What supports do parents need to foster science learning at home? We set out to answer this question by pairing a nationally representative survey with a qualitative study to investigate parents’ perceptions of their role in children’s learning, particularly science learning and particularly with the use of media. Most parents surveyed reported high levels of confidence in helping their young children with reading, mathematics, and social skills, while just over half of parents reported they felt very confident in their ability to assist their child in learning about science. Parents with less education were less likely than parents with more education to report that they felt very confident in their ability to support their children’s science learning. An implication is that, in order to ensure that parents are comfortable with, and can support their children in using science media, developers of science media should design ways to boost parent confidence in science. Media can model or encourage everyday ways to engage children in science, provide relatable family science role models, and show that science can be about learning together rather than providing children with correct answers.
