Everyone knows that mothers know best. What many people don’t know is that how much a mother knows can significantly affect a child’s educational achievement.
Michigan University’s Sandra Tang led a study that looked out how mothers’ education, both before and after having a child, correlated to their childrens’ success. The study compared the children of teen moms (mothers who had children before the age of nineteen) and adult moms (mothers who had children at the age of nineteen and older). From analyzing the data, they were able to find differences in achievement between the children of teen moms and children of adult moms as early as kindergarten. The noted achievement differences continued through the eighth grade in math and reading skills. Even more shocking than how early this effect takes place is the fact that children born to women who had been teen moms and were no longer teens still felt the negative impact on their achievement. Unfortunately, the data showed that children born to teen moms or to women who had been teen moms will never close the achievement gap on children born to adult moms. This does not mean all is lost; the data did show that children of teen moms who finished their education did better compared to children of teen moms who didn’t finish their education. This means there is action that can be taken on multiple fronts. In the event that a woman becomes a teen mom, it is worthwhile to invest in her education so that all of her children can also reap the benefits. In addition, this information can be used to educate all teens and help them realize the effect that being a teen mother would have not only on them but also on their children.
Overall these findings are a big concern because it shows that one generation can negatively affect another generation before the second generation is even born. The worst part is that this setback seems to be out of the children’s hands. The study did not address any ways that the children themselves can help combat their achievement deficit. The burden is on the mother to educate herself in order to give her children a better chance at the achievement. A notable thing about this study is that it did not mention the father’s education level. Although a mother’s education level can vary more than a father’s and is often more telling than a father’s, it would be interesting to see if a certain level of education on the father’s part could partially or completely negate the effects of the mother being a teen mom. In addition, there are often many people involved in the process of raising a child. Even though the study accounted for the home environment, household income and other variables, it would be a worthwhile exploration to see if there is any correlation between other family member’s (Father, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles) or care giver’s education levels and children’s achievement level.
Teen moms can help their children out by continuing their education. https://www.citizenshighschool.com/media/temp/img-TeenMomPath-2.jpg
Posted by: Michael Stone