They actually state 4 types of involvement that matter most: reading books to young children, discussing complex issues with children, parents reading for enjoyment themselves and meeting with teachers, volunteering at school, helping with homework.
They suggest that parents volunteering at school is sometimes associated with lower achievement because it is a reactive response to the kid's struggles.
I have another hypothesis here-- SOME parents (especially in that higher SES group) are volunteering because it is about their own egos.
These are the "class parents" who basically play Martha Stewart all year long any time the teacher allows it.
It's not a surprise to me in the least that such activity doesn't do a darned thing to elevate their child's performance. For most of
that group (and I've seen a few) it's not about their kids. I mean-- parenting isn't. For them, parenting (like everything else) is about fulfilling their own personal agenda.
Their kids are-- to make a generalization-- often simply objects, stage props in their drama of Perfect Parenting.
