers enjoyed math (53%), a third (34%) somewhat enjoyed math, and 13% did not enjoy math. Correlational analyses uncovered that caregiver attitudes about math were associated with their day-to-day math activities with their children. Caregivers with more math anxiety, triggered by situations such as calculating change from a purchase involving multiple items or playing a game with children that involves math, engaged less frequently in numeracy-related activities at home and held fewer positive beliefs about math Cosso et al., (2024a),b. Caregivers with more math anxiety had children with lower numeracy skills (i.e., knowledge of quantities and numbers; Montúfar Soria et al., 2025). In contrast, caregivers who felt more confident and enjoyed doing math with their children were more likely to engage in numeracy-related activities and have children with stronger numeracy skills (Cosso et al., 2024a,b).

Caregivers' mixed emotional responses to math were associated with their experiences with formal math schooling and children's age. Caregivers with more formal schooling held more positive beliefs about math and experienced less math anxiety (Cosso et al., 2024a; Galindo et al., 2019). Caregivers expressed enjoying and being confident in mathematics when they felt they had good math skills and when their 2- to 6-years-old children were learning basic concepts (Cosso et al., 2024b; Galindo et al., 2019). However, caregivers described feeling anxious or pessimistic about math based on negative experiences from their own schooling or lacking formal math education, especially when thinking about their children learning more complex mathematical concepts as they age (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024a; Caspe et al., 2023; Cosso et al., 2024b; Galindo et al., 2019).

Regardless of within-group differences based on caregivers' formal schooling and children's age, the overwhelming majority of caregivers believe in the importance of children learning math at home (Galindo et al., 2019). Even caregivers who self-reported having low math proficiency or high math anxiety described their children as enjoying learning and playing with numbers and participated in math-related activities with their children (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024a; Cosso et al., 2024b). To create meaningful and effective math learning opportunities, Latina mothers first identified and explored their families' and children's interests (i.e., nature, puzzles, cooking, reading) and then created math-related activities based on their interests (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024b).

Qualitative studies examining Latine caregivers' beliefs and attitudes about technology focused on their perspectives of the benefits and risks of their toddlers' screen media use (Thompson et al., 2023) and co-using technology with their children (Salazar et al., 2025). As benefits, Mexican- and Guatemalan-heritage caregivers identified that screen media facilitates children's and caregivers' learning, and promotes enjoyment and opportunities for relational bonding among children and caregivers (Salazar et al., 2025; Thompson et al., 2023). Caregivers highlighted that children are learning and developing their abilities to manipulate smartphones, as well as learning sounds, words, colors, shapes, and animals from the content (Thompson et al., 2023). Caregivers also indicated that technology can help parents by providing children with a calming, relaxing activity, especially on car rides, or when caregivers are busy with cooking and want to keep children safe from hot stoves or ovens (Salazar et al., 2025; Thompson et al., 2023). Nonetheless, caregivers also thought about the harms of technology. Caregivers expressed fears that children may imitate violent and aggressive behaviors represented on the screen, and that staring at a screen for a long time may damage their children's health (Thompson et al., 2023). Caregivers also described screen media as all-consuming and distracting with negative effects on children's abilities to fall asleep or eat properly (Thompson et al., 2023). These articles centered mostly on the connection between screen media and socioemotional learning and self-regulation, rather than technological skill building.

The engineering studies focused on how bilingual family-based programs promote STEM interests and values, which are theoretically important cognitive and affective variables that motivate Latine families to engage further in STEM practices and activities (Pattison et al., 2020, 2022). Participation in Head Start on Engineering (HSE), a program that provided families with preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start with bilingual Spanish/English family take-home activity kits and parent workshops, promoted families' interests in engineering (Pattison et al., 2022). Specifically, families described an increased value for engineering, awareness of engineering's relevance, and implementation of engineering design processes in everyday activities like household chores, family play, and arts and crafts. Caregivers reported that participating in the HSE program deepened children's interest in building with blocks or Legos and understanding how things work, and inspired caregivers to spend time with their families imagining, creating, and solving everyday problems. Interviews illuminated factors contributing to families' engineering interest development including family values (i.e., importance of spending time together) and parents' perceptions of the role that they play in supporting child and family interests. Some Latine caregivers were less interested in engaging in engineering activities because of limitations related to time and busy schedules, being tired from work, cost, and mental or physical health issues. Spanish-speaking families discussed additional barriers related to a lack of Spanish language resources and fear related to unauthorized status (Pattison et al., 2022). These barriers reflect within-group differences in navigating challenges related to work schedules, language, and immigration contexts.

Similarly, in the science-focused study that explored attitudes and beliefs, researchers found that Latine caregivers participating in a home-school-community program to support multilingual families' science learning showed an increased understanding of how science can help children develop language skills and awareness of STEM careers that their children may be interested in some day after the program (Young et al., 2024). The program also increased Latine caregivers' interest in exploring science with their child, belief that exploring science is a fun way to spend time with their child, confidence that they can play an important role in their children's science learning, confidence in working with teachers to support children's science learning, and comfort visiting a science center with their child (Young et al., 2024).

In the STEM-focused study focused on attitudes, Latine caregivers shared that they were interested in STEM learning opportunities that integrated their cultural traditions, language, and history of their native homelands (Bermudez et al., 2023). They also were motivated to engage the whole family in STEM activities as a way to strengthen family bonds, reflecting the cultural value of familismo (Bermudez et al., 2023). Overall, co-designing STEM activities with families and accessible, bilingual family-based programs with at-home activities are promising approaches to supporting children and families' STEM interests and learning (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024a,b; Bermudez et al., 2023; Pattison et al., 2020, 2022; Young et al., 2024).

All the articles reviewed examined family STEM practices, with 75% (n = 18) highlighting family STEM activities and 45.8% (n = 11) focusing on family STEM talk.

Overall, Latine families are engaging in STEM learning through everyday family life activities like playing with toys and cultural board games (i.e., lotería, bingo, lotto, dominoes, cards, Connect 4, puzzles), reading STEM-related books, watching STEM-related television, singing songs, engaging with technology, tinkering, laundry, folding clothes, cleaning, shopping, budgeting, scheduling, and sharing family food routines (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024a,b; Bermudez et al., 2023; Caspe et al., 2023; Castañeda et al., 2022; Cosso et al., 2024a; Galindo et al., 2019; Salazar et al., 2025; Thompson et al., 2023). Families engage in STEM practices during outdoor activities as they observe their surroundings and notice changes in nature, with some playing “I spy” games and counting objects in the environment (Bermudez et al., 2023; Castañeda et al., 2022). Latine caregivers also support STEM learning by taking advantage of informal learning environments in the community like visiting the zoo, aquarium, museums, and participating in family science, engineering, and STEM programming (Acosta and Haden, 2022; Bermudez et al., 2023; Castañeda et al., 2022; Pattison et al., 2020, 2022; Young et al., 2024). Busy schedules, mental health issues, economic barriers, or language and cultural barriers make engaging in some activities more challenging, particularly for families who are Spanish monolingual, have lower incomes, and/or unauthorized immigration status (Pattison et al., 2022). However, STEM learning is culturally relevant, meaningful, and accessible when families are included as co-designers of high-quality activities (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024b; Bermudez et al., 2023) and when programs are offered for free in families' preferred language and using at-home materials and activities (Pattison et al., 2020, 2022; Young et al., 2024). There remain gaps in understanding family math activities beyond numeracy and technology activities beyond monitoring screen media use. However, existing work showed that caregiver-child numeracy activities were positively associated with children's numeracy skills, particularly in contexts of low to moderate caregiver math anxiety (Montúfar Soria et al., 2025). Additionally, researchers may want to build on the existing qualitative studies to create culturally tailored questionnaires aimed at understanding Latine home science, engineering, and technology environments.

Overall, families engaged in STEM conversations during their everyday activities, as well as museum- or research-driven activities. Notably, the type of activity (e.g., household chores, book sharing, structured sink-and-float task vs. open-ended museum task, more frequent home science activities) influenced the quality and/or quantity of STEM talk. Factors such as language, child gender, child age, and caregiver level of formal schooling also shaped STEM talk in certain contexts. For example, caregivers' formal schooling was associated with more explanatory science talk with their children in museums and more engineering talk after tinkering at a museum (Acosta and Haden, 2022; Tenenbaum and Callanan, 2008). Whether families speak in Spanish or English with each other predicted the types of math words used (Melzi et al., 2022; Mendelsohn et al., 2023). Both children and caregivers initiated STEM conversations. For example, children asked questions and made statements about science-related topics, and responded to their caregivers' questions (Castañeda et al., 2022; Young et al., 2024). However, child gender and caregiver schooling contributed to differences in the types of questions that are asked and the style of caregiver-child interactions during science activities (Siegel et al., 2007; Solis and Callanan, 2021). Importantly, toddlers' math talk was linked to greater spatial understanding (Masek et al., 2024). The greatest percentage of STEM talk studies were about science, followed by math and engineering. More work is needed to identify technology and overall STEM talk in Latine families with young children. Since studies separate STEM talk based on the specific area, more work is needed to understand overlaps between science, technology, engineering, and math talk.

Despite a growing base of knowledge on math-related beliefs and attitudes, we know very little about Latine caregivers' beliefs and attitudes toward science, technology, and engineering. We encourage descriptive research that explores Latine caregivers' definitions of science, technology, and engineering, and considers how informal (out-of-school) and formal educational experiences may influence caregivers' confidence and anxiety around science, technology, and engineering. Further, future research should examine Latine caregivers' beliefs and attitudes about the importance of children learning about science, technology, and engineering at home. Although the reviewed research demonstrates that participation in community science and engineering programs and co-designing math activities were associated with increased family engagement and interest in STEM, future research can explore how technology-related programs support children's and families' interests in technology. Additionally, more work needs to be done to identify how positive and negative attitudes and beliefs about STEM relate to family engagement in STEM activities and STEM talk.

With regards to practices, researchers should continue to document naturalistic day-to-day STEM activities and conversations among Latine families with young children (e.g., Castañeda et al., 2022; Mendelsohn et al., 2023). Work on family math engagement is making important strides in revealing caregivers' numeracy activities in Latine families (e.g., Cosso et al., 2024b). It may be useful to create standardized questionnaires about Latine families' activities related to science, technology and engineering, along the lines of the Latine family home numeracy environments questionnaire (HNE-L; Cosso et al., 2024b). This would advance the general need for more work aimed at uncovering family STEM engagement related to the most common science, technology, and engineering activities, as well as math-related activities beyond numeracy. Other questions about family STEM activities and talk remain. For example, which family members are most involved in science, technology, and engineering activities? How do Latine families talk about technology? What kind of technology practices do families engage in beyond screen media (i.e., AI, apps, calculators, other tools) and how does screen media promote STEM learning? For example, Kelly et al. (2023) found that parent-child dyads who used smartphones while visiting an aquarium were more likely to replace science talk with smartphone talk, but some dyads used smartphones to promote science learning. The rise of technology, digital media, and evolving family practices (especially in studies published post-2020 after COVID-19) may have altered family STEM engagement compared to previous generations. Research should continue to explore how contextual and demographic factors such as educational background, language, gender, age, activity, and setting influence STEM activities and talk. Building on ecological systems theories, these ideas for future work could elaborate our understanding of the ways that family, community, and cultural factors interact to support early STEM engagement and learning.

Since research is generally divided based on the STEM area, with the most research on math, followed by engineering, science, and technology, future research should examine interactions among science, technology, engineering, and math. More research is needed to understand whether or not Latine family engagement processes are meaningfully distinct across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or if an integrated perspective might more effectively illustrate the case for family-based engagement. There may also be benefits to looking at STEM engagement holistically, particularly in early childhood when the disciplinary boundaries, for example, between science and engineering, and engineering and math, may be less distinct. Additionally, we need work that relates all the different components that make up family STEM engagement; specifically, beliefs, attitudes, activities, and talk. For example, a study by Montúfar Soria et al. (2025) found an interaction between caregiver math anxiety and caregiver-child numeracy activities in understanding children's numeracy skills. Specifically, caregiver math anxiety was negatively associated with children's numeracy skills, and numeracy activities were positively associated with numeracy skills except in contexts of high caregiver math anxiety Montúfar Soria et al., (2025). Though there were a few studies that included children's math knowledge (Cosso et al., 2024a,b; Masek et al., 2024), there is a notable dearth of research exploring Latine child STEM skills and knowledge over time. Some of the reviewed studies might have chosen to avoid assessments of outcomes and focus on children's engagement during conversation and activity following recommendations of sociocultural researchers like Rogoff (2003), Lave (1988), and Cole (1996) who question the assumption that assessments can be direct measures of children's underlying competence used across situations and cultural contexts. Future research should work to include culturally and linguistically sensitive measures of child outcomes to be able to assess how family STEM engagement supports children's learning.

Caregivers expressed a desire for STEM learning opportunities that reflect their cultural traditions, language, and history (Bermudez et al., 2023). Particularly among Latine families, oral stories are a common cultural practice that conveys information about the world and supports children's ability to think critically (McWayne and Melzi, 2023; Melzi and Caspe, 2005; Reese, 2012). Storytelling has the potential to engage children and families in STEM learning by making complex STEM-related information more meaningful and relevant. For example, this review identified that children's engagement in engineering increased when connected to a story context (Acosta and Haden, 2023; Pattison et al., 2020) and caregivers engaged in science talk while reading a science-related storybook (Shirefley et al., 2020). Future research should explore how storytelling may leverage Latine families' strengths and promote further STEM learning (Haden et al., 2023).

Crucially, Latine people make up the majority of agricultural workers in the United States (78%), working to grow fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products and supporting the $1.264 trillion agricultural industry (National Center for Farmworker Health, 2022). Farmworkers and migrant farmers do STEM work every day, as they work with crops on the land and implement their expertise in food production. In a study by Wilson-Lopez et al. (2016), Latine adolescents who worked with their fathers at a small dairy farm practiced engineering design processes such as gathering information and generating multidimensional solutions for farmers' concerns, specifically minimizing bacteria counts in cows' milk to maximize consumer profits. Although jobs in agriculture and other areas like construction, cooking, and health care are not always valued as STEM jobs Funk and Lopez, (2022), they do require workers to employ STEM-related knowledge and skills. In fact, these jobs are included in an expanded definition of what counts as a STEM job (i.e., National Science Board, 2021). Studies of STEM learning in Latine families with young children should take the opportunity to elaborate on the ways that Latine parents who work in agriculture, construction, cooking, and health care teach their children about STEM.

One of the strengths of the reviewed studies is their focus on Latine families and within-group variation, rather than comparing Latine families to families from other ethnic groups. However, most of the research reviewed includes mothers and less is known about how fathers and other family members think about STEM and engage in STEM talk and activities with their children. Additionally, another gap is that none of these studies specifically explore learning differences with neurodivergent children or children with disabilities. Future work should consider multigenerational and diverse experiences within Latine families as they relate to STEM learning. Furthermore, research designs should prioritize family and community knowledge, perspectives, and input (DePascale et al., 2024).

The concentration of studies published between 2020 and 2025 (88% of the reviewed articles) is both a strength and a limitation. On one hand, this temporal clustering offers a valuable snapshot of current practices and thinking about Latine family engagement in STEM. On the other hand, it limits historical depth and makes it difficult to trace longer-term trends. Whereas this distribution may be a by-product of the inclusion criteria (peer-reviewed, 2000–2025, family-focused), it likely signals recent disciplinary shifts related to increased attention to STEM areas as well as equity, diversity, and representation of Latine communities in developmental science. This shift aligns with broader societal movements for racial justice and heightened awareness of inequities related to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This recent focus of studies on STEM in Latine families could be the result of funding priorities and scholarly paradigms. For example, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics released a 2019 report on the diversity of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in STEM and created funding opportunities for racial equity in STEM education. Our finding that most of the reviewed studies use a strengths-based framework is consistent with this equity-based approach. Instead of comparing Latine families to families with dominant identities, this strengths-based work often explores within-group diversity of their experiences in context. Future work should continue to employ a strengths-based approach that does not ignore systemic barriers faced by Latine families, such as language access, time and resource constraints, and immigration status. By emphasizing individual, relational, and systemic assets, strengths-based research can identify supports for children's learning and development as families navigate their contexts.

Existing research demonstrates that Latine families are engaging in STEM learning in their communities. Community-based programs around science (Young et al., 2024), engineering (Pattison et al., 2020), math (Beltrán-Grimm, 2024b), and STEM broadly (Bermudez et al., 2023) have demonstrated positive outcomes for children and their caregivers. Therefore, these programs should be implemented at a wide scale to reach more Latine families. STEM workshops and programs that center the experiences of Latine children and families are a promising intervention for increasing representation. Successful engagement of Latine families in STEM involves offering challenging and personalized content, defining outcomes, engaging adults, and valuing sustained commitment (Jenkins-Stark and Chklovski, 2010). When working with Latine families, it is important to prioritize accessibility. This includes being flexible, going to their homes, schools, or community centers for meetings, and accommodating to their schedules, which often means facilitating workshops in the evenings and supplying meals (Jenkins-Stark and Chklovski, 2010; Smith, 2020). Importantly, services should be offered in Spanish for families who are more comfortable communicating in Spanish (Kayumova et al., 2015). Given that Latine families may face barriers to acquiring and using technology, particularly laptops and tablets (Kim and Padilla, 2020), another way to promote equitable access to STEM learning could be to increase devices, connectivity, and high quality educational content to families (Fuller et al., 2015; Levinson and Barron, 2018). Additionally, technology programs for young Latine children and their families can be developed to teach children and families ways to leverage the benefits of technology and protect against the harms (Katz and Gonzalez, 2015).

Latine families also visit parks, as well as museums, zoos, and aquariums (Castañeda et al., 2022). In addition to the benefits for STEM learning, there is a dose-response relation between the number of parks in a family's neighborhood and increases in positive mental health outcomes (Wood et al., 2017). Being in contact with nature enhances cognitive functioning and emotional well-being by improving attention restoration and reducing stress (Bratman et al., 2019; Foderaro and Klein, 2023). Additionally, green space and outdoor recreation enhances cardiovascular health (Kondo et al., 2018). Even for people who never visit the parks, urban greenspace can improve air quality, regulate temperature, and protect against severe weather events (Remme et al., 2021). Unfortunately, the quality of parks is often lower in low-SES ethnic minority neighborhoods (Rigolon, 2016). It is imperative that Latine families have access to high quality parks to support their children's STEM learning, as well as mental and physical health.

Although museums, zoos, and aquariums are also important contexts for Latine family STEM learning, researchers found that not all Latine families use these resources (Castañeda et al., 2022). There are barriers related to language and economic accessibility that restrict Spanish-monolingual or low-income Latine families' access to learning opportunities and a sense of belonging or comfort in these spaces (Dawson, 2014). Costs of admission can be prohibitive, and even when visits are free, there are implicit costs associated with visits, like the cost of travel, food, and drink (Dawson, 2014). Many programs, such as the NSF-funded Cambio project, have worked to create STEM programs that are culturally relevant and responsive to Latine communities and increase Latine participation in STEM (Cambio, 2025). Outreach programs to increase community access have worked to make visits more accessible and families more aware of opportunities. For example, in addition to a free ticket, the Woodland Park Zoo Community Access Programs provide a 20% discount to food and beverage, free virtual experiences for those who are unable to physically visit the Zoo, communication about free programs, and translations (McCrory, 2024). Successful museum-community partnerships can increase outreach efforts to underserved populations, enabling greater Latine participation in museums (McCarthy and Herring, 2015).

In the United States, Latine people are underrepresented in STEM fields, yet early experiences in their family contexts provide opportunities for children to develop their STEM-related interests and skills. The field of Latine family STEM engagement is new, small, and growing, with the majority of studies reviewed here focused on family math. The existing work centers the experiential knowledge of Latine families, especially mothers, who are leaders in promoting early STEM learning and partners in addressing gaps in Latine participation in STEM. Reviewing existing literature demonstrates caregivers' beliefs and attitudes about STEM (particularly about math and technology) and identifies that meaningful STEM learning occurs through everyday family activities, like grocery shopping, setting the table, playing games, going to the park, and family conversations. Our hope is that future researchers and practitioners build on these existing studies to uncover how Latine families are engaging in STEM and support them in co-designing STEM opportunities for the community and providing STEM programming that is aligned with the families' values, language, and accessibility needs (i.e., offering at-home activities). Altogether, this work demonstrates that Latine family STEM engagement is vital to cultivate early STEM learning in a culturally sustaining way.