Learning is the process of absorbing new information in a meaningful way and putting it to use. Children and young adults learn a large portion of their knowledge at school. At school, previously unknown information is deliberately presented to students so they can use it both to pass tests and move on to other studies. This information is also used in myriad practical life applications. A student's home environment has significant effects on learning and school performance.
Learning Foundation
The home environment provides the foundation for learning and is an element of the student's life that can affect grades, according to the Arkansas State Parental Information and Resource Center's Center for Effective Parenting. Providing opportunities to learn outside of school helps facilitate student success in the school environment, as reported by the University of Minnesota Extension. Education professionals reporting in the British Educational Research Journal note that education success was positively impacted by home learning opportunities such as parents reading to their children, trips to the library, and resources encouraging play with letters and numbers. The British researchers found that the mother's education level had the single most significant impact on a young child's academic success.
Physical and Emotional Readiness
Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children are well-fed, well-rested, happy and calm, according to the Arkansas State Parental Information and Resource Center. Creating a positive physical and mental atmosphere in the home helps prepare students to be ready and able to learn. A parent-child relationship characterized by nurturing, acceptance and encouragement, as well as perents' responsiveness to the child's needs is correlated with positive academic performance, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. However, parental overprotectiveness, authoritarianism, disapproval and punishment have been shown to be negatively correlated with student learning.
Motivation and Expectations
A student's learning success is enhanced when both parents and teachers clearly state their goals for student performance, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. Parents' positive aspirations for their children, especially teens, showed a strong relationship with academic achievement. Motivation involves the student's own beliefs about his or her skill level and what the results will be if he or she tries a new task, notes the Arkansas State Parental Information and Resource Center. What parents expect and communication to their child about the value of learning and their child's skills has a powerful effect on the child's motivation to learn.
References
- Arkansas State Parental Information and Resource Center's Center for Effective Parenting: Improving Your Child's Learning and Grades
- Sammons, P., et al., "The Impact of Pre-school on Young Children's Cognitive Attainments at Entry to Reception," British Educational Research Journal Vol. 3 No. 5 (2004)
- University of Minnesota Extension: Parenting for School Success
