Our kids are capable of amazing things—and a little extra support at home can make a big difference.
In fact, decades of research are very clear: when families are actively involved in learning, students do better in school, especially in the middle years. Large reviews of hundreds of studies show that parental involvement is consistently linked to higher grades and test scores, better attendance, and stronger motivation to learn.
At the same time, national and international assessments tell us that reading and math scores for middle school students have dropped since 2019, and many Grade 8 students are now below basic reading benchmarks. The good news? What you do at home—small, daily habits—can help close that gap.
Why extra reading at home matters
Researchers talk about the home literacy environment: things like having books around, seeing adults read, and reading together or side-by-side. Meta-analyses show that a rich home literacy environment is strongly linked to better reading comprehension and long-term literacy development.
Even 20 minutes of reading a day adds up. Literacy organizations report that children who read or are read to for about 20 minutes daily are exposed to around 1.8 million words a year and tend to score much higher on standardized tests—often around the 90th percentile.
For middle schoolers, that reading doesn’t have to be a novel they dislike. It can be:
- Graphic novels or manga
- Sports articles, game guides, or hobby magazines
- Audiobooks paired with a physical or digital text
- Short stories, poetry, or online articles
The key is volume and consistency. The more they read, the stronger their vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension become—skills that support every subject, from science to social studies.
Why writing at home is powerful too
Reading and writing are partners. Research from NWEA highlights that when students write about what they read—summaries, responses, questions—their comprehension and writing skills both improve.
That doesn’t mean formal essays at the kitchen table. Try:
- A quick “3-sentence summary” of what they just read
- A short text or note to you about a character, a plot twist, or an interesting fact
- A “quote of the day” they copy down and react to in one sentence
- A shared Google Doc or notebook where you both write quick reactions to books, shows, or games
These tiny writing tasks help students organize their thinking, build stamina, and practice getting ideas onto the page—skills they need for longer middle and high school assignments.
Why math facts still matter in middle school
By middle school, students are tackling fractions, algebra, and problem-solving. But success in those areas still depends on something very basic: math fact fluency (knowing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts quickly and accurately).
When students aren’t fluent, their brains get overloaded just trying to calculate 7 × 8 or 36 ÷ 6—and there’s less mental energy left for understanding the actual problem.
Recent research on parental involvement in math shows that supportive homework help—encouraging, asking questions, practicing facts together—has a positive relationship with math achievement, especially when parents focus on guidance rather than “taking over” the work.
You can help by:
- Doing 2–5 minutes of flashcards (or an app) after dinner
- Playing quick games: “How many ways can we make 36?” or “Beat the clock: how many facts in 60 seconds?”
- Using real life: estimating grocery totals, splitting a bill, or doubling a recipe
Short, playful practice builds speed and confidence that pay off in class.
What actually helps most? (Hint: it’s not perfection.)
A big takeaway from the research: the quality of involvement matters more than perfection or hours of homework help. Studies find that students benefit when parents:
- Communicate high but realistic expectations
- Show that school and learning are important
- Provide a calm space and routine for study
- Encourage effort and persistence, not just marks
You don’t need to be a reading specialist or a math teacher. You just need to:
- Be present. Ask, “What are you reading / working on in math this week?”
- Create a routine. Aim for 20 minutes of reading + 5–10 minutes of writing or math facts most days.
- Stay positive. Focus on progress: “You’re getting faster with those facts,” or “I like how you stuck with that tricky paragraph.”
Small, consistent actions at home compound over time. They build skills, confidence, and the message that school matters and your child’s learning matters to you.
Partnering for your child’s success
As a school, we are working hard every day to provide strong instruction, targeted support, and engaging learning experiences. But we can’t do it alone. The data are clear: when schools and families pull in the same direction, students do better—academically, socially, and emotionally.
So here’s a simple challenge for the coming weeks:
- 20 minutes of reading
- 5 minutes of writing or math facts
- Most days of the week
If every middle school student in our community did just that, the long-term impact on their success would be enormous.
Thank you for all you do to support your children. Your time and attention now are one of the best investments you can make in their future.
— Jason Hartl
Principal, Dr. Martha Cohen School