Father's Involvement Linked to Improvement in Child's Performance, Study Finds

The unemployment rate in the United States have reached an all time low since it peaked during the start of the recessesion in 2008. Nevertheless as of August this year, 5.1% of Americans across the country are unemployed. Arguably, having the right experience and education put applicants ahead of their peers. Coming from a good university and maintaining high grades can guarantee an individual a well-paying job. Needless to say, doing well in school is imperative.

There are many factors that affect a child's academic performance and according to a recent study, a father's involvement in a child's schooling greatly impacts his or her performance.

A paper by Dr. Marie-Anne Suizzo from the University of Texas as reported by Science Daily demonstrates how paternal warmth has a special influence in children's ability to remain motivated and determined to achieve greater things.

Based on the research, adolescent from low-income households are more likely to have failing marks and eventually to drop out than their middle class counterparts. However, at-risk youth tend to achieve more in school if their parents are interested and involved in their academic pursuits.

 Suizzo and her team analyzed data from a questionnaire gathered from 183 sixth graders of European American, African American and Mexican American descent. The analysis showed that children of fathers who remain supportive and encouraging have higher achievements in school. Even children of low-income immigrant fathers who do not have perfect grasp of the English language do academically better than those without paternal guidance.

"Low-income fathers affect their adolescents' beliefs about themselves and their future, and these beliefs influence their achievement by increasing their determination to persist on school tasks," explained Suizzo.

Suizzo and her team are hopeful that their research would encourage fathers to pay mind to their children's school activities. Suizzo also urge teachers and counselors to encourage fathers to be involved.