Purdue News
November 1997
Elementary students and parents find a Purdue link to learning
When Purdue University researchers asked parents what concerned them about their children,
the overwhelming response was that they worried about how their children would cope
with a future of new technologies, a global economy and rapid change. Out of that concern, Purdue developed the Links to Learning program to improve children's problem-solving
skills, which are key to adapting in a changing environment. The program educates
parents about how the family contributes to children's learning by emphasizing the use of parent-child conversations and activities. Links to Learning is offered
at elementary schools across Indiana and elsewhere in the nation. Research studies
point to the elementary school years as a key time to support the role of parents
in children's learning, says Douglas Powell, head of Purdue's Department of Child Development
and Family Studies. "We found that as a result of Links to Learning, parents were
engaging in more conversations with their children about school-related topics, they
were more involved with their children's daily routines, and they strongly believed that
good study habits and parental involvement were important contributions to children's
academic achievement," he says. (To retrieve a news release on this topic, send an
e-mail message that says "send punews 9703f6" to almanac@ecn.purdue.edu or visit the
PurdueNews Web site at https://www.purdue.edu/uns) CONTACT: Powell (765) 494-9511;
e-mail, powelld@cdfs.cfs.purdue.edu
Compiled by Beth Forbes, (765) 494-9723; e-mail, beth_forbes@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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