‘Mums the Word’ When it Comes to Kids’ Learning

2 months ago 04th Sep 12:08

A new survey commissioned by LeapFrog Toys has found that almost half of UK parents (42%) discover if their kid is a child genius or a class clown through playground gossip than class reports (21%).

Mum of two sets of twins Annabel said: “From chatting with other mums I can compare my children’s development with other kids their age to determine if they are performing at the level they should be.”

This coupled with kids’ tight lips, means learning at school remains a mystery for parents, as 94% wish they could know more about their child’s educational development, according to the survey of over 6,500 parents.

The study was commissioned to understand the thoughts and concerns of British parents today as part of the LeapFrog Learning Path - an online tool that allows parents to see their child’s learning progress.

Despite the government literacy drive, the study found that reading was still a key concern for parents today, with 57% wanting a guide on how a child learns to read, 56% wanting tips on how to support their children at home as they learn to read and 52% wanting an explanation of current reading schemes and how they work. Interestingly, when encouraging boys to read, 33% of parents would like tips to entice their sons to read compared to only 18% whose children are girls.

The value of home learning should not be underestimated; while certificates or rewards brought home from school, and homework, were useful pointers on a child’s learning progress, (cited by 42% and 38% surveyed respectively), two thirds of parents are also determining their child’s development at home simply by observing their abilities and activities.

Regular story time and educational toys are the top two most popular ways that parents aid their kids at home, with 92% of parents frequently reading with their child and 78% using educational toys.

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