REUTERS You will not be surprised to learn that parents matter. You might be surprised to learn how much – or, perhaps, to learn that social science has managed to attach precise figures to something as ineffable as a good parent’s value. A 2011 study estimated that parenting (e.g. maternal sensitivity, reading, extracurricular activities, setting expectations) explains 40 percent of the cognitive gap between children at age four -- more than any other factor. With adopted children, researchers found parental education was a better indicator of school performance and behavior than family income or neighborhood wealth.