As if you didn’t need more reasons to read to your children, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assesses 15 year olds from the world’s leading industrialized nations, released their findings of a sub-group looking at the affects of adult participation in their children’s education.

The findings stated that,

Fifteen-year-old students whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school show markedly higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents read with them infrequently or not at all. The performance advantage among students whose parents read to them in their early school years is evident regardless of the family’s socioeconomic background. Parents’ engagement with their 15-year-olds is strongly associated with better performance in PISA.

Thomas Friedman, a reporter with the New York Times recently wrote an article on the need for parents to stop complaining about their schools lack of ability and start taking some responsibility for their child’s achievement. 

Another finding from PISA states that,

students whose parents reported that they had read a book with their child ‘every day or almost every day’ or ‘once or twice a week’ during the first year of primary school have markedly higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents reported that they had read a book with their child ‘never or almost never’ or only ‘once or twice a month.’ On average, the score difference is 25 points, the equivalent of well over half a school year.

What is amazing is that this finding reaches across demographics and income levels. Even families in low income areas can see a increase in achievement by reading to their child.

In another study done by the National School Boards Association’s Center for Public Education, the authors note that, 

Monitoring homework; making sure children get to school; rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of going to college. These parent actions are linked to better attendance, grades, test scores, and preparation for college

Yes. It is sometimes harder and far easier to sink in front of the tv or computer after a hard days work. I know that I often have to rethink my priorities and tell myself that this moment, these few moments before bedtime, are precious moments with my children. The computer/tv can wait. My children’s childhood and future cannot. And if you did not believe it before, lots of very smart people have now shown us that it is true.

To see the articles and studies follow the links below:

FRIEDMAN, T. L. (2011, November 19). How About Better Parents? - NYTimes.com. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html?

What can parents do to help their children succeed in school?. (2011, November 10). PISA In Focus. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/1/49012097.pdf

Barth, P. (2011, August 30). Back to school: How parent involvement affects student achievement (At a glance). Center for Public Education. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Public-education/Parent-Involvement

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