Education

Read a good book lately—with your kids?

Let me take you back a few centuries. A Massachusetts Colony law enacted in 1644 stated that heads of households should be responsible for teaching their children to read. Not a bad law.

The continuing barrage of negative media influences—particularly violent video games—challenges fathers to teach their children skills in discernment. A recent Gallup poll found that the “Grand Theft Auto” series is extremely popular among adolescent boys. Even though it received an “M” rating (intended for mature audiences) by the entertainment software rating board, 71% of boys and 34% of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 have played the game.

All fathers can play a critical role in their children’s education. Research shows that when fathers are involved, their children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior. Seeking to assess the level of father involvement in children’s education, the National Center for Fathering conducted a national random sample in October 1999. The survey contacted 894 men and women and requested their responses to questions related to their children’s education.

There are many things you can do to ease the transition into a new school year. If your kids are like mine, they already have the scoop on their new teachers. Mrs. So-and-so is strict; Mr. So-and-so is really hard; Mrs. So-and-so lets you get away with anything.

Clark Smith knows that he, like all dads, has an important role in educating his children. Here are some key ways he has tried to do that.

Challenges in Education

Few would argue that education is one of our children's supporting pillars of success. Yet many of our public school systems across this nation are in need of help. This was a key issue in last year's presidential campaign for both candidates and materialized as the President's "No child left behind" education campaign.