Education is one of the tools among many for enhancing the population quality of a nation and the level of growth and development, and education during childhood is the foundation for the formation of human labor-force quality. Home background is the source of early stimulation and experience in children. The home influences the child at a time when his mind is most receptive. It provides the first impression which may last through the whole of the child’s life and also shape his attitude towards learning.
Parents in many parts of the world especially in the developing nations are unaware that home background has a lot of effect whether positive or negative on the academic performance of their children in school. Home background plays a big role on the academic performance of children at all levels of education in the school system. It is an established fact that the quality of family interactions has important associations with the children’s academic motivation and achievement. Whatever be the educational attainment of a child, parent and teacher support must be involved. Therefore, the poor academic performance of students especially in examinations have been attributed to many factors that are mainly family based such as those that are faced with changing hard economic times which has made it not possible for them to meet their responsibilities of ensuring a healthy and literate family.
The home environment is supposed to be a conducive environment for learning and also an element of the basics for students’ life that can affect academic performance. Providing opportunities to learn outside the school helps to facilitate student’s success in the school environment
A discussion of home background and how it affects the academic performance of student cannot take place without considering family income levels.

What Is Home Background?

Home background encompasses everything that makes a family from their number to their physical, psychological and socio economic status.
Home background is the source of early stimulation and experience in children. The home influences. The child is at a time when his mind is most receptive. It provides the first impression which may last.

Home Background And Academic Performance

a) Socio-economic status of parent and student academic performance

The socio-economic status of parents has a great effect on the academic performance of students. Children from low socio economic status households and communities develop academic skills more slowly compared to their counterparts from higher socio-economic status families. The low socio economic status deprives children of what is necessary and needed to support their growth and welfare. Initial academic skills are correlated with home environment where low literacy involvement and chronic stress negatively affect a child’s academic performance. Parents from low socio economic background are less likely to have the financial resources or time availability to provide children with academic support.
Family financial resources, which are associated with parent’s education attainment and occupation, often imply increased learning opportunities both at home and at school. In general, the socio-economic background of the family impacts negatively or positively on the academic performance of students.

b) Family size and academic performance

The size of the family in which the child grows especially if the family does not have adequate resources will affect the child growth and development due to lack of quality feeding, lack of proper medical care, and more so a child will not be given the required attention on his/her academic work which can make him/her lose focus.

c) Parent level of education and academic performance

Parent educational level also affects the academic performance of students. Most students who perform very well academically are strongly linked to having parent with high educational levels.

Conclusion

It is important to note that education process and success is positively impacted by favorable home learning opportunities such as parents encouraging that their children have the right feeding, have security, and are happy and calm. I therefore conclude that a good home background will influence students performance in all undergraduate research works and other subjects.