Q: Our school is giving students more nonfiction assignments and wants parents to make it a priority at home. My seventh-grade daughter loves vampire books, "The Hunger Games," and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," but says nonfiction is boring. Why are schools pushing nonfiction?

A: There's been a decline in students' ability to read increasingly complex texts, especially nonfiction. One reason is a diet of easy fiction. Only 15 percent of middle school assigned reading is nonfiction. At the elementary level, it's half that. Students aren't developing comprehension skills or vocabulary required for success in math, science and history as they move up the grades.

Nor are many students challenging themselves in their reading choices. "The Hunger Games" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books are written at a fifth-grade level. Much of what your daughter chooses to read is two levels below her grade.

She's not alone. "A recent study by Renaissance Learning shows that a majority of students in grades one through three read at or above their grade band," says children's author and reading researcher Michael Milone, Ph.D.

"Beyond this point, the percentage drops precipitously," he adds. "By grade six, most students are reading books below their grade band. By grade eight, a relatively small percentage reads within their grade band. This doesn't reflect students' abilities, just the books they choose to read or are assigned."

To improve this picture, the new Common Core State Standards shift the balance of fiction to nonfiction as students advance through school. New guidelines suggest that by the end of fourth grade, students' reading should be half fiction and half nonfiction. By the end of 12th grade, the balance should be 30/70.

Show your daughter that nonfiction is far from boring, says Jonathan Rosenbloom, editor of Time Learning Ventures.

"Biographies, autobiographies, opinion pieces, essays, speeches, memoires, almanac entries, and journalism that tells great stories are examples of nonfiction students now encounter," he says.

To promote nonfiction reading at home, start with what your daughter likes. Share reviews of vampire books and movies, says Rosenbloom. "Find profiles of authors she reads, such as Suzanne Collins, or behind-the-scenes reports on favorite book-based movies ... Look for stories about Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence."

He also suggests you subscribe to magazines that cover topics she's interested in.

Develop the habit of reading a short news article with her every day. Point out the characteristics of nonfiction writing, Rosenbloom advises.

"Show how headlines, photos, captions, charts, maps and graphs aid understanding and advance the stories," he says.

When you share nonfiction with your daughter, you not only expand her interests, you're preparing her for college and beyond, says Rosenbloom.

"Novels relax us, but more than 80 percent of what we read as adults is 'informational text,'" he says. "It's a fact that bringing a little nonfiction to the breakfast table can have a big impact on her life as a reader."

(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: 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.)