<\/p>\n
Many parents underestimate their children\u2019s reading potential. It\u2019s not unusual for them to say: \u201cMy boy\u2019s not that good at reading, and that\u2019s the way he is.\u201d So they\u2019re less inclined to make an effort to read with their children. They tend to believe that it won\u2019t help much, that their children\u2019s skills and abilities are fixed.<\/p>\n
This \u201cfixed mind-set\u201d is mistaken. Children who read more get better at it, whether or not they are good at the outset. Furthermore, our research shows particular improvement among children whose parents have this mind-set, if they are offered advice on the benefits of helping and a concrete way to support the child. In these cases, children can make significant progress in both reading and writing. The improvements are at least as significant as those achieved through methods that support classroom learning. They\u2019re also a lot less expensive, which suggests that educators should reconsider how they spend their funds on reading support.<\/p>\n
Our findings raise many fascinating possibilities that are currently the subject of further research. First, might the same problem of parental underestimation apply to other basic skills, such as numeracy? If so, could encouragement of more positive attitudes and giving parents straightforward ways to help their children be similarly cost-effective in improving children\u2019s mathematical skills?<\/p>\n