The Book Manufacturers Institute commissioned renowned pollster Frank Luntz to gain these insights into how parents viewed the effectiveness of various learning materials. More at www.bmibook.com
Last year presented unprecedented challenges for students, teachers and parents. Classroom lessons and home schooling were upended due to Covid.
While a lot about returning to in-class learning is still to be determined, one thing is clear; when it comes to books, textbooks, and workbooks, parents are united: the physical version matters the most.
In a survey of 1,000 parents of K-12 school children across America, the results could not be more conclusive.
Parents are deeply focused on what their children learn, And, as important, how they learn it. By a 69% to 31% margin, parents chose physical over online materials when given the option.
Over 80% of parents believe physical materials would have made their jobs easier helping their child learn from home, while 71% are more likely to vote for a school board member who supports students learning via physical materials.
Schools, students, and learning strategies are pretty polarized at this time.
Varying opinions exist of what needs to happen next.
But when it comes to books and educational components, children’s parents are totally united with the physical editions.
Parents are focused on what their children learn...and they think they’ll learn more with physical materials.
School decision-makers are most eager to listen to and learn from parents, so it should not be an exceedingly heavy lift to include the physical learning materials in the future of classroom instruction.
The polling was conclusive, so let’s get right into the key findings.
1) Physical books are an impactful motivator for school board elections.
Fully 71% of parents would be more likely to vote for a school board member who supports students learning with physical materials.
Every subgroup holds similar views.
2) The most definitive conclusion of all: virtually every parent wants physical materials as a part of student learning.
A massive 85% of parents want physical books in some form, and 88%think they are important and essential learning tools.
Once again, every demographic group agrees: printed materials are essential to student learning.
3) We may live in an online world, but 76% of parents find physical books extremely impactful, compared to 68%for online/digital books.
To be clear, that doesn’t mean they are hostile to digital materials. It does mean that physical books do have an advantage in the eyes of most parents.
Parents were then asked to choose between physical and online materials.
The answer was clear and overwhelming. Fully 69% of parents prefer physical materials.
4) In every possible measurement, parents believe the physical book product will outperform online.
From testing results to successful learning, from knowledge retention to focusing on the subject, parents simply believe the physical book is the superior teaching tool.
5) The frustrations with online learning during Covid require a tangible answer as students return to classrooms.
Over 80% of parents believe physical materials would have made their jobs easier helping their students from home.
Parents are more engaged with their children’s education, and they want the help only physical books, textbooks, and workbooks can provide.
6) “Distractions,” such as surfing the web during instruction, are the greatest drawback of online reading.
It is why parents believe their kids comprehend better using physical materials and prefer that they hold a book rather than use a tablet.
The results are conclusive, universal, and undeniable.
Parents clearly articulate why they believe physical materials will have a more meaningful, measurable, and positive impact on student learning.
