Level 4.0 – 5.

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Unit 01 (Relationships)
Skill Reading
Worksheet Reading Journal

Children are more likely to succeed if they live in this type of environment

By Megan Marples, CNN

Children with strong family connections are associated with a high likelihood of flourishing in life, a
new study found.
Numerous studies have shown that strong family bonds lower the chances of poor outcomes in
children such as risky behaviors and drug abuse, but this study revealed that there may be positive
outcomes as well, said lead study author Dr. Robert Whitaker, director of the Columbia-Bassett
research program at Columbia University in New York City.
“What was different about this study was it showed that family connection is associated with
thriving and not just surviving or avoiding harm,” Whitaker said.
Researchers surveyed over 37,000 children in 26 countries and found adolescents who reported
having a great bond with their family also reported that they were succeeding in life.
The study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, included children ages 11 to 13 years old
who were surveyed between 2016 and 2019.
The data was gathered across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America from the International Survey
of Children’s Well-Being, a survey supported by the Jacobs Foundation, a Zurich-based organization
that focuses on providing schools around the globe with science-based knowledge to help kids
succeed.
Family connection was determined by a mean score of five categories: care, support, safety, respect,
and participation. For each subject, participants were given a statement and asked to assess how
much they agreed with it, scoring from zero (do not agree) to 4 (strongly agree). For example, to
measure care, children were asked how much they agreed with the statement, “I feel safe at home.”
The essence of family connection is children feeling that they are accepted and nurtured at home,
which allows them to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are in a safe environment as they
are building their identity, Whitaker said.
Flourishing was determined by a mean score of six categories: self-acceptance, purpose in life,
positive relations with others, personal growth, environmental mastery and autonomy. The survey
structure was the same as that for family connections, except the ranking system ranged from zero
to 10.
When it comes to flourishing, it’s about kids accepting their strengths and weaknesses and then
being able to use their strengths to find their purpose in life, he said.
Children can thrive, not just survive

Children with the greatest level of family connection were over 49% more likely to flourish compared
with those with the lowest level of family connection, according to the study.
It’s not enough to not have depression and anxiety to live a good life, according to Elaine Reese, a
professor of psychology at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, who was not involved
in the study.
“A good life entails having a sense of purpose and meaning, which is what the flourishing scale in this
study measured,” she said. Enter your email to sign up for CNN's "Meanwhile in China" Newsletter.
The highest scores in both family connection and flourishing came from children who said they live
with both parents, have enough food or never have their family worrying about finances.
Researchers then controlled the data for families’ poverty levels, including financial circumstances
and food insecurity, to remove the effect they may have had on the numbers. After controlling for
these factors, the strength of family connections still impacted how much children flourished.
How to strengthen family connection

Adults have a very powerful influence on the emotional climate in the home, so it’s important to
create a space where children feel seen and heard, Whitaker said.
A great opportunity to strengthen family bonds is around the dinner table, he said. Adults should
create an environment where children feel comfortable speaking freely. While they are talking,
grown-ups should show that they have a genuine interest in what their children are saying and try to
suspend judgment, Whitaker added.
Adults do not need to make grand gestures to bond with their children, Reese said. Having
meaningful conversations is more important for your connection than taking them on expensive
trips, she said.
Silence is also another powerful form of communication, he said.
Children and parents or their caregivers spending time together in silence or even running an errand
or doing chores can create a connection, according to Whitaker.
“We don’t necessarily need to fill those moments with chatter or the radio,” he said.
Other adults may impact how children flourish

In the future, Whitaker said he wants to research the impact community members like teachers have
on children.
“We suspect that sense of connection to non-parental adults probably adds to the likelihood that
teen will flourish,” he said in an email.
Outside relationships are important and do impact children, especially during infancy and early
childhood, said Kelly-Ann Allen, an educational and developmental psychologist and senior lecturer
at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She was not involved in the study.
“If children experience healthy trusting relationships early, they are more likely to establish healthy
trusting relationships as adults,” she said.

(Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/20/health/family-connections-flourish-parenting-
study-wellness/index.html)

A. Vocabulary

01. List out new words from the text and use the context to guess the meaning.
02. Make example sentences with the new words

New words Meaning Example sentences

be associated with be connected with/ His social problems were associated
something related to something with heavy drinking.

B. Reading Comprehension

01. Compared to other research on family connection, what is differently found in the
study led by Dr Robert Whitaker?
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02. How is the term ‘flourishing’ defined in the text? Which elements constitute
flourishing?
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03. What suggestions to strengthen family connections are mentioned in the text? Do you
agree with those suggestions? Justify your reasons.
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Suggested key:
01. The study led by Dr Robert Whitaker found that strong family connection is related to
flourishing in life. In contrast, other studies have shown strong family bonds lower
negative outcomes such as drug abuse and risky behaviours.
02. Flourishing means that children accept their strengths and weaknesses and are able
to exploit their strengths to find their purpose in life.
Self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth,
environmental mastery and autonomy constitute flourishing.
03. There are many ways to strengthen family connection: creating a space where
children feel seen and heard and comfortable speaking freely, having meaningful
conversations, and spending time together in silence.
I agree with those suggestions because:
- Strong family bonds are built on spending quality time and good communication
together.
- The conversation between the parent and children can shape the mental well-
being and development of children into their teenage and adult life.
- When parents and children can communicate openly and effectively with each
other, children begin to feel that they are respected, heard and understood by
their parents, which boosts their self-esteem.