You probably knew that getting involved in your child’s education can help his academic achievement, but did you know it could help improve his social skills, too? A study published in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development found that kids of highly involved parents had better social skills and fewer behavior problems at school than children whose parents were not as involved.

The study by University of Pittsburgh researchers looked at students in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. Those whose parents had above-average involvement at school got along better with their classmates and made fewer trips to the principal’s office.

One explanation for the improved behavior is that the more often parents visit or volunteer at school, the more opportunities they have to talk with teachers about their child’s behavior. As parents become better informed about their child’s social troubles at school, they can address the issues at home. Involved parents were also more likely to be aware of school and community resources that could benefit their child socially and academically.

—Emily Graham