Parents can help spur students' interest.

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A poll of American students finds that young people have a poor grasp of important historical facts, including such basic information as why the Pilgrims came to America. Thomas Long, professor of education, The Catholic University of America, maintains that youths lack an interest in history because adults in their lives don't take the time to show how the subject relates to people today.

As families become dispersed, he says, children aren't exposed to grandparents and other older family members who can share a living history with them. Even parents don't spend enough time talking about the way things were. Mothers and fathers should share their feelings about important historical events they have lived through, including the first man walking on the moon, the Vietnam War, or the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Parents should begin telling their offspring family stories when the kids are very young. If children don't associate with...