Vanessa Vakharia & Adam Ezring: Family Math, Math Confidence & Learning Through Play

Host Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with Math Therapy creator Vanessa Vakharia and Collaborative for Student Success Deputy Director Adam Ezring about making family math play as familiar and valued as reading aloud. Both guests recall being underestimated in math and explain how adult expectations can shape a child’s confidence and identity. Through the We’re All Solvers campaign, they advocate for pediatricians, governors, libraries, and community organizations to give families simple guidance and resources for early math play. They emphasize that ordinary games, cooking, scheduling, and everyday problem-solving already involve mathematics—and that recognizing these moments can help children and adults overcome math anxiety, strengthen numeracy, and develop the confidence and resilience to tackle unfamiliar problems.