By Maria Correa

Good news for younger siblings who feel left behind by older siblings who do well in school. A new study by the University of Essex found that the knowledge of older siblings who help younger siblings with homework, or play games that help develop their cognitive skills, like card playing or board games, can actually help improve the grades of younger siblings moving forward.

“How much a younger child’s school achievement is affected by their brother’s or sister’s achievement at school is a really important question to answer as it helps us understand whether investments in children may have multiplier effects through their impact on younger children,” stated the study co-author, Dr. Birgitta Rabe.

The authors of the study offer that since younger siblings want to imitate their older siblings, a focus on achievement is passed down. Even those who feel competitive with their older siblings make use of their standing by trying harder. And finally, older siblings share the information they have learned about teachers, schools, and other academic choices.

Encourage older siblings to help younger siblings with their homework, perhaps even offering to pay them to tutor a younger sibling who is struggling with a subject at which the older sibling excels. And play games together; even the competition at family game night can inspire a younger sibling to develop better skills that will show up in their grades

Photo: monkeybusinessimages
Published: April 8, 2015