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Books in home as important as parents’ education in determining children’s education level
Science Daily ^ | May 21, 2010 | University of Nevada, Reno

Posted on 03/07/2023 5:04:19 PM PST by grundle

Whether rich or poor, residents of the United States or China, illiterate or college graduates, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans, University of Nevada, Reno associate professor of sociology and resource economics.

For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, strikingly, this massive study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as having parents who are barely literate (3 years of education) compared to having parents who have a university education (15 or 16 years of education). Both factors, having a 500-book library or having university-educated parents, propel a child 3.2 years further in education, on average.

Being a sociologist, Evans was particularly interested to find that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home. She has been looking for ways to help Nevada’s rural communities, in terms of economic development and education.

“What kinds of investments should we be making to help these kids get ahead?” she asked. “The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed.”

Evans said, “Even a little bit goes a long way,” in terms of the number of books in a home. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater the benefit.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Education
KEYWORDS: books; donatefreerepublic; education
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To: grundle

We probably had 500 books on our shelves.

Four kids. One is an expert on children’s literature. Another is a book editor. Another is an engineer.

The trucker doesn’t read much but he does have a Tom Clancy book hollowed out to hold a pistol.

The editor lives in an upstairs apartment. She has so many books no one will help her move.


21 posted on 03/07/2023 6:02:00 PM PST by cyclotic
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To: grundle

We did not have lots of books...BUT my mother took us to the Library where there WERE lots of books that we could check out. I read to my younger siblings...do not recal my parents reading to us. I am known as the bookworm of the family...and now have my own “library.” (Kindle doesn’t cut it.)


22 posted on 03/07/2023 6:25:49 PM PST by goodnesswins (The Chinese are teaching calculus to their 3rd graders wh to sile ours are trying to pick a pronoun.)
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To: grundle

Are some people intelligent because they read, or do they read because they are intelligent?


23 posted on 03/07/2023 6:31:38 PM PST by suthener
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To: outofsalt

My recommendations are from my male perspective on books for boys under 12: anything by Jack London, Mark Twain, Jules Verne. Also books telling Bible stories, some C. S. Lewis, Tolkien’s The Hobbit.


24 posted on 03/07/2023 6:39:23 PM PST by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't. )
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To: grundle

I suspect parents with over 500 books have a higher IQ than those who don’t.


25 posted on 03/07/2023 6:43:42 PM PST by alternatives?
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To: grundle

Ben Carson is a perfect example of this.


26 posted on 03/07/2023 6:54:53 PM PST by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TP)
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To: Persevero

My parents never read to us, but we had an encyclopedia set and got several magazines every month.

I read them.


27 posted on 03/07/2023 7:06:35 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: grundle

Yes the 2 biggest predictors of school success are the presence of books in the home and the presence of a single desk in the home. Just one desk. I didn’t realize that 500 books was the magic # and that might change with Kindle etc.

I definitely have 500+ books in my home and all my kids were successful in school. Very much so.

Now I should get off FR and go read a book!


28 posted on 03/07/2023 7:17:43 PM PST by olivia3boys (t )
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To: suthener
A bit of both.

You have to be smart enough to learn to read but that is a good 95% of the human race. And the more you read the more you think. The more you think the smarter you are.

We are born with nice smooth brains. It is our job to get them all wrinkly with thinking and doing.

People do not like the idea that we build our brains because then you have all those uncomfortable questions about people who are apparently NOT thinking. They prefer to try to put it off on something else. In fact they prefer to put it off on anything else.

The latest thing is that there is a limited amount of "smart" and so if parents do thing with their kids that improves their smarts then they are taking it from someone else.

Don't laugh. I have had a social worker sit across from me and tell me that home schooling my youngest was wrong for that very reason. If she got smarter other kids would be dumber.

29 posted on 03/07/2023 7:20:05 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (The nation of france was named after a hedgehog... The hedgehog's name was Kevin... Don't ask)
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To: outofsalt

Well, i got 7 of ten already. :)

Let’s hear your top ten and any other Freepers can chime in.


30 posted on 03/07/2023 7:21:33 PM PST by Redcitizen
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To: grundle

bttt


31 posted on 03/07/2023 7:21:43 PM PST by linMcHlp
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To: outofsalt
Aesop's Fables.

I would place it right behind the Bible in foundational books.

It was one of the first books printed on the printing press after the Bible so at least some people used to agree with me.

32 posted on 03/07/2023 7:23:01 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (The nation of france was named after a hedgehog... The hedgehog's name was Kevin... Don't ask)
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To: dennisw

Your comic book story reminded me of what happened with my children. I encouraged my kids to read something every day, didn’t care what it was. My youngest resisted until I told him that reading the sports page every day counted. It worked! Happy reader!


33 posted on 03/07/2023 7:27:54 PM PST by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TP)
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To: Fester Chugabrew

Drunk, moping and whacking off in public are no way to go through life son.


34 posted on 03/07/2023 7:29:49 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (The nation of france was named after a hedgehog... The hedgehog's name was Kevin... Don't ask)
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To: ConservativeMind

Same principle. They bought the encyclopedia and presumably used it.

And they ordered and paid for and presumably read the magazines.

Good for them. (And you)


35 posted on 03/07/2023 8:06:41 PM PST by Persevero (You cannot comply your way out of tyranny. )
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To: monkeyshine

I love giving good books to children as gifts.


36 posted on 03/07/2023 8:07:41 PM PST by Persevero (You cannot comply your way out of tyranny. )
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To: outofsalt

Off the top of my head and subject to great changes:

Farmer Boy
Aesops Fables, well illustrated
Go Dog Go
Curious George
Paddle to the Sea
Peter Rabbit
The Great Brain
Billy and Blaze
The Ride of Paul Revere, well illustrated
Ramona the Pest


37 posted on 03/07/2023 8:12:38 PM PST by Persevero (You cannot comply your way out of tyranny. )
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To: dennisw

Oh yes, my reading skills were greatly increased by comic books. My dad was a huge comic book collector himself. Good times!


38 posted on 03/07/2023 9:56:23 PM PST by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: ConservativeInPA

Correlation does not establish causation.


39 posted on 03/07/2023 10:15:55 PM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: Persevero

Well, as my wife reminded me ( but I do remember! ) , we had a small bookshelf in our apartment when I was in grad school, and our daughter, still crawling, would ritualistically pull all the books off the shelf, and leaf through them, not knowing a thing about them or what they meant.

She became a teacher, and still is today.

( And, as a matter of fact, but beside the point, she’s the mother of two of our three grandchildren. )


40 posted on 03/07/2023 11:02:34 PM PST by dr_lew2
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