Q: Our school's parent council reviewed the Common Core State Standards and found they don't include teaching study skills and habits that help kids become good students. Is there any research on this?

A: Your parent council deserves an A for raising this important question. Kids who lack the ability to set goals, finish tasks on time or work on a team -- who disrespect teachers or throw up their hands when they face a challenge -- will find school difficult no matter how smart they are or how high a district sets its academic standards for math, reading or science.

There is an encouraging body of research on the skills you're looking for -- called "social and emotional learning" (SEL). They are sometimes referred to as non-cognitive, or "soft" skills.

Much of the research comes from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), led by Roger P. Weissberg, Ph.D., at the University of Illinois at Chicago. CASEL evaluates SEL programs and helps states and districts integrate effective ones into the curriculum.

The SEL movement is gaining momentum across the nation thanks to strong evidence that when educators explicitly teach SEL skills, it can improve students' positive behavior and reduce negative behavior.

Data from schools that include SEL instruction show that these students have stronger academic success, health and well-being. SEL programs can boost students' grades and improve their attitudes toward school. One study showed that students who received SEL instruction improved an average of 11 percentile points on standardized achievement tests compared to students in the control group.

And there's even more reason to look into these programs: They can help prevent a variety of problems such as alcohol and drug use, violence, truancy and bullying, says Weissberg. (Find SEL programs at casel.org.)

What do effective social and emotional learning programs teach? CASEL describes five core competencies:

-- Self-awareness: Accurately assess one's feelings, interests, values and strengths; maintain a well-grounded sense of self-confidence.

-- Self-management: Regulate one's emotions to handle stress, control impulses and persevere in overcoming obstacles; set and monitor progress toward personal and academic goals; express emotions effectively.

-- Social awareness: Take the perspective of and empathize with others; recognize and appreciate individual and group similarities and differences; recognize and use family, school and community resources.

-- Relationship skills: Establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships based on cooperation; resist inappropriate social pressure; prevent, manage and resolve interpersonal conflict; seek help when needed.

-- Responsible decision-making: Make decisions based on consideration of reason, ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, respect for self and others, and likely consequences of various actions; apply decision-making skills to academic and social situations; contribute to the well-being of one's school and community.

Parents have a key role in teaching and reinforcing these skills. Find a list of "10 Things to Do at Home" at casel.org and other resources at edutopia.org.

When kids learn these five "soft" skills early in life, they're less likely to visit the school of hard knocks later on.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Since my son was in kindergarten, I've communicated with his teachers and volunteered in class. He's now in fourth grade and resisting my involvement. He's doing well. Should I back off? I don't want to be a helicopter mom.

A: Unless you're doing his homework, laying out clothes for him each morning, and taping a note to his lunch bag to remind him to eat, you're a far cry from a helicopter mom.

Stay involved; just leave a lighter footprint. As kids get older, we want them to assume independence along with responsibility. One of the key reasons your son is doing well in school is your involvement all these years. You sent a clear message: School is important.

There's no shortage of data showing that kids whose parents are engaged in their education have an edge in academic achievement throughout school.

A study released last fall, "Does Capital at Home Matter More than Capital at School? Social Capital Effects on Academic Achievement," is particularly intriguing. It suggests that parents may have more influence over their children's academic success than schools themselves.

Study authors (Toby Parcel, Ph.D, North Carolina State University; Mikaela Dufur, Ph.D, Brigham Young University; and Kelly Troutman, Ph.D, University of California-Irvine) analyzed the achievement levels of 10,000 12th graders in math, reading, science and history. They matched the students' scores with the level of their "family social capital."

Family social capital included such measures as: Does the parent check the student's homework? Does the parent attend school meetings and events? How often do students report discussing school programs, activities and classes with parents? How much trust does the parent have in the child?

Those students in families with high levels of family social capital were more successful than those with low levels of family social capital.

"Our study shows that parents need to be aware of how important they are, and invest time in their children -- checking homework, attending school events and letting kids know school is important," says Parcel. "That's where the payoff is."

The researchers also looked at "school social capital," a school's ability to serve as a positive environment for learning. This included measures such as student involvement in extracurricular activities, teacher morale and the ability of teachers to address the needs of individual students. The researchers found that students with high levels of family social capital and low levels of school social capital were more likely to excel than students with high levels of school social capital but low family social capital.

"In other words, while both school and family involvement are important, the role of family involvement is stronger when it comes to academic success," Parcel says.

So stay involved in your son's school life, but instead of volunteering in his classroom, contribute in other ways: Tackle a PTO project; serve on a parent advisory committee; spearhead a club such as robotics; or help in the lower grades. Ask the principal how best to apply your energies. When one student's parent is a role model at school, every student benefits.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My son's fourth-grade teacher says he should read more for pleasure. My sister says boys read more if they have an e-reader. If I get one, will he really read more or just play video games?

A: It depends on the guidance you give him and the limits you set. "Managing screen time is a big challenge for parents today," says Francie Alexander, the chief academic officer of Scholastic Inc. She cites data from the recently released Scholastic 2012 Kids and Family Reading Report, adding, "The vast majority of parents think their children spend too much time playing video games or visiting social networking sites. Half of parents feel their children do not spend enough time reading books for fun."

The study, done last fall, shows some evidence that tablets can increase the time a child spends reading for pleasure. "We learned that kids who read e-books are reading more -- especially boys," says Alexander. "Half of children ages 9-17 say they would read more books for fun if they had greater access to e-books. That's a 50 percent increase since our 2010 survey.

"We learned that struggling readers like e-books because they feel 'cool' and can read material at a lower level without anyone knowing or judging it."

But don't think an e-reader will turn your son into a bookworm. The real impact comes when parents commit to key behaviors at home. For instance, the study shows that children who read most frequently for pleasure have parents who model reading.

"Not surprisingly, when parents are frequent readers, their kids are also frequent readers," notes Alexander. "The second factor is access to a large collection of books and reading materials in the home -- these have a greater impact on kids' reading frequency than household income."

Fourth grade is a critically important year in building reading stamina, advises Alexander.

"The coursework requires that students read complex texts, for longer periods of time," she says. "There's no way they can get enough reading practice at school to build this stamina and develop a content-rich vocabulary."

To raise a great reader, incorporate these behaviors into home life:

-- Be a reading role model for your children -- let them see you reading every day.

-- Fill your home with books and reading materials -- magazines, newspapers, comic books, how-to guides and reading materials that tap into your children's interests and passions.

-- Read aloud to your children -- even after they turn 8. Don't stop -- kids love to be read to! "It's quiet, cozy time kids crave," says Alexander. "Reading aloud shows your kids that reading is fun, builds their vocabularies, develops background knowledge they will need to understand meaning and texts when they read on their own. It can inspire a lifetime love of reading!"

Build reading into your children's daily schedule -- create reading routines at home -- using print, digital or both. The habit of reading on their own each day will grow with them over time.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)