Reading Champion dads - practical ideas

Events
Holding a one off event to grab attention can work well but you need to have a retention strategy in place or numbers will fall off dramatically. Use the event to give dads the opportunity to spend some time with their children, have some fun, feel useful and show them that they can get more involved. Have an informal chat as part of the session to find out what they would like to do in the future. Many of the suggestions below are, at first glance, nothing to do with Reading Champions, but most will involve some form of reading.

Dads into school day
Ask dads to come in and find out about what their children are doing in school.

Beer and books
Organise a reading group in the local pub for dads.

Business breakfasts
Provide a resident speaker and networking opportunities.

Weekend clubs
Organise clubs and trips so dads can play the nurturing role which empowers them and offers support beyond mum.

Football match evenings
Have a quick session of quizzes etc. before settling down to watch a game.

An auction of promises
Ask dads to donate time such as five hours of bedtime reading; offer them free classes or taster sessions in return for jobs done.

A man who can
Ask dads for help around the school: BBQs at a book fair, providing help with a building or maintenance project.

Skill swap
Offer them the services of their children to design business cards, posters, flyers on the computer etc. in return for time in school.

Activities
Turn one of your events into a longer course, giving dads a clear purpose and offering them the chance to walk away with something.

Practical courses
Organise a healthy food campaign where dads prepare food and sell it to parents and staff or learn to cook a special dinner with the help of sons for Mothers Day.

Storytelling workshops
Offer advice on how to read with children at home.

Ambassador dads
N urture one or two enthusiastic dads and build up their confidence so they can help develop a larger group. Have a dad monitor: someone alert to regional or national opportunities for reaching out to male parents, such as Fathers Day or sporting tournaments.

Radiowaves
Involve dads through making radio programmes that can be podcasted in and between schools. www.radiowaves.co.uk.

Digital-Blues
Lend out Digital-Blues and get pupils to make videos with their dads. Have an award evening for the videos.

Building something
Provide practical sessions - be it a robot, a computer, a remote controlled car or a go-kart.

The dangerous club for boys and blokes
If you have ever witnessed a grown man suddenly reverting to a seven-year old when presented with a Meccano or Scalextric set, then you will know that the old insult about men never growing up is true. This inner rascal presents us with a great opportunity to involve men in learning through play. The book ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys’ by Conn and Hal Iggulden has been extremely popular and with good reason. Its tagline is ‘Recapture Sunday afternoons and long summer days – the perfect book for every boy from eight to eighty’. It is packed full of fantastic ideas, activities and learning opportunities which are presented in a beautifully designed way.
This book can be used as the basis for an adventure club for boys and blokes to get together and discover life beyond the computer screen.

Here are just some of the great ideas that could be used to entice them to your weekly club and do homework as well:

• Making a battery
• Making a go-cart
• Building a treehouse
• Juggling
• Five pen and paper games
• First aid
• Extraordinary stories
• Marbling paper
• Conkers