Warwick/Institute of Education - Home is where the best start is

Family-based support is a key contributor to children's success in the education system, research has found. What parents do to help their children learn at home is much more important than getting parents involved in school-based activities, according to academics from the Institute of Education, University of London and the University of Warwick. They reviewed the research evidence on what helps close the attainment gap between children from low-income families and those from well-off families. "Study after study reinforced the link between parental engagement in learning, at school and at home, with significant improvement in pupils' academic achievement," said Alma Harris and Janet Goodall, researchers on the project.