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| This article first appeared in the September 2002
issue of Literacy Today
(issue no. 32). |
Deputy editor Sam Brookes looks at new ideas for involving dads
in their children's literacy.
The active involvement of fathers in their children's lives
improves academic performance, relationships and health. This
was one of the findings from a research study published in March
2002 by Oxford University's Centre for Research into Parenting
and Children, involving 17, 000 children. However, another recent
study by the British Market Research Bureau showed that only
12 per cent of dads get involved in their children's education,
with two-thirds blaming the pressure of work for not getting
to school meetings.
So how can fathers be encouraged to support their children's
education, and in particular help with reading and literacy?
And will a targeted approach to involving fathers have an impact
on boys' performance in literacy tests, which in England lags
behind girls' significantly?
The extremely successful parental involvement programme run
by the Community Education Development Centre identified the
need to provide focused support to fathers on reading with their
children. It's a Man Thing was launched in 1999 as a 10-week
programme and provided reading activities for dads to take part
in with their children. Evaluation showed that many fathers
felt the pressure was on them to provide financial support to
the family, with emotional support perceived as the preserve
of mothers. The focus on reading together provided the first
opportunity for some fathers to experience the close bond that
results from shared activities around reading. One commented,
"I have usually left that sort of thing to her mother. Reading
together is a good way of enjoying ourselves."
Another research project, developed during the National Year
of Reading by Save the Children and Working with Men, explored
the negative perceptions of reading held by boys and their fathers.
It found that fathers are often surprised at the influence they
have on their sons' reading habits. As a result, Working with
Men has been running DIY Dads, a Home Office-funded project
in Lewisham, which trials different approaches to getting fathers
more involved in their children's lives, including their reading.
The project is based on training courses run through primary
schools. However, like It's a Man Thing, the project encountered
difficulties in recruiting fathers to take part, sometimes because
of fathers' working hours, sometimes because of fathers' attitudes.
Trefor Lloyd of Working with Men says, " Many fathers view primary
school as being more about care than education, and very female-dominated.
" A new approach is now being tried, working through local black
church groups as a way of reaching target families. The project
concentrates primarily on raising awareness of how influential
fathers are on their child's reading habits, and encouraging
them to be seen reading themselves and to spend time talking
about reading with their children.
What is clear from many of these projects is that fathers do
need a distinct approach: letters sent out by schools addressed
'Dear parent' will more often than not end up in the mothers'
hands (if they get home at all). Perceptions and obstacles need
to be tackled, including often overcoming fathers' own memories
of negative experiences of school. It is also important to provide
a comfortable, non-intimidating environment. Fathers involved
in It's a Man Thing found meeting in pubs meant a much more
relaxed atmosphere. Sessions also need to be planned with fathers'
other commitments in mind.
Increasingly, library services have set up their own reading
groups for fathers and sons, creating special reading promotions
and booklists and holding celebratory events. This also recognises
that men often have different reading habits. Many men and boys
are reading, but not necessarily novels: web pages, magazines
and non-fiction form an important part of the mix. Providing
fathers with reassurance that all reading should be encouraged,
along with guidance on how to access reading matter that will
interest their sons, increases their own confidence about initiating
discussions about all sorts of reading.
In spring 2002, in recognition of this growing evidence, the
Department for Education and Skills launched its Dads and Sons
campaign. A booklet and accompanying website, 'Dads and Sons:
a winning team', provided fathers with practical information
on what their sons will be learning in school and ways in which
they can support this learning in the home. Distribution through
outlets such as Asda, Comet and William Hill ensured that a
wide audience was reached.
Will these approaches work? The emerging evidence seems to suggest
the effort is worth it. As well as improving children's educational
achievement, initiatives strengthening the support that fathers
provide can also play an important role in meeting targets on
social inclusion and adult basic skills, while widening the
impact of family literacy. Whatever the personal family circumstances,
this can only be of value to all concerned.
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