The statistics tell a different story. They reflect the many children who have been born out of wedlock to mothers who are children themselves and who are living in poverty. These mothers need help if they are to help their kids to learn. Youngsters with this variety of reading materials available also tend to have higher average scores on the NAEP math exams. Whether or not they are readers, parents can show their commitment to their children's education by their TV-watching rules.
Parents seem to know they have a responsibility here.
Almost two-thirds say they have rules about television watching on school days, but, looking at the number of hours kids put in, you have to conclude that the rules aren't worth much or that parents don't enforce them. If youngsters don't go to school, they can't benefit from what school has to offer. Here, too, many parents are failing their children by not making sure the kids attend school every day. This kind of involvement in their children's education is hard work for parents. But it's hard to think of anything more important they can do for their kids.