getting the blokes on board

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Getting the Blokes on BoardInvolving fathers and male carers in reading with their children

Real life storiesSchools that get

dads reading

Prison: books behind bars

TOP TIPS for engaging dads

How to read a bedtime story

Patrick Augustus:what reading means for me

Dads have pester power too

NLT0083_FRMFINAL_AW.indd 1 14/5/07 17:36:28

ForewordAsafathermyself,Ihaveseenhowimportantitistoreadtomyson–bothforhisdevelopmentandforourrelationship.Educationhappensnotjustinschool,butinthehometoo,andtheGovernmentunderstandsthatparentsaretheirchild’sfirstandmostimportanteducators.Itisthereforevitalthatschoolsworktogetherwithfamilies–andthatmeansdadsaswellasmums.Fathers,grandfathers,uncles,brothersandothermalecarersarerolemodelsforchildrenandyoungpeople,particularlyboys.Asweseektoclosethegapbetweenboys’andgirls’educationalattainment,thesemenandolderboyshaveanevenmoreimportantroleindemonstratingthattheyvaluereading.Andasweseektoreachouttofamilies,particularlythosemostinneed,itisnotonlyschoolsthatcantakethereadingmessagetofathers.Every Child Mattersishelpingdifferentagenciesworktogethertoensurethatallchildrenenjoyandachievesothattheymakeapositivecontributionandattaineconomicwell-being,aswellasstayingsafeandbeinghealthy.Thismagazineshowshowlibraries,museums,children’scentres,sportsclubsandprisons,aswellasschools,haveengageddadsinreadingtoandwiththeirchildren.Ihopeitwillinspireyoutodothesame.

Parmjit DhandaParliamentaryUnder-SecretaryofStateforChildren,YoungPeopleandFamilies

Thanks

The title of this magazine was inspired by Blokes on Board, a partnership project of the Derbyshire community literacy initiative Read On – Write Away! (ROWA!) and the National Reading Campaign. The project works in primary schools to encourage dads and men to help children with their reading, using the ROWA! double-decker bus and the Reading Champions framework from the National Reading Campaign. To fi nd out more about ROWA! visit www.rowa.org.uk

Christina Clark (National Literacy Trust), Janet Cooper (Stoke Speaks Out), Tom Palmer, Claire Glenn (Sure Start North Huyton), Eilis Field (St Edward’s Catholic Primary School), Tonia Pancucci and Steve Davies (Coopers Lane Primary School), Rob Kemp and Fathers Quarterly magazine, Glynis Wiles (Holne Chase Primary School), Derek Grimley (Coventry City Council), Beryl Bateson (Birmingham City Council), Beverley Taylor (Reading School), Kerry Baker (East Cowes Family Learning Centre), Sonia Knight (Croydon Libraries), Lis Ricketts, Vicky Fisher and Jane Selby (Hampshire Library Service), Sharon Berry (Storybook Dads),

Sam Hart (HMP Blantyre House), Sue Wilkinson (HMP Birmingham), Jo Emmerson and Chris Barrett (Hounslow Study Support Service), David James, David Kendall, John Bird, Patrick Augustus, Daniell Phillips (Imperial War Museum), Sharon Hawkins (ROWA!) and Alexandra Strick.

Thanks also to Peter Silva of PEEP and Kathy Jones of Fathers Direct for their advice, and to Eliza Buckley, Maura Canavan, Katy Mahood and Julia Strong at the National Literacy Trust.

Editor: Rodie Akerman

First published by the National Literacy Trust in 2007.

Many thanks to all who contributed to this magazine:

This magazine has been produced with support from

The terms ‘fathers’ and ‘dads’ are used in this magazine to signify fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, male carers and any male who plays a signifi cant role in a child or young person’s life.


�Contents

Image: Alexandra Strick

IntroductionThe National Literacy Trust’s vision is of a society where all are empowered to fulfil their potential by being equipped with the literacy skills they need. Our focus is therefore on those who are at risk of exclusion because of their low levels of literacy.

Concerns about boys’ reading have been the focus of much media attention. Government initiatives have been launched to support schools in closing the gap between boys’ and girls’ literacy levels and there is speculation that the wider attainment gap between boys and girls is underpinned by the literacy gap. This magazine focuses on a key strategy to promote literacy to boys: the promotion of fathers as positive reading role models.

This is a huge challenge. Fathers are spending more time with their children – the average time a dad spends with his children has increased by 800 per cent since the 1970s. However, the Reading Connects survey by the National Literacy Trust in 2005 suggests that 25 per cent of children have never seen their dad reading.

No one agency can address this challenge on its own. Extended schools need to work with libraries,

workplaces and a range of organisations at community level to analyse and meet the reading needs of dads locally.

This magazine is a resource for all professionals who want to address this challenge. We believe that the case studies will inspire a wealth of new initiatives to get fathers into reading.

The ideas featured here are a starting point – we know there’s lots more happening. Programmes like the National Literacy Trust’s Reading Champions and Reading The Game initiatives are providing diverse ways of promoting activity and gathering examples of approaches that work. We want to spread these approaches. The best way of doing this is through networks and clusters. Engaging with initiatives such as Reading Connects, Reading Champions and the Family Reading Campaign locks an organisation into a community of practice that inspires and informs.

Our hope is that this magazine, backed up by networks and groups of organisations committed to promoting dads’ reading, will stimulate a real cultural change in families and homes across the nation.

Jonathan Douglas, Director, National Literacy Trust

4 What’s the point? Evidence from research 6 Top tips for engaging dads8 Early years DadsspeakoutinStoke Creepy-crawliesforcrawlers Don’tletgo12 Primary schools HolneChasedads’club Fathersgowild Thedifferenceadaymakes DadsMatter Countmenin Howtoreadabedtimestory...16 Secondary schools ‘DadsandLads,MumsandSons’readingclub Fathers,footballandfun18 Libraries Dadsinthelibrary Dadshavepesterpowertoo20 Prisons Dadsondisc ReadingdadsatHMPBlantyreHouse Exploringnewterritory24 Football Brentford‘TilIDie Makereadingyourgoal KickintoReading26 Features Readwithcare Makementheissue PatrickAugustus:whatreadingmeansforme Maketalk,notwar30 Resources


4

Doesitreallymatterwhetherornotdadsreadwiththeirchildren?Researchsaysthatitdoes.Christina ClarkfromtheNationalLiteracyTrustsetsouttheevidence.

What’s thepoint ?

of the possible causes for the declining rates of school achievement for boys.

So, what is known about fathers’ level of engagement with their children’s literacy activities? Surveys have shown that there are high social expectations for fathers to spend time with their children, as evidenced by recent provisions of paternal leave and fl exitime in the workplace. Not only are there greater expectations on men to become involved fathers who are active in their child’s upbringing, but young men today also endorse less traditional gender roles and wish to participate more fully in family life.

This shift in perceptions of fatherhood is borne out by time-use surveys, which indicate that although mothers continue to devote more time to caring for children, fathers’ involvement in child-related activities has increased substantially in the past few decades. As part of these activities, fathers are involved with their children’s literacy. Research shows that fathers who share in childcare duties, such as feeding and bathing the child, tend to be more involved in their children’s reading and writing than fathers who do not participate in childcare duties.

When asked who read most with their children in a UK study, 37 per cent of fathers reported that they and their partners both read to their children in equal amounts, while 40 per cent conceded that their partners were more likely to read with their children than they were. Interviewing 26 fathers regarding their literacy involvement with their children, a US study found that the majority of fathers reported engaging in weekly school-related literacy practices with their children,

Research in the last three decades has established a clear link between parental involvement and children’s educational attainment. Although most of this research has taken ‘parental involvement’ to be the same as mother’s involvement, increasing attention has been paid to the specifi c infl uences fathers and other male carers have on their children’s development.

Much of the research on father involvement and child outcomes, both in the UK and internationally, has focused on educational achievement. This research has shown that when fathers take an active role in their children’s education by volunteering at school, helping children with their homework or attending school meetings, children are more likely to do better academically, to participate in extra-curricular activities and to enjoy school. Children also benefi t in numerous other ways from having involved fathers, including increased cognitive abilities, higher self-esteem and greater social competence. Overall, children are more likely to reap these benefi ts the earlier fathers become involved with their children’s learning.

However, with the exception of studies into the facilitators of or barriers to father involvement in family literacy programmes, the relationship between fathers’ engagement and children’s literacy outcomes has rarely been explored in detail. This is surprising since fathers’ reading habits can have a substantial infl uence on their children’s ability to read, their levels of interest and their reading choices. Shared literacy activities can also strengthen the bond between fathers and their children. Indeed, it has been suggested that the lack of male role models involved in reading and other literacy-related activities during children’s early years is one


5

involvement. In a separate study, this research also highlighted that engagement by both the father and the mother contributed signifi cantly and independently to children’s attitudes towards school.

The literature reviewed here indicates that fathers have an important role to play in their children’s literacy development. However, involving fathers in their children’s literacy activities not only benefi ts their children. There are also numerous benefi ts that have been reported for the fathers themselves, including greater skill acquisition, greater confi dence and self-esteem, a better father-child relationship, and increased engagement with learning.

Finally, a fi nding by US researchers is worth keeping in mind when studying father involvement. They found that actual changes in the quality of paternal behaviour are necessary for signifi cant outcomes to come about, suggesting that an emphasis on increased father involvement alone may not be suffi cient for bringing about change or benefi cial impact.

Reading, if it can be seen as something that is fun, can be one way of ensuring that quality time together.

You can read a version of this article with full research references at www.literacytrust.org.uk/Research/Fatherindex.html

while almost two-thirds of fathers also read with their children for recreational purposes. Common to these studies is the fi nding that fathers view reading as a way to maintain a relationship with their children, and believe that having books in the home and being seen reading by their children are important.

“37 per cent of fathers reported that they and their partners both read to their children in equal amounts, while 40 per cent conceded that their partners were more likely to read with their children.”

While fathers might want to increase the amount of time spent with their children, there are family, personal, structural and cultural barriers that may hinder increased involvement in family life. Fathers may also not see that they have a role to play: one study found that they tended to give the child’s mother the main responsibility for reading with children, usually because they viewed her as the main teacher and caregiver. This perception might be accurate. Children in a National Literacy Trust survey reported that their mothers were more engaged with their reading than their fathers were. Not only were fathers less likely than mothers to encourage children to read more, but fathers were also seen to be reading less than mothers. Similarly, when asked who had taught them to read, children reported that it had been their mother, followed by their teacher, and then their father who had taught them.

Overall, studies show that fathers are generally less likely to take part in traditional reading and writing activities than mothers. Several researchers have argued that the current emphasis on literacy has included a narrow view of book-based literacy practices, thereby neglecting media with which fathers are more comfortable – for example, using technology, activities involving pop culture or, in some cases, languages other than English. A US study lists various activities in which fathers report they have participated, including: reading environmental print such as road signs, logos, billboards and television adverts; reading newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, maps, telephone directories, manuals and bedtime stories; spelling and defi ning words; spelling names; colouring and tracing letters, and making use of the computer for spelling or writing activities.

UK researchers have explored the extent to which mothers’ and fathers’ involvement independently affected their children’s schooling, and whether levels of father involvement were dependent on the degree to which mothers are involved. This research was based on longitudinal data from the National Child Development Study, a study of 17,000 children born in one week in March 1958. It was found that both father’s and mother’s involvement at age seven predicted the child’s educational attainment by age 20, irrespective of the other parent’s involvement. It was also found that the impact of father involvement on children’s later educational outcomes did not depend signifi cantly on the degree of mother



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If dads don’t believe that they can have an influence over their child’s education and how well they perform, they’re unlikely to get involved, especially if they’re not confident with their own skills. Try these ideas when working with families to show how easy it can be for dads to offer support to children and how much of a difference they can make.

Children are often the biggest motivator –givedadstheopportunitytodosomethingwithorfortheirchildren.Itcanhelptospelloutwhatthebenefitswillbefortheirchildren,suchasboostingtheirbrainpower.

Use the mums –manymumsactasgatekeepersfortheirchild’seducation,soinvolvetheminencouragingthedadstogetonboard.Separatedmumsmaystillbehappyfordadstobecontacted,ifyoujustask.

Timing – asdadsmaybemorelikelytobeatworkduringtheday,thinkaboutwhentheymightbeavailable–earlymornings,eveningsorweekendsperhaps.

Know your background –bepersistent,creative,patientandsensitiveintherecruitmentoffathers,asitcanbechallengingandtime-consuming.

They like to do something, not talk about it –useactivitiesaspartofthesessions:quizzes,interactivegames,workshops,theinternet,puzzles,andvisitsfromcelebrityauthors,poets,dramatistsandstorytellers–anythingthatmixesreadingwithdoingsomething.

Look at the whole organisation’s attitude –theremaybemistrustonbothsidesofthefenceandanygoodworkyoudocanbeundoneinamomentifyoudonothaveeverybodyonboardoratleastawareofwhatyouaredoing.Allowtimeforstafftraininganddiscussionoftheissues.

Plan for long-term commitment –don’tgethunguponnumbers:wordofmouthwillhelpifyouaresuccessful. Speak to them directly –eventslabelledfor‘parents’tendtoattractmothers.Addressletterstofathers,andtryothermediatoo:textmessages,emailsorawebsite.Arethereotherorganisationsthatcanhelpyoureachdads–libraries,schools,sportsclubs,communitygroupsorevenalocalemployer?

Consult them –askfathersfortheiradviceonfactorssuchascontent,design,publicity,recruitment,themes,timingandvenue.

Use a dad-friendly hook –sportisagreatplacetostart,particularly(althoughnotexclusively)football,andevenmoresoifthereisarewardlikeagroundtourattheendofit.Yourlocalclubmaybeabletohelp.ICTisalsoverypopular.

Not all dads are the same –theirlifehistories,experiences,situationsandexpectationswillbevariedsotrynottolumpthemallunderthesamelabel.Valuethereadingthatispartofdifferentfamilies’cultures.

It’s not just books – considerwhatreadingmaterialsfatherswillenjoy,includingsubjectssuchassports,travelandsci-fi,aswellasothernon-fiction,magazines,manuals,websitesandnewspapers.Findsomethatfeaturedadsinapositivelight.

TOP TIPSfor engaging dads


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ActivitiesTurn 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 –organiseahealthyfoodcampaignwheredadspreparefoodandsellittoparentsandstafforlearntocookaspecialdinnerwiththehelpofsonsforMothers’Day.

Storytelling workshops –offeradviceonhowtoreadwithchildrenathome.

Ambassador dads –nurtureoneortwoenthusiasticdadsandbuilduptheirconfidencesotheycanhelpdevelopalargergroup.Haveadadmonitor:someonealerttoregionalornationalopportunitiesforreachingouttomaleparents,suchasFathers’Dayorsportingtournaments.

Radiowaves –involvedadsthroughmakingradioprogrammesthatcanbepodcastedinandbetweenorganisations.www.radiowaves.co.uk

Digital-Blues –lendoutDigital-Bluescamerasandgetchildrentomakevideoswiththeirdads.Haveanawardeveningforthevideos.www.digiblue.com

Building something – providepracticalsessions,beitarobot,acomputer,aremote-controlledcarorago-kart.

Thesetipsareadaptedfromthosedevisedbyarangeofprofessionalswithexpertiseinengagingfathersinreading.TheyfirstappearedintheReading Champions Toolkit.Visitwww.readingchampions.org.uk

EventsHolding 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 and feel useful, and to 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. Most of the suggestions below will involve some form of reading.

Dads into school day –ifyouworkinaschool,askdadstocomeinandfindoutaboutwhattheirchildrenareuptoallday.Seepage13.

Beer and books –organiseareadinggroupinthelocalpubfordads.Seepage14.

Business breakfasts –providearesidentspeakerandnetworkingopportunities.

Weekend clubs –organiseclubsandtripssodadscanplayanurturingrolethatempowersthemandofferssupportbeyondmum.

Football match evenings –haveaquicksessionofquizzesetcbeforesettlingdowntowatchagame.Seepages24-25.

An auction of promises –askdadstodonatetimesuchasfivehoursofbedtimereading;offerthemfreeclassesortastersessionsinreturnforjobsdone.

A man who can –askdadsforhelparoundyourorganisation:BBQsatabookfair,orprovidinghelpwithabuildingormaintenanceproject.

Skill swap –offerdadstheservicesoftheirchildrentodesignbusinesscards,posters,flyersonthecomputeretc,inreturnfortimeinschool.

The surveys said…Dads want to spend more time with their families, and many are spending more time with their children than in years gone by. What they may not know is that when they do manage to grab time together, reading is a great thing to do.

It is estimated that on average only of family literacy, language and numeracy provision reaches fathers.

8%

82%

74%25%

of men working full time said they would like to spend more time with their family.

of fathers said that spending time with the family or finding time for key

relationships is their biggest concern in daily life.

of children surveyed said their father never spends time reading.


Early years

Fatherscanmakeagreatcontributiontotheir

children’sdevelopmentfromtheearliestageby

talking,singingandreadingwiththem.Children’s

centresandotherearlyyearssettingshaveavital

roletoplayingettingthismessagetobothmums

anddads.Infact,reachingandengagingfathers

ispartofthecoreaimsofachildren’scentre,and

theSure Start Children’s Centres Practice Guidance

containsachapteronworkingwiththem(www.

surestart.gov.uk).Youcanalsofindachecklisttohelp

settingsassesstheirapproachtofathersintheToolkit

for Reaching Priority and Excluded Familiesfrom

TogetherforChildren(www.childrens-centres.org).

Encouragingdadstotalktoandreadwiththeirvery

youngchildrenwillhelpcreateasecurefoundation

forlearning,alinkbetweenhomeandthesetting,and

apartnershipbetweenparentsandprofessionals–all

aimsoftheEarlyYearsFoundationStage.Ultimately,

involvingthedadsisagreatwaytohelpchildren

meettheoutcomesaspiredtobyEvery Child Matters:

behealthy,staysafe,enjoyandachieve,makea

positivecontributionandattaineconomicwell-being.


Early years

InStoke-on-Trent,acity-wideprojectishelpingparents,includingmanyfathers,tounderstandtheirimportantroleindevelopingtheirchildren’searlycommunicationskills.Janet Cooper,theprojectleader,andJo HobbinsandDiana Hemmings,communityplayworkers,offeranexplanationforthepopularityoftheproject’stoddlergroupsamongdads.

The role of fathers is increasingly being recognised as important in children’s development. In Stoke-on-Trent, the Stoke Speaks Out project is highlighting the crucial role of parents and their influence on children’s communication and learning development through positive secure attachments and positive parenting. Stoke Speaks Out is a city-wide, multi-agency project aimed at tackling the high incidence of speech and language difficulties identified in the area. Part of its remit is to support toddler groups across the city, in order for parents to have access to good quality stimulation and receive crucial messages about children’s development. Most of the groups are already in existence but have inconsistent quality, so they are offered support to develop a structure that will maximise children’s language learning. In some areas no groups are available and Stoke Speaks Out has identified practitioners and parents to establish new groups in these areas.

Groups receive mentoring over a 12-week period, in which a structure is demonstrated and implemented. The group leaders spend time with the mentors planning the next sessions, and before the mentor leaves they will make long-term plans. A typical session includes: a welcome song, a ‘time line’ to introduce the idea of sequences, rhymes (choosing the rhyme is a key part of this activity), a ‘treasure basket’ to introduce vocabulary, puzzles, snack time, a craft activity, bubbles, ‘large action’ rhymes, a story and a goodbye song. Each session is topic-based, and parents take home an activity pack to reinforce the topic at home.

their children in the daytime. Dads locally seem to be accepting the role of child carer and do not seem to feel any stigma attached to attending groups. The structure and format certainly help. The good news is that once they have attended they generally keep coming back.

For more information visit www.stokespeaksout.org

The groups have been successful at recruiting fathers in what has previously been seen as a ‘mother and toddler’ arena. One dad said that the structure of the groups has provided a common ground, encouraging the mums in the group to include him more in conversation and activities. Another dad reported that he felt the structure and format of the groups helped his child to learn and that he much prefers the group to how it was before.

When asked about reading, the majority of dads said that they read regularly with their children and that their children have ‘favourite’ stories that they like to repeat over and over again. One dad admitted that he could not read but that hadn’t stopped him sharing books with his son and has made him more determined that his son will read. Books are an integral part of the sessions and the mentors observe that often the book demonstrated in the session is the book the parents choose to take home as they feel more confident about how to share the story.

Recruitment to the groups is generally by word of mouth, although some groups have advertised via their home-school link workers. Average attendance at a group is between 18 and 20 children with 15 parents, and one group has a granddad attending. There has been no specific marketing at dads – so why are we successful at recruiting them?

Our theory is that in many of our areas there are more employment opportunities for the mothers, so more fathers are carrying out the childcare or are working shift patterns that allow them to be with

Dads speak out in Stoke

Talk To Your Baby, the National Literacy Trust’s early language campaign, provides information, advice and downloadable resources on communication and sharing books to support early years professionals and inform parents.

Visit www.talktoyourbaby.org.uk

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10 Early years

“

FamilyliteracycoordinatorClaire Glenn

describeshowNorthHuytonSureStartinKnowsleygotdadsinvolvedintheeducationof

theirchildren.Theschemeisnolongerrunning

butitspartnershipwithalibraryandfootball

clubprovidesavaluablemodel.

The aim of this scheme was to encourage dads and male carers to make use of the local library and share books with their children. North Huyton Sure Start’s fathers’ worker Jason McTigue and I coordinated the scheme, which saw dads working hard to boost children’s literacy skills through the Reading Champions initiative (see ‘Dads Matter’ on page 14).

A creepy-crawly promotion event launched the scheme, when male carers could come along to the library with their children and see real live owls, spiders, lizards and snakes brought in by local park ranger Kevin Bushall. Both Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs donated signed photographs for any dads who signed up. A weekly drop-in session was then arranged in the library for dads and male carers to come in with their children and choose books to share together. Jason and I were also available each week to offer support and advice to the dads.

Bookstart’s ‘Baby Book Crawl’ was used as the format for the sessions, and money was provided by North Huyton Sure Start to purchase books to give to the children. The books decided on were My Dad by Anthony Browne and My Mum and Dad Make Me Laugh by Nick Sharratt. When the dads had shared four books with their children they

received a certificate and soft toy, and after eight books, another certificate and one of the book titles. It was hoped that this would instil an early love of books in children, developing their literacy skills as preparation for their lifelong learning.

To read interviews with two of the dads involved in this project visit www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaign/Champions/knowsleycasestudy.html.

For more information on Book Crawl visit www.bookstart co.uk/Parents-and-carers/Parents-Book-Crawl

It was hoped that this would instil an early love of books in children.”

Creepy-crawlies for crawlers

Image courtesy of Pen Green Children’s Centre


11Early years

Fordadswhodon’tseethepointinreadingwiththeirveryyoungchildren,ordon’thavethetime,authorTom Palmerhassomeanswersandsomeideas.

Sometimes I am too tired to read with my three-year-old daughter at bedtime. Sometimes I am too busy. Sometimes I am simply not at home. But sometimes I make the effort and do the most rewarding thing of the day: I read with her. I wish I did it every night. But I don’t.

In theory, the best way to make myself overcome work pressures and general exhaustion is to remind myself that reading to my daughter will help make her a stronger reader herself; that she’ll do better at school; be happier and more interested in the world. But the thing that really motivates me is when I remember that reading with her is one of the foundation stones of our relationship, one I must not let go of.

When she was a year old, we were sitting in the front room together. She was playing with some plastic animals and she saw that I wasn’t doing anything, just watching her play. So she picked up a book off the floor, brought it over, put it on my knee, then sat expectantly next to me. I knew what she wanted. Me. It remains one of my happiest memories.

There are lots of statistics and suggestions about why dads should read with their children. If all dads read to their kids the country would be happier, have greater national wealth, have fewer suicides, murders, heart attacks and less mental illness. That might be true of the UK as a whole, but I can only really tell you what happens in my front room.

One thing that annoys me about children’s books is that dads are often absent. It’s mummy this and mummy that: granny, aunty, sister, teacher. And sometimes books or TV portray dads as buffoons or lazy – take Homer Simpson, or Peppa Pig’s dad. But there are some good books out there if you look. My top tip is Don’t Let Go by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, where a dad teaches his daughter to ride a bike. A dad letting go of his daughter, so she can go off on her own – to fall or not to fall. The Angelina Ballerina books are also good: the dad is a solid character who does loving things for his daughter.

Tonight I am writing this on a train, so I can’t be with my daughter to read stories. There are millions of dads doing the same right now. And mums. And tomorrow, because I’ve been out today, I will be under pressure to catch up with work, not read with my daughter.

But I will try to do the thing I love most. I will make time to read with her. I can work later. I’ll never have this time with her again.

Tom Palmer is the author of Shaking Hands with Michael Rooney, a football story for six to nine-year-olds. For more information visit www.tompalmer.co.uk

This is what I’d suggest to a new father wanting to read with his child:

•Readfromdayone–makeitahabit,evenifit

seemsyourchildisjustapairofeyespeering

atyou

•Startwithplasticbathbooksorclothbooks

andjustpointtoandtalkaboutthingslike

facesoranimals

•Readinaregularplacethatissecure,warm

andquietwithoutthedistractionsoflotsoftoys

–andmaybeunderacosyblanket

•Readataregulartime–bedtimeisideal,but

overbreakfastalsoworkswellinourhouse

•Usesillyvoices–hamitup

•Onceshe’solder,letherchoosethebooks

•Findbooksaboutthingshelikes;orabout

thingscominguplikeabeachholidayora

triptothedentist

•Askhimquestionsaboutthecover,thestory,

thepictures;whathethinksmighthappennext

•Becomfortabletolaugh(orevencry)ifthe

bookisfunny(orsad)

•Ifyou’reaway,trytapingorvideoingyourself

readingafavouritebook–apparently,inmy

absence,mydaughtertalksbacktomyface

onthescreen,tellingmeaboutherdayand

thenreadingalongwithme

It was hoped that this would instil an early love of books in children.

Don’t let go


12

Primary schoolsSchools now receive a lot of encouragement to work with families, but in reality this often means working with mums and female carers, unless a specific effort is made to involve dads. The following pages contain some successful examples of this, both through targeting fathers exclusively and through making sure that they are included. Since dads in schools are still something of a rarity, some of the examples have appeared in previous National Literacy Trust publications.

Under Every Child Matters, all schools will need to provide access to a ‘core offer’ of services that include parenting and family support, adult and family learning, and extra clubs. The Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners aims for a closer relationship between parents and schools, and we know that involvement by parents, including fathers, is key to children’s success. Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils identified parental involvement as a characteristic of schools that are successful in helping ethnic minority pupils achieve. Reading and writing need to be a part of that involvement. The Primary National Strategy recognises this, providing a rich curriculum based on literacy and numeracy, and setting out a wider approach to education, in which families and communities support children to get the best out of learning. This includes support for parenting skills and family learning projects, providing more opportunities to bring the dads in.

Top ten kids’ books from Holne Chase dads’ club

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Holes – Louis SacharThe Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips – Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman The Captain Underpants books –

Dav Pilkey The Series of Unfortunate Events books – Lemony SnicketThe Rainbow Magic books – Daisy Meadows and Georgie Ripper

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Wolf Brother – Michelle PaverGroosham Grange – Anthony Horowitz

The Cat in the Hat – Dr. Seuss

Top dads’ books from Holne Chase dads’ clubSunset at Blandings –PG Wodehouse

His Dark Materials trilogy –Philip Pullman Deception Point –Dan BrownAngels and Demons –Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code –Dan BrownDigital Fortress –Dan BrownAnything by Dick FrancisThe Sharpe books –Bernard Cornwell

Holne Chase dads’ clubGlynis Wiles, literacy coordinator at Holne Chase Primary School in Milton Keynes, describes a simple way of getting dads involved in reading at school.

The idea for our dads’ club came from the headteacher, who wanted to encourage men to be seen reading. The club was launched at a parents’ literacy workshop. To keep things inclusive, it is advertised as a “Dads’ club, but mums are welcome”, and, as it is still in the fledgling stages,we are always looking for ways to encourage more parents to come along.

“It’sgoodforthechildrentoseeusreading.”

The dads, and a few mums, meet together in our library first thing on Friday mornings to read for 20 minutes. We provide tea, coffee, water and fruit, as well as newspapers to read – although most dads bring along their own book, and some prefer to read to or with their child. One of our regular dads is also a school governor, so the club is a good way for him to be in the school on a weekly basis. And as the headteacher is also a dad, he attends every week and shows that he is a reader too.

“MysonlooksforwardtocomingnowonFridays.”


1�Primary

Top ten kids’ books from Holne Chase dads’ club

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Holes – Louis SacharThe Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips – Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman The Captain Underpants books –

Dav Pilkey The Series of Unfortunate Events books – Lemony SnicketThe Rainbow Magic books – Daisy Meadows and Georgie Ripper

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Wolf Brother – Michelle PaverGroosham Grange – Anthony Horowitz

The Cat in the Hat – Dr. Seuss

Top dads’ books from Holne Chase dads’ clubSunset at Blandings –PG Wodehouse

His Dark Materials trilogy –Philip Pullman Deception Point –Dan BrownAngels and Demons –Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code –Dan BrownDigital Fortress –Dan BrownAnything by Dick FrancisThe Sharpe books –Bernard Cornwell

“This is the third Fun for Fathers I have attended and they get better and more involved every time. When I get home, my wife feels left out and wonders why there isn’t a mums’ one.”

Events targeted at fathers need to be held at a time that is convenient for them. Derek Grimley from Coventry City Council’s Children and Family Education Service describes an after-school programme especially for dads.

We have been running a programme called Fun for Fathers in primary schools around Coventry for five years. Its aims are to encourage fathers, and any other male carers, to come into school and take part in some fun activities with their children, and to promote the value of reading and sharing books and stories with their children.

The sessions take place in the school hall from 5 to 7pm, making them accessible to working dads, and are on a drop-in basis, although we stress that if you want to hear the story and do all the activities, you have to be early. We base the sessions around a well-known children’s story or book, such as Where the Wild Things Are, Jim and the Beanstalk, The Gruffalo, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Dads at a Where the Wild Things Are session can make a Wild Thing mask, a boat out of balsa wood for Max to sail in, a jigsaw, and other characters from the story. They end up with enough props to retell the story when they get home. They also hear me (usually) read or tell the story, because part of our idea was that it would be good to have a man modelling reading. The other sessions follow a similar pattern, always with a storytime and some craft activities that are a bit unusual: the woodwork and clay are always popular.

We chose Where the Wild Things Are because we happened to have (like you do) a full-sized Wild Thing figure, which had previously been made for a children’s festival. He has proved to be a tremendous asset, because we take him into school a week before the event and he spends a day in each class. The children are urged to ‘come and meet the Wild Thing’ – and pester power usually does the rest. When we return to a school, we advertise with a picture of the Wild Thing, saying: “Do you remember me? Now come and meet my friend the giant/the Gruffalo/Harry…”

Fathers go wild


The difference a day makesWorld Book Day is an ideal excuse for dads to spend the day having fun at St Edward’s Catholic Primary School in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Headteacher Eilis Field explains how one day can make a big difference.

Each year we invite dads only to spend the day with us at school on World Book Day (the first Thursday in March). They can come for the whole day or just for part – whatever suits. Throughout the day dads can spend time in the classrooms and in the playground; naturally they visit their own child’s class first, but we encourage them to visit all the classes. They can even book a school dinner.

The day’s activities vary, but are always on a book theme. We usually start with an assembly to launch the day. The first time we ran the day, I read a Big Book and involved the dads in the questions, but since then our literacy coordinator has taken on the role and gets them involved in drama. After that, the teachers organise activities around books in such a way that dads can join

in as and when they please. At the end of the day we come together and share some of what we have done.

We first tried running the day two years ago and did not expect a big response, but to our surprise it was very popular. We now get dads asking us to confirm that we are still running it so that they can book a day off work. Many of our children have parents who are separated, and this day seems to be very special to these dads. We publicise it in our newsletter, which also appears on our website. I stress to separated dads to check the website, which is run by a kind dad and has proved a real bonus to separated families.

We also encourage dads to donate a book if they can, but make it clear that it is not obligatory. Many welcome the chance to do something positive for their child’s school, and they like being able to see the school from an inside perspective, which most of them do not get a chance to do in the normal run of things.


14 Primary

TheDadsMatterprojectatCoopersLanePrimarySchool

inLewishamwasbornoutofaconcernintheschoolabout

thelackofpositivemalerolemodelsinthelivesofmany

children,especiallyboys.HeadteacherSteve Daviesand

familylearningcoordinatorTonia Pancucci describesome

oftheproject’scurrentactivities,integratingthemotivational

frameworkdesignedbyReadingChampions,aninitiative

thatusesthepowerofmalereadingrolemodelsto

encourageboysandmentobecomelifelongreaders.

DadsMatter

The Dads Matter project at Coopers Lane Primary School in Lewisham has now been running for just over two years. We felt we needed to target dads specifically as some excellent family learning groups had been running for some time in school, but inevitably it was the mums who were attending. The presence of dads and other significant males in the playground at dropping-off times was minimal and there was a real lack of male input on homework tasks. A significant number of children in school had no positive male role models at home and there were only two male teachers in a staff of 24.

The Dads Matter group is crucial in engaging dads in their children’s lives and learning and in the life of the school. We have a core group of dads who meet once a month in the upstairs room of the local pub to discuss relevant issues, plan events, and feedback on homework activities. This year has seen the introduction of special workshop evenings for all dads, which have focused on specific areas of the curriculum, how we teach in school and how this work can be supported at home by dads and other male carers.

The impact of our work can be seen around school, where dads and male carers are now more visible dropping off and picking up their children. Dads have also been actively involved in regular weekly football training and running PE sessions. Displays of Dads Matter work and events are regular features around school, including a recent display in our new library where the dads have written about their favourite books.

Some members of the Dads Matter group were fortunate enough to visit the De Levensboom school in Belgium, where dads play a huge role in the life of the school. This trip proved a great stimulus to our work, and our early years unit has benefited in the shape of a wooden playhouse designed and built by our dads and modelled on those structures seen in the classrooms in Belgium. This play area offers a rich resource for our Reception children’s language development: a great foundation for future literacy attainment.

It has not always been easy to link the Dads Matter group with our Reading Champions in school due to inevitable work commitments and time constraints; however, we have navigated our way around this

problem with our ‘Bring a Dad to School Week’. This very special week is currently an annual event where dads come and spend as much time as they can spare in school. Some dads opt to give special presentations based on their jobs and their hobbies – we have had interactive talks on printing, graphic design, cooking and diving to name but a few. Other dads, uncles and granddads opt to come and spend time with us in the classroom, to work with teachers and support the children’s learning. This has given many children the opportunity to read and write with some very positive male role models who were keen to talk about their own experiences at school and what they have gone on to achieve in their lives since.

The Dads Matter group has developed beyond all our expectations; yet we know there is still so much more to do. The group continues to evolve and grow and we are sure that the years to come will prove fascinating.

This article is an update to the case study that appeared in the Reading Champions Toolkit, and the Reading Connects Family Engagement Toolkit. These publications both feature sections on involving fathers in school. For more information and to download the publications visit www.readingchampions.org.uk and www.readingconnects.org.uk

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15Primary

How to read a bedtime story…Bedtimestoriesaren’tjustfortinytots:olderchildrenenjoythemtoo.Rob Kemp,journalist,passesonsometipsfordads.

Want to perfect your storytelling skills? Well, if you’re sitting comfortably, then we’ll begin… Research shows that when dads read bedtime stories their kids do better at school. Bedtime stories encourage speech and language development and help children learn literacy skills in an enjoyable way. If nothing else, a story at snooze time helps set down healthy sleep patterns.

Time then to tell some tall tales.

Get into character…Bedtime stories should be told in a relaxed atmosphere – so let’s begin by switching off the TV. And, where possible, add some dramatisation to the stories. Try reading in different voices or carry out some of the actions being performed by the characters in the book. Anything that makes it a more stimulating story will make storytime more fun.

Have a regular read…When your child’s just learning to talk, regularly read the same

story. This will help their language development and enhance their memory. The first time a child hears a story they won’t catch everything – but hearing it over and over again helps them to become familiar with words and to establish speech patterns.

Don’t test, do tell…Avoid turning storytime into an academic exercise by using it to test your child’s reading skills. Instead, just ask open questions about the stories that help them build a link between the story and their everyday life. For example: “What would you do?” or “Do you know any other black cats?” or “This was due back at the library last August – I hope they take credit card payments for fines!”

Book a boys’ night in…It’s even more important for dads to actively encourage their sons to read. Reading is often thought of by boys as a ‘girly’ thing to do – which may explain why lads do so badly in literacy tests – but if young boys

see their main role model enjoying reading it’ll encourage them too. In fact, it doesn’t always have to be the Mr Men stories. Reeling off your favourite line or two from a newspaper story, magazine, comic or match day football programme will help them build an association between reading and fun.

Find the age level…Spend some quality time with your children at the library. Look for books aimed at their age level and stories you enjoyed as a child. Let them choose books too – even if they pick one that’s too complex for them but they like the pictures. Encourage them to browse and find stories they like the look of. Children who have favourite books when they are young tend to do better in school.

This article is reproduced by kind permission of Fathers Quarterly magazine. For more information visit www.fqmagazine.co.uk

Beryl Bateson, head of family learning at Birmingham City Council, considers why there are so many men involved in family learning in the city, despite the fact that there is no provision just for dads.

Family literacy provision in Birmingham local authority ranges from an approach in most primary schools called INSPiRE (Involving School Parents in Reading), with a family workshop in each class run by the child’s teacher, to Learning and Skills Council-funded family literacy and numeracy, with 85 long courses and over 150 introductory courses.

Twenty per cent of participants are men, although there are no discrete programmes for dads. This is a high proportion when compared with the national average, which seems to be around eight per cent. A few elements inherent in our inclusive approach might help to explain why.

These are factors that are frequently discussed when trying to engage non-traditional learners. Other providers will recognise them, and they are not rocket science, but they are regularly and effectively applied.

A very personal approach is taken to engaging parents in these programmes, with an emphasis on the need for a parent’s support for the child. This initial emphasis on the child, and the gradual increase in expectation for greater equality of input from the male parent, gives ‘permission’ for the dad’s involvement. It also creates special time for the child and father without the other parent present. These programmes are part of a framework of activities that all reflect this basic value of building and establishing dad as an equal parent.

The second essential element of our approach that appeals to men is the application of an active, fun,

fast-paced curriculum, with learning activities based in real life and materials that bridge home-school learning – such as newspapers, comics, quizzes, timetables, maps and catalogues. There is also a strong emphasis on interesting outside visits.

Men here seem to respond more to shorter programmes, rather than the longer, intensive courses. Finally, a characteristic of Birmingham that influences the number of fathers involved is the high percentage of Pakistani and Somali families, who make up 34 and 10 per cent, respectively, of learners. This reflects a culture of male involvement in both these communities.

At the core of this success is the important principle of flexible thinking, based on the real lives and interests of the learners, and a commitment to adapt the provision in whatever ways are necessary to suit the learners rather than the organisation.

Count men in


1�

Secondary schools

Parents’involvementintheirchildren’seducationhasasignificanteffectthroughoutschool–butittendstodeclineaschildrengetolder,andmanysecondaryschoolsfinditparticularlydifficulttoengagewithfathers.Nevertheless,dadsneedtoknowthattheycanmakeadifferencetotheachievementoftheirolderchildren.Ifschoolscanhelpthemseewhattheycandoathometoworkwiththeschool,includingbasicthingsliketalkingtoyoungpeopleabouttheirdayandtheirhomework,theywillbehelpingfulfiltheaimsofEvery Child Matters.Dadscanalsoplayaroleinraisingchildren’sexpectationsaboutwhattheycanachieve.Asschoolsseektodeveloppersonalisedlearningandtocapturetheinterestsof14to19-year-olds,fatherscanhelpyoungpeopleformulatetheiraspirationsandbegintoworkouthowtoreachthem.Becominganavidreaderiskeytofulfillingpotential,anddadscanbothdemonstratebyexamplethattheyvaluetheskillofreading,andencouragetheirchildrentoreadwidely:notjustbooks,butnewspapers,magazinesandtheinternettoo.Finally,theextendedschoolsagendaprovidesnewopportunitiestoengagewithparents,andpracticalactivitiescanprovideawayofmakingcontactwithdadswhomightbewaryofeducationalsettings.


Teamprize funsession at Harcourtsands

Families Learning in Island Partnerships

Have you ever thought?.......

For all

Dads, Grandads, Uncles, Male Carers, Friends and their

Middle School children

Saturday 19th June

AtSmallbrook Stadium Ryde

1.30 pm. - 4.00pm.

If you wish to book a place then please contact

Andy McEwan

You can only attend if you have booked your place!

I want to practice my football skills at home.

I could commentatebetter than that!

I could answer those football questions

1�Secondary

Involving dads doesn’t necessarily mean they have to come into the school. Beverley Taylor, learning resource centre manager at Reading School, Berkshire, recounts how a ‘Dads and Lads, Mums and Sons’ reading club has motivated pupils at this boys’ school to read more at home.

‘Dads and Lads, Mums and Sons’ was set up to encourage our boys to widen their choice of reading materials. Getting the parents on board was an essential element of the project, as encouraging reading at home is the key to sustaining pupil interest in the books and the scheme.

The club is open to students in any year and the idea is that the pupil and their parent agree to read six books a year together. They agree on a title, read the book and then both email a book review to the school. By taking the time to write

the review together, families have the opportunity to discuss their opinions on the chosen title, even if they read the book at different times.

Initial family recruitment was made via a letter home, in which the importance of a role model, particularly a male, to encourage boys to read for pleasure was emphasised. It was also very important to stress in this letter that families had the freedom to choose titles and materials that they felt comfortable with.

The club has been a great success, with 68 families taking part in the first year. To raise the profile of the great work that we received, we made a display of every book review, together with illustrations of the book cover. We also created a new ‘library’ of recommended reads and a booklet of the reviews. The next step is to hold an event for all those who took part to discuss their chosen books.

One way of encouraging men to get involved is to find a ‘hook’ that really interests both them and their children, and to tailor activities around it. Kerry Baker, family learning development officer at East Cowes Family Learning Centre in the Isle of Wight, describes how the centre has used football to target men and boys, giving them the incentive of improving their practical skills alongside fun literacy-related activities. While some of the activities described below were aimed at boys in Years 3 and 4, others were aimed at older middle-school children.

The Isle of Wight family learning service offers a wide range of engagement activities. Many of these activities have had men in attendance in the past but never in large numbers. It was decided that introducing activities aimed specifically at men and boys would be a good first step to engaging them

Fathers, football and fun

in family learning activities, and so we devised Football Days, open to men and boys only. To recruit the men we sent letters out via schools, inviting them to a football session with their child. All children needed to be accompanied by a dad, granddad, uncle or male carer, and we also expected a teacher from each school to be in attendance.

The morning session was led by a local author who writes football books. There was a series of fun ‘warm-up’ activities, including readings from the author’s books. The men and boys then practised interview techniques using recording equipment. They would pretend to be either an interviewer or a footballer who had perhaps scored the winning goal, or let in the penalty. Then in either pairs or small groups they watched a video of a football match with the sound muted and made up their own commentary. The afternoon session was taken by a qualified

football coach who taught a variety of football skills, followed by a men and boys’ football match.

These sessions were very successful and men took time off work to attend. All received a certificate and a signed copy of the local author’s football book. Since then we have developed several different themed sessions, such as robotic dinosaur building. We have also developed men and children’s sessions that take place fortnightly, running from 6 to 7.30pm to allow men who are working to attend. These are aimed at supporting the children’s literacy and numeracy through creative activities based around a theme, with each theme lasting for a term. Again these have been popular and many of the men have attended all the themed sessions.

‘Dads and Lads, Mums and Sons’ reading club

The families’ feedback is testament to the achievements of the project.

“This is a really good way for my son and his father, who doesn’t live with him, to take part in a joint project and to share something.”

“I was pleasantly surprised by the range of titles and the quality of writing available to teenage boys.”

In addition, the scheme’s success can be demonstrated by the number of requests for new titles, which has increased by 100 per cent on the previous year.

This article has also appeared in the Reading Connects Family Engagement Toolkit. For more information and to download the toolkit visit www.readingconnects.org.uk


18

LibrariesLibrariesprovideawelcomingspacefordadstosharebooks

withtheirchildren,lookatwebsitesandfindmusicandfilms,as

wellasadditionalfamilyactivities.Librariesalsorunpromotions

highlightinggoodbooksthataresuitableforneworreluctant

adultreaders,includingthoseidealforsharingwithchildren.

‘FiveMinutes’booksareespeciallyfordads,and‘FirstChoice

Books’(www.firstchoicebooks.org.uk)and‘Gotkids?Get

reading!’(seepage30)bothhavecollectionsforparents.

Publiclibrariessupportfamiliestodevelopchildren’slanguage

andreadingskillsthroughnationalinitiativessuchasBookstart,

thebook-giftingprogrammethatworksinconjunctionwith

healthservices.Framework for the Futuresetsoutastrategic

visionforpubliclibraries,helpingthemworktogetherwith

otheragenciesthatsharetheirgoalsofpromotingreading

andlearning,aswellascombatingsocialexclusionand

developingcohesivecommunities.

DOs for DadsSpeaktodadscomingintothelibrarywiththeirchildren

Askchildren,mumsandothercarerstobringdadtotheactivity

LotsofdadsareoutwiththeirchildrenonaSaturday,soit’stheidealdayforanactivity

Promoteeventsaswidelyaspossibleatotherdads’groupsandplacesdadsvisit

Avoidclashingwithmajorsportingevents

Picturestakentoshowdad-focusedactivitieshappeninginthelibraryareevidencethatdadsattendand,intime,willattractotherdads



1�Libraries

Dads in the libraryout whole families including older children who had previously attended pre-school activities at the library, such as Rhyme Time and Arty Crafty.

The flier to advertise our most recent Saturday event, Wiggle and Jiggle, specifically invited dads to attend. It was put up everywhere including local shops, schools, nurseries, doctors’ surgeries and the pub and betting shop opposite the library.

The Saturday was also promoted at all the weekday sessions and to anyone coming into the library with children. Dads can be a bit of a sensitive area as not every child has one at home. However, when dad is sandwiched between big brothers, grandparents and mum’s special friend, the message gets through.

There is a ‘Dads’ Time’ every Saturday at the nearby Soft Play Zone in Croydon. Dads’ Time is run by men,

If you’re reaching out to dads, it helps to be able to step back and consider what else is going on in their lives and in the local area. Timing is everything, as Sonia Knight, Sure Start literacy development officer at Broad Green Library in Croydon, explains.

England is playing in the World Cup final; it’s the last day of the Ashes; it’s the Six Nations rugby tournament; there is shopping to be done; the stairs need vacuuming; and then there is the library.

It’s a tough choice for a dad. Make it easy. Domesticity will wait but a major sporting event will always take precedence over what’s happening at the library.

At Broad Green Library there are two children’s activities a week, plus additional after-school and Saturday activities. It is the Saturdays that attract the most dads and bring

Hampshire Library Service was trying to increase its audience of teenage readers and, interestingly, found that involving the dads was a successful way of getting to the boys. Lis Ricketts, Vicky Fisher and Jane Selby report.

Persuading teenage boys to use libraries and to read for pleasure can be something of a challenge. To try to meet this, Hampshire libraries developed ‘dads and lads’ reading groups for teenage boys and their fathers. ‘B:male’ at Winchester Library is one of four such groups, and meets for one evening every month, with an average membership of 20, including an honorary mum.

The group has been meeting since 2001 and is still growing. At each session library staff are there to help both fathers and sons find books that might interest them. The two-hour sessions involve a wide range of activities, often suggested by the group themselves, including discussions on different genres of books, talks, storytellers, poets and drumming workshops. There is also the occasional outing to places

as diverse as the Theatre Royal, Winchester and the Hampshire Record Office. One recent evening resulted in some lively short stories, written as part of a consequences game by fathers and sons together. However, the activity that the group enjoys most is simply sharing what they have been reading, and this often results in enthusiastic discussion and an eager swapping of books.

One young member recently said: “Since starting B:male I have read so many more books than I would normally read, and also different kinds of books. I now really enjoy reading and my reading speed has increased. Going to the group once a month means I have met new people and it is interesting to hear other views on books from a similar age group. Without B:male I would only read about four books a year, instead of four books a month.”

A dad commented: “There is a really good, easy atmosphere between the lads and dads. I enjoy hearing about the sorts of books I’d never normally think of reading.”

We are now entering our sixth year and considering whether B:male has met the challenge of getting boys reading.

This dad might have the answer: “My son had a very low interest in reading books, which is why I was particularly pleased to find out that B:male existed. Getting him to go to his first session was difficult but the fact that one of his friends, who is not a ‘bookie’ person, already attended, plus a lot of parental pressure, resulted in our first meeting.

“Since then, he has looked forward to every session and reminds me early in the week to be home in time from work so that we can both go. His interest in books hasn’t noticeably improved – the motivation for him is the social side and access to multimedia items on long-term loan! However, B:male has undoubtedly resulted in him reading more, reading books that he wouldn’t otherwise have discovered and maturing to listen to others’ views of the books that they have read, and contributing his own.”

Dads have pester power too

for men with children up to the age of seven years. Obviously this is the perfect place to target dads: ideally, a week before the event at the library and then again on the day. Just as dads are loyal to their sport, they are loyal to Dads’ Time, and so anything that goes on at the library has to be at a different time. In this way we complement what Dads’ Time and any other children’s organisations are doing locally, rather than trying to compete. Since Dads’ Time meets on a Saturday morning, Wiggle and Jiggle took place in the afternoon.

The last Saturday Wiggle and Jiggle attracted 17 families, four of those with dad. Four dads. Out of seventeen families there must be more than four dads – but perhaps they were watching Johnny Wilkinson in the Six Nations rugby. Next time…


20

PrisonsManyoffendershavehadaverypoorexperienceofeducation,butthereareinspiringprojectsgoingoninprisonstohelpturnthataround.Theinformalapproachofhelpingprisonerstohelptheirchildrenisusedtoengagetheirinterestinlearning.Readingwithorfortheirchildrencanbothincreaseprisoners’skillsanddeepenfamilyrelationships–leadingnotonlytoatransformationintheprisoner’slife,butalsointhelivesoftheirfamily.ThisapproachfitstwooftheNationalOffenderManagementService(NOMS)’s‘pathways’toreducingre-offending:education,trainingandemployment;andchildrenandfamilies.NOMSisalsoconcernedwithprovidinglifeskillsforoffenders,includingparentingandrelationshipskills,andwithensuringthattheneedsoftheirchildrenaremetasEvery Child Mattersisimplemented.Becomingareaderhasincalculablebenefitsforanychild,andbeing‘inside’neednotbeacompletebarriertoadad’sinvolvementintheprocess,asthesestoriesshow.

Storybook Dads is a groundbreaking scheme that allows prisoners to be recorded reading a story especially for their children. This can be a story that they have written themselves, or one from a book. The story is downloaded onto a computer where staff and trained prisoners edit and enhance the story by deleting mistakes and adding sound effects and music. These very special stories are then burnt onto a CD and sent to children, allowing them to hear their parent’s voice whenever they want to.

Not only does this maintain the bond between parent and child, but many imprisoned dads who have not read to their children before are committed to doing so upon release. Participation in the project supports literacy among prisoners and their children, and at the heart of the experience is the shared time between parent and child through the magic of storytelling.

Storybook Dads became a registered charity in 2004 and has disseminated the project into 50 other prisons (and growing), now including women’s jails and Young Offender Institutions. Over 3,000 imprisoned parents have participated.

Dads on discStorybookDadsisaregisteredcharitybasedatHMPDartmoor,whichmaintainsfamilytiesbetweenimprisonedparentsandtheirchildrenthroughtheproductionofstoryCDs.ProjectmanagerSharon Berryexplainshowtheschemeworks.

The value of Storybook Dads is illustrated by Mark’s situation: a married man with a fi ve-year-old daughter and a second child on the way, Mark was fi nding imprisonment very diffi cult. This was not helped by the knowledge that his family was fi nding his absence very hard to cope with, in particular his young daughter, who was having trouble getting to sleep at night because she was missing him.

“She slept all night for the fi rst time since I’ve been in jail.”

This had the inevitable result that her behaviour deteriorated, causing added stress to his heavily pregnant wife. The receipt of the story CD helped to change this, as his young daughter went to bed and listened to her daddy telling her a story. In Mark’s words: “She slept all night for the fi rst time since I’ve been in jail.”

For more information visit www.storybookdads.co.uk


21Prison

Reading dads at HMP Blantyre House

A year ago I found myself facing a class of eight dads determined to get involved in their kids’ education. The dads in question were prisoners at HMP Blantyre House – a resettlement prison in rural Kent.

Many of these men were worried about their children’s progress at school – and these fears were not unfounded. Research shows that children with a prisoner in the family are at risk of bullying, low self-esteem and educational failure.

As I was new to family learning, and relatively new to prisons, I started trawling the internet for ideas and resources. I quickly discovered that many suggestions for engaging dads in kids’ literacy were next to useless in a prison setting. The dads could not, for example, encourage their kids to read road signs or labels in supermarkets. Nor could they visit libraries, bookshops and newsagents together. Popping into school for parents’ evenings or to admire wall displays was similarly out of the question.

A little lateral thinking was required. Over the next year, with tremendous support from Head of Learning and Skills Debbie Leach, the

learners and I worked hard to develop different ways of helping them help their kids. Family learning sessions were spent choosing and recording bedtime stories for their children through the Storybook Dads scheme. The dads also made personalised story sacks for their kids, complete with hand-made educational games.

Some learners created Daddy’s Day books. These books – the brainchild of Blantyre prisoner Clinton Sproul – are photo journals of a dad’s day in prison and consist of pictures, poems, letters and certifi cates. They also include photos of the dads as reading role models – fl icking through papers or reading books in the library. Several of the men have been nominated for Reading Champion awards due to their efforts (see page 14).

These courses have culminated in special themed family learning days, in which children are invited into the prison. Themes have included

the Wild West, Halloween, Animals and Food, and Growing. These days are meticulously prepared by the dads and involve treasure hunts, games, gym activities, word searches and craft activities. On one occasion, both the kids and dads planted a sunfl ower seed and were encouraged to have a ‘sunfl ower race’ – each recording their fl ower’s growth on a special chart and exchanging pictures and letters about its progress.

The librarian runs storytime sessions and a local bookshop has kindly agreed to lend us a large selection of books so that the children and dads can choose a book together. Our next project is to make the visiting hall a literacy-rich environment by encouraging the children to produce poems, stories and pictures to go on the wall. Being a ‘reading dad’ in prison isn’t easy – but the learners at Blantyre have proved it is certainly possible.

“Being a ‘reading dad’ in prison isn’t easy – but the learners at Blantyre have proved it is certainly possible.”

FamilylearningtutorSam Hartdescribessomeingenious

waysinwhichdadsinprisoncanbereadingrolemodels

andsupporttheirchildren’seducation.


Prison22

Many aspects of prison life can complicate efforts to encourage prisoners to read for pleasure and support their children’s reading. Sue Wilkinson, librarian at HMP Birmingham, describes how they overcame some of the obstacles, using The Reading Agency’s project, Got kids? Get reading!

Exploring new territoryWhen HMP Birmingham was selected to be part of a pilot family reading project in 2005, this was new territory for us. Although we were keen on the idea, the logistics of delivering a family-based project in a large, busy local prison were daunting. The prison is not geared to family visits, with no comfortable seating or area where parents and children can read together.

However, the success of the story area at the prison’s fi rst ever family day a few months previously got us thinking about how we could get the men engaged with reading to their children. When the opportunity came to take part in the Got kids? Get reading! pilot, testing the effectiveness of new family reading resources and book collections, it seemed almost too good to be true.

“I realise now that reading is a good way for children and parents to spend time together. I’m going to take an interest in my kids’ reading.”

Making the prison family reading-friendlyOne of the most important aspects of the project was to link the various agencies involved in family reading. With support from Birmingham Libraries’ Children’s Team, we devised an ambitious programme involving the prison library, the prison education department, the visitors’ centre and Words on Wheels (a mobile library catering specifi cally for under-fi ves). The aim was to link families through reading and help adults to improve their basic skills. We organised fi ve visits to the visitors’ centre from Words on Wheels and arranged sessions with groups of dads in the prison library, using the Got kids? Get reading! collection of adults’ and children’s books. We advertised the sessions at the visitors’ centre in the prison library, hoping that library users could arrange their visits on these days, so that their children and partners could use the same books.

As with any project in a prison, security was paramount. Our fi rst problem was where to park a very large mobile library so that it was

close enough to the visitors’ centre. After much delicate negotiation, we were given permission to park at the entrance to the car park, where people could drop in either before or after their visit to look at the range of stock available in the library, as well as titles in the Got kids? Get reading! collection.

During a one-off session with a group of regular library users, we focused on reading with their children. The men came up with lots of ideas for ways to share books with their children during their time inside. One man is writing a story for his child and sending an instalment in each of his letters; another is making time during phone calls to ask his children about what they are reading; a third now asks the library to get him the same books as his children are reading, so that he can talk to them about the content.

Building confi denceLibrary sessions were also run as part of the Family Man course being delivered by the education department at the same time. In the fi rst session we talked about books, reading and libraries. Out of the 12 men taking


2�Prison

never did very well at school, but all my cousins went on to get really good jobs.”

For more information on Got kids? Get reading! visit www.literacytrust.org.uk/vitallink/gotkids.html

A version of this article originally appeared in the winter 2005 edition of Read On, the magazine of the National Reading Campaign. Visit www.readon.org.uk

was reading it to a group of children, which initially caused embarrassment among the men. However, they soon joined in and two of them volunteered to give very entertaining renditions of What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? and There’s a Monster Under My Bed.

A third session was planned to pull everything together. However, things in prison rarely go to plan and operational diffi culties meant this session had to be cancelled. This is something that you get used to in prisons. Fortunately, the prisoners are aware of this and usually take these things in their stride.

Despite the setbacks, all the men felt it was a very positive experience and several have become regular library users. They each said they intend to read with their children when they get out.

Overall, the feedback was very positive, as this participant’s comments shows:

“We never had books at home – my mum kept the house so neat and tidy, she wouldn’t have anything lying about. I used to love going to my aunt’s. She had books everywhere – on shelves, piled up on the fl oor, even in the toilet. I

“I found the library staff much more approachable for someone like me who can’t read very well. They don’t judge you, and it’s much less stressful – I don’t feel threatened in the library.” part, only one had used a library before coming to prison. We helped them choose a suitable book to take away to read and the tutor very helpfully built some reading time into the course.

The second session focused on reading to children and sharing books. Only one of the men remembered having books at home when he was a child – the same man who had used libraries before coming to prison. Most of the men could remember being read to at school, but none had ever read to their own children. We asked them to think about the benefi ts to children of being read to and talked about what makes a good story for a child. One of the library staff read a story as if she

Image courtesy of Safe Ground’s Fathers Inside programme. Photographer: Warwick Sweeney


Brentford ‘Til I Die Brentford ‘Til I Die Brentford ‘Til I Die Brentford ‘Til I Die

24

FootballFootballisagreatwayofencouragingmanymenandchildrentogetreading,asithashugemotivationalpower.Ofcourse,it’snottheonlysporttohavethiseffect:anythingthatdadsarereallyinterestedincanplayakeyroleinengagingthem.Nevertheless,activitiesthatcombinefootballandreading,reportsoftopplayerstalkingabouttheirfavouritebooksandincentivessuchasmatchticketsorskillstrainingcanworkwonders.Manysportsgroundsnowhavestudysupportcentresandaredoinggreatthingstoimprovetheskillsofchildrenandadultsintheirlocalcommunities,bothonandoffthepitch.

Offer to help a football fan with their literacy skills and they’ll most likely tell you where to go; give them an opportunity to tell their stories and they’ll jump at the chance. Jo Emmerson, education manager for Hounslow Study Support Service and the Griffi n Park Learning Zone at Brentford Football Club, reports.

Raising the literacy levels of our fan base was the challenge posed for Brentford FC by Jim Sells of the National Literacy Trust’s Reading The Game project, and the BBC’s RaW (Reading and Writing) campaign. Griffi n Park Learning Zone is a new learning resource in the centre of Brentford FC, and I am ‘that teacher woman’.

Brentford FC has a fan base that is hugely diverse professionally and academically, and I certainly didn’t want to attempt to suggest that we should all pick up books in half-time to help career prospects. Fortunately, at this time Bees United, the Brentford Supporters’ Trust, was running a number of fundraising activities and wanted to write a book. Hence the birth of Brentford ‘Til I Die, a collection of fans’ stories about why the club is important to them. These were produced by the fans themselves in the Learning Zone, supported by ourselves, and in particular by two

well-known and respected Brentford fans, who drove the project forward and ensured that fans bought into the idea.

There were a number of successes related to undertaking a project with fans. It was a risk, but it led to positive kudos for the Learning Zone itself and the staff. We have since run an adult learning computer course as a result of fans coming into the room for the fi rst time during the book work.

The Brentford ‘Til I Die approach is being undertaken by other clubs, which raises our profi le within the industry. Moreover, the book virtually sold out within a few weeks of publication and there is a call on us to produce Volume 2.

We wouldn’t claim that our book attracted only ‘dads and lads’ – my fellow mum and daughter fans would not be impressed. However, we know we produced a book about football that was attractive to men. We have met reluctant male readers and witnessed dads working with their sons and daughters to create their own stories.

There is no doubt that this project was a real winner, and it certainly had an impact: only last week I met a reluctant reader who has read it fi ve times and could tell us his favourite story.

For more information on Reading The Game visit www.readingthegame.org.uk

“I’m hooked on the Bees; that’s what I’m looking forward to Joshua enjoying, and for him it began the moment he met my friends at an away game.”

Image and quote: Brentford ‘Til I Die


25Football

GET CAUGHT READING

Make reading your goal Kick into Reading Kick into Reading (KiR) is a programme in which Football in the Community coaches, and in some cases academy students and fi rst-team players, are trained in how to perform and tell stories for children. Once trained, they are posted into libraries where they perform the tales for children, while showing them how a love of books, reading and telling stories is an important and fun part of their lives. In addition, clubs often run ‘Family Days’, where children and a parent or carer are invited to the club itself and KiR takes place in the stands or in a club classroom. KiR is a Reading The Game programme funded by Arts Council England and supported by the Professional Footballers’ Association.

For more information visit www.literacytrust.org.uk/Football/RTGProjects/kir.html

– driving on average 1,000 miles a week – so as you can imagine I’m not often around to read bedtime stories. Luckily, though, my son and I have come up with an ingenious solution, which seems to do the trick.

When we get the chance, I take my kids along to a bookshop (although this would work just as well with a trip to the library). I encourage them to choose something that appeals to them – I don’t mind whether that’s fi ction, cars, computers or even football as long as they want to read it. The youngest of my kids is still keen on a bedtime story, so we get two copies of his book choice – one for me and one for him. Then, even if I’m on the road, we can still read together at his bedtime. Sometimes this means I end up pulling into a lay-by and reading with him over the phone, each taking it in turn to read a page. That way I can help if he stumbles on a word, he can ask me questions and we both get to chat about things he’s interested in. It’s a really nice thing to share and I’m certain both of us benefi t from the experience – even when it’s long distance.

David James is a Reading Champion for Portsmouth FC and has played as goalkeeper for both Manchester City and England. It was his mum who helped him to become a reader, and now that he is a dad, he is passing the legacy on.

As a Reading Champion, I know how important it is for children to get into reading; as a father, I know just how much infl uence parents can have in helping this happen. When I was a child my mother would read to me, and I remember reading The Hobbit together. However, we did not continue and my reading suffered. I got back into it after school by reading car magazines and IQ books. I was lucky to have a mum who encouraged me to read. I wasn’t a strong reader, but being introduced to books at home helped encourage me to keep reading and fi nd things that interested me.

Being separated from my children means it can be diffi cult for us to read together as much as I’d like to – but we get round it as best we can. I have a pretty hectic schedule


READWITH CARE

READWITH CARE

2�

Visiting one residential care home with a box of books, I was reading out loud to a group of boys, when one of them called enthusiastically to a care worker, “We should get this book!”. The care worker said: “You already have it. Look on the shelf.” And indeed there it was, on the pristine, untouched shelves. The boy looked puzzled, as if the book on the shelf was different from the one I was reading from.

Even when the books are there it requires enthusiasm and knowledge to promote them. Not every care worker is an enthusiastic reader. And even if they were, they might not see potential readers in the young people – “You just read magazines, don’t you?”. It often seems that female care workers fi nd it easier to adopt the role of reader in residential homes, or perhaps it’s just expected of them. But male care workers get just as much affection and respect from the young people: it’s just that reading is not the fi rst thing they think of to talk about with them.

Joke books have gone down well with both male care workers and children. In one home they seized on a collection of particularly dreadful jokes, saying, “Steve will love these”. Indeed, when Steve was presented with them, he laughed just as much as the children – or more – as he read the jokes out loud. Care workers often read to the younger children at bedtime. “It really helps to calm them down,” says Mike. He also told me that a book on bereavement they’d

read with the children had helped them with a recent loss.

What young people in care need, though, is for their care workers to have a passion and interest in their own reading, so that they can see the point in supporting and encouraging others.

“They were fantastic. I never would have thought I’d enjoy books so much.”

Tim told me that he didn’t really read anything beyond the sports pages. Sometimes he would talk about those with the boys, but that was it. However, he’d really enjoyed the fi lm Sleepers, so I gave him the novel to try. Mind you, he was just about to go on his honeymoon, so it might have been wishful thinking that he would pick it up.

I saw him three weeks later. “I still haven’t read that book.” I nodded. “It was your –,” I began.

“– But I’ve read three others,” he exclaimed. Genuinely excited, he told me how he’d been at the airport thinking he really should read that novel, but then his eye had gone to a bookshop and he’d seen a biography of Mohammed Ali, one of his all-time heroes. “I read that and then two others while I was away. They were fantastic. I never would have thought I’d enjoy books so much.”

Tim is now a dedicated reader and happily shares what he is reading with the young people. A lot of effort goes into projects that promote reading to young people in care; perhaps more effort should be targeted at the care workers themselves.

Children in care need more than just access to books. Reading promoter David Kendall explains that it is also important for the men they respect to demonstrate that they are readers too.


READWITH CARE

2�

John Bird,founderandeditor-in-chiefofThe Big Issue,arguesthatdadsshouldnotleavetheirchildren’sreadingtochance.

My mother was always too exhausted for anything other than housework. She was too tired bringing up six boys and placating an angry husband. She could read: she learned to read in a country school in Ireland. But she never picked up a book and read to us. She felt it was something you did at school, and all that school stuff had nothing to do with bringing up children.

I fi nally learned to read reasonably well at Ashford boys’ prison, just before my 16th birthday. Once I started, you could not stop me. I was off like a wild horse let out of a stable. History, poetry, novels – from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. I picked up obscure reads that are still with me, like The Vicar of Wakefi eld by Oliver Goldsmith, or Specimen Days by Walt Whitman.

My reading life suggests we should not read to our children. Maybe that’s school stuff and it should be left to teachers. After all, am I not a good example of doing it yourself?I wish it was that simple.

First of all, if I had not met in a boot camp at the age of 14 a prison offi cer who was inspired by reading, I may never have got anywhere. He made me love reading, even though I was still the slowest reader in the class. He would always talk about how his life was richer because he read whenever he got the chance. If at Ashford I had not met another prison offi cer who gave me books then, at the time I was ready, the moment may have passed and I would have returned to being a non-reader.

Yes, you can leave it to luck that your child will get the right inspiration. You can leave it to hope. But you could also take out an insurance policy: read to them yourself.

When it came to my own children, I took chance out of their learning to enjoy reading. I did not leave it just to teachers and my wife. I read to my babies, and got their little lives full of the surprise of books. I surrounded them with words and pictures so that their imaginations could develop. And I enjoyed every moment of it. In fact, I got as much out of it as the children did.

I went one stage further. I wrote stories with my children and illustrated them with their pictures. I made books out of scraps of paper and got them storytelling.

I have many children. I have godchildren. For decades now I have been involved in the reading world of the child. It always reminds me that you should not leave your child’s development to chance. So I say get in there and see yourself and your children fl ower through the power of word and picture.

And prepare them for a bigger life.

“When it came to my own children, I took chance out of their learning to enjoy reading. I did not leave it just to teachers and my wife. I read to my babies, and got their little lives full of the surprise of books.”

Make men the issue


28

Patrick Augustus: what reading means for mePatrick Augustus is director of the BabyFather Alliance and an author

whose books include Weekend Fathers and Don’t Make Me Laugh.

He talks to us about his experience of reading.

Why do you think it’s important for parents to read with their children?

Readingopensupawholenewworldthattakesyououtofyourselfandhelpsyouthinkoutsidethebox.Andthere’snosubstituteforeducation.

What was your experience of reading as a child?

MymotherusedtoreadtheBibletome:mostofmyfavouritestorieswereaboutJesus,andalsothestoryofSamsonandDelilah.

Did you have any male reading role models as a child?

Mybrotherwasarolemodel–heusedtoreadalotofbooks

andIknewreadingwasimportantbecauseIsawhimdoingit.

MartinLutherKingandAngelaDavisarepeoplewhosebooks

Icanrememberhimwith.

Itreinforcestothemhowimportantreadingis.Ifyoutaketimeoutofyourbusylifetoreadwiththem,itsendsapositivemes-sage.Hopefullythenthey’llseethevalueinreadingtoo,andpassitontotheirownchildren.

Why do you think it’s important for fathers to get involved with their children’s reading?

What do you like to read with your own children?

IenjoyreadingtheBiblewithmychildrentoo.Anything

thathappenstoyouinlife–someoneintherehasal-

readybeenthroughit,soyouknowtheyfeltthesame.

Thenthewaythattheydealtwithitgivesyouwisdom.


2�

Make talk, not war

Museums are not only for exhibitions: they have many other activities going on, and some of these will attract dads and their children – or could do, if there is a little encouragement to get involved. These provide an opportunity for dads to have fun with their children, and to get talking and perhaps even reading and writing with their families. Daniell Phillips, head of corporate education at London’s Imperial War Museum, explains how a project at his museum brought the generations together, giving fathers and grandfathers the chance to share their memories with their families and the wider community.

“I knew my dad had been to Italy during the war, but it was only when I saw his reaction to a town that he had last seen in ruins that I began to understand what it had meant to him … we talked for hours that night.”

Their Past – Your Future was an educational programme led by the Imperial War Museum and supported by the Big Lottery Fund. At the core of the programme were intergenerational learning experiences: essentially, encouraging veterans and eyewitnesses of the conflict to share their experiences with younger generations, and especially school-age pupils.

For many groups, this intergenerational contact happened during visits to areas where key events of the conflict took place, such as the Normandy beaches (or in many cases much further afield). Large numbers of veterans visited the places they had served, many for the first time in 60 years. It is telling that many veterans felt that their individual story was insignificant, and certainly of no interest to young people today. Even those who had kept diaries during the war, or charted how the war had impacted on their lives in letters and journals, did not feel inclined to share their records. This was before the realisation, generated through the interaction with young people, that in fact these accounts were the very things that the students valued in bringing history to life and giving it relevance to their own lives.

Many of the veterans remarked that they had not felt able to talk to their own offspring about these events, but could speak more easily to grandchildren and great-grandchildren, or indeed total strangers from a younger generation. One of the unforeseen benefits of the programme was that, by promoting contact and shared experiences between young people and veterans, we were actually able to bring veterans together with

the generation who benefited most directly from their sacrifices – their own children. Many family members accompanied veterans on their Heroes Return visits to their areas of service, and were able to share, for the first time, a true understanding of how involvement in the conflict had shaped their relatives’ lives, attitudes, values and memories.

For more information visit www.theirpast-yourfuture.org.uk


�0

ResourcesSome useful organisations, websites and resources. This list is

not exhaustive but is a place to start.

Initiatives supporting dads with their children’s literacy

Putting Dads in the Picture aims to increase the numbers of men engaging in family

learning. The two-year project, based in Solihull and run by the Campaign for Learning,

champions fathers as role models and mentors. At its first family fun day dads could have

a free professional photograph taken with their children, and all the families stayed to

enjoy a range of free activities put on by local providers. The project will create a generic

engagement tool that can be used by organisations throughout the country looking to

recruit dads. Contact Kerry Flynn on 0121 773 3133 or [email protected]

The Big Book Share A project run by The Reading Agency, through which children’s librarians help prisoners choose books to read on tape for their children. www.readingagency.org.uk/projects/children/book_ share.html

Dads & Lads A project running through Lancashire schools, linking literacy with sport in order to encourage dads to become more involved in their children’s education.www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/projects/dadsnlads/ index.php

Engaging fathers – involving parents, raising achievement A booklet produced by the Department for Education and Skills to help schools take action to include both parents in the life of the school.www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/familyandcommunity/workingwithparents/engagingfathers

Family Man/Fathers Inside Run in prisons by educational charity Safe Ground, these courses use drama and storytelling to improve family relationship and parenting skills. www.safeground.org.uk

Family Reading Campaign Tips for engaging dads and tips for dads themselves, case studies and overviews of research. www.literacytrust.org.uk/familyreading/dads.html

Five Minutes A Reading Agency promotion aimed at dads with low literacy, showcasing the library as the place for dads to discover books they’ll enjoy sharing with their children and for themselves. www.literacytrust.org.uk/vitallink/fiveminutes.html

Got kids? Get reading! Family reading library promotion created by The Reading Agency through its Vital Link partnership with the National Literacy Trust. www.readingagency.org.uk/projects/children/kids_ reading.html

It’s a Man Thing A father and child reading project run by the education charity ContinYou, which primary schools can buy in to. It encourages fathers to become more active participants in their children’s learning. www.continyou.org.uk/content.php?CategoryID=261

Keeping up with the Children A family programme created by the Basic Skills Agency and used in the community and in prisons to introduce parents to what their children are learning in English and maths. www.basic-skills.co.uk/site/page.php?p=263&cms=3

Reading Champion Dads Part of the National Reading Campaign’s Reading Champions initiative, Reading Champion Dads works to help schools utilise the great reservoir of untapped manpower and raise the involvement of men in their children’s education. www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaign/champions/ dads.html

Putting Dads in the Picture


�1Resources

Ideas for men’s reading matter

www.literacytrust.org.uk/vitallink/fcb.htmlwww.quickreads.org.uk

The Babyfather Initiative Run by Barnardos and the BabyFather Alliance, the project aims to encourage responsible parenting amongst black males in the UK, in particular those who are separated from their children. www.barnardos.org.uk/babyfather

Boys2MEN A programme of music, arts, life-experience and sports for boys, young men, and fathers/parents, which aims to help males at risk of social exclusion to make the transition from childhood to adulthood. Run by Coram Family. www.coram.org.uk/sfvcyp/boys2men.htm

Children North East Fatherhood Centre and Fathers Plus An ‘online knowledge bank’ to enable workers, managers and carers to share information and work together to include men in all local services. www.fathers-plus.co.uk and www.includingmen.com

Dads & Lads A YMCA project helping fathers and children deepen their relationships through sharing an activity together. Grants, training, support and a range of resources are available to those wanting to start their own project. www.ymca.org.uk/bfora/systems/xmlviewer/default.asp?arg=DS_YMCA_WEBART_111/_page.xsl/149

Fathers Direct The national information centre on fatherhood. Its website includes news, examples of practice and summaries of research, and the organisation offers training and a variety of resources, including:

• Working with Fathers: Six Steps Guide• Engaging Fathers in their Children’s Learning:

tips for practitioners• A resource for Muslim fathers: Connecting With God

and Your Child: A Fathers’ Guide to Prayer and Praise (An-Nisa Society with Fathers Direct)

www.fathersdirect.com

Initiatives supporting dads in general

Fatherskills A small company based in Wales that trains professionals to engage and work with fathers. Resources include a book, An Introduction to Working With Fathers, and two short films. Contact Nick Clements, 95 New Road, Ynysmeudwy, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 4PP. Tel: 01792 830799

Kick Start Offers an eight-month package of training, support, reflection and practical action for organisations looking to engage with fathers in Northern Ireland. http://mensproject.org/kickstart.html

The Pre-school Learning Alliance Has a downloadable leaflet for early years settings called Fathers Matter: Ideas and practical tips for involving fathers in your setting. www.pre-school.org.uk/services/family-learning

Sowing Seeds Works with African and Caribbean men and fathers to support children and families. www.sowingseeds.co.uk

Top Dads Run by the education charity ContinYou, Top Dads uses sport as an incentive for vulnerable young fathers to take part in mentoring on positive parenting and signposting to support agencies.www.continyou.org.uk/content.php?CategoryID=271

Young Fathers Initiative A Working With Men project providing advice services, courses for expectant fathers and website materials for the support of fathers aged 25 or under. www.workingwithmen.org/youngfathers


National Literacy Trust is a registered charity, no.1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no.5836486. Registered in England and Wales.Registered address: Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ.

For more copies of this magazine contact the National Literacy Trust on 020 7828 2435 or [email protected].

Literacy changeslivesLiteracy enables people to achieve their full potential. The National Literacy Trust is a charity dedicated to ensuring everyone has the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills they need. Our projects reach people in some of the most disadvantaged communities, where the need is greatest.

This magazine was brought to you by the National Literacy Trust. To fi nd out more, or make a donation, visit our website at www.literacytrust.org.uk, email [email protected], or call us on 020 7828 2435.



getting the blokes on board

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