To determine the effect of parental influence on students' reading achievement, a study surveyed parents of two eighth grade classes from two different middle schools in an urban area. The 18-item survey consisted of general information regarding parents and their children, and dealt with the parents' outlook on reading and their interpretation of their child's involvement in the reading process. Students' grade equivalent scores from the Spring 1988 California Achievement Test were collected. The test results were compared to the parent survey responses to determine correlations between parental involvement and students' reading achievement. Results revealed a low negative correlation between parental involvement and the reading achievement of their children, indicating that overall parental involvement in reading activities did not significantly affect the students' reading achievement but that parental knowledge of the child's reading skills and the school's reading programs did have an important bearing. (Twenty-six references are attached, as well as the parent reading survey.) (MM)