Achieving more with less: Raising reading standards via parental involvement and peer tutoring

Keith Topping brings yet another dimension to this discussion of reading. His work with parents will be well known to most readers. Here, as one would suspect, he takes issue with those who have selectively interpreted some recent studies as indicating there is little of advantage in parental involvement schemes. He dismisses these critics for not taking the totality of the research findings into consideration. Turning to the question of a supposed fall in reading standards he seesnothing significant in the accumulated evidence and derides the media for its hysterical attitude.He reiterates his views on parental involvement and shrewdly points to the cost-effectiveness of such strategies. This point will not be lost these days on hard-pressed decision makers!