Talking and reading to your kids, especially while they’re young, should help them develop in a variety of ways. The value of this practice has been well-known for decades. It helps develop vocabulary and early language skills, and most importantly, it is a tender and loving time to spend with your kid. As a parent of a 1 year old, I see many of my fellow young parents receiving plenty of books as gifts from friends and family. We have been incredibly blessed in this regard, from Bible stories to books that ask the question, “What if I was a puppy?” My friends know what I value as an English teacher!
There is evidence of regular reading and talking with our children currently ingrained in American culture. As a country, our students thrive on reading assessments. We regularly rank in the top 10 on international reading assessments (9th, most recently), yet our math scores lag far behind, and the disparity is very odd in our country. What’s going on?
The most recognized international test is the PISA, or Program for International Student Assessment. You can see a helpful map from the good people at Data Pandas here, and you’ll notice that the difference between most countries is very minor. Canada, for example, is 8th and 9th in reading and math, respectively. The UK is 13th and 14th. Spain is 29th and 28th. Yet, in the United States, we rank 9th in reading and 34th in math.
There are a lot of explanations for this gulf in achievement levels. One could explore the differences in defining student success and achievement in eastern and western cultures (the top 6 countries in combined scores are all in the far east). One could argue that it’s too simple to roll all of the United States into one category (and if you want a fascinating data dive, take a look at how individual states perform on the PISA). However, one factor that may be overlooked is that, in the United States, we are entertainment-rich! We experience language, tone, and story in binged amounts. Can we say the same about math?
It is a small step in the right direction, but Jill Barshay’s recent report suggests that having regular math conversation with your children is valuable as well. It can be as simple as, “Can you get me five eggs out of the fridge?” or as complex as inviting your child to do your next house project with you…if you can get them to agree to it, of course! Take a look at the article below. Thanks to KQED for scouring the internet for great educational reads.
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