Another reason parents matter in kids’ education

The education level of parents helps decide the performance of their kids at school, Science Daily says, citing a recent study in the journal Child Development by Pitt researchers, authored by Daniel Hackman.

The study shows the importance of working memory – “the ability to hold information in your mind, think about it, and use it to guide behavior” – which has developed by age 10.

Studying about 300 10- to 13-year-olds, Hackman found no correlation between parents living in a low-income neighborhood and their kids’ school performance, but the difference in working memory lasted through adolescence.

“The study suggests that disparities seen in adolescence and adulthood start earlier in childhood and that school doesn’t close the gap in working memory for children ages 10 and above,” Science Daily notes. However, it adds, “Interventions that strengthen working memory in children, such as training games, may help children with lower levels of working memory improve and reduce disparities.”