Here’s a true story about the difference that a dad can make

When dads are positively involved in their children’s education, children do better.

There’s plenty of evidence to prove this, including studies which show children with involved fathers are more likely to have a higher IQ and achieve more at school.

It’s a benefit worth striving for, and the Fatherhood Institute and Barnardo’s are encouraging dads to get involved in their kids’ literacy and education in the run-up to Father’s Day (June 19) through Fathers’ Story Week (June 13-19).

The week is aiming to get dads involved with their kids’ education through activities and events led by primary schools, nurseries, children’s centres, libraries and even prisons. And while the week does, of course, include a readathon, there are plenty of other activities on offer, including a nationwide paper aeroplane competition, and a dads-and-kids sporting challenge.

Ideas, activities and worksheets are on the Fathers’ Story Week website (www.fathersstoryweek.org), with the idea being that the school, nursery, etc, will encourage dads to get involved with them.

Kate Tanner, who’s running Fathers’ Story Week for the Fatherhood Institute, says: “There’s a wealth of research about the positive impact dads have on their children’s education when they get involved in their learning.

“The more dads get involved, the better the attainment of the child. They’re happier at school and have more confidence.”

She says typically, dads find it difficult to engage with primary schools, which are traditionally quite female-dominated.

“We were hearing a lot of anecdotal evidence that dads felt quite uncomfortable at schools.

“So we wanted to come up with a way that dads could feel more comfortable in a school environment, and for schools to do something positive to engage dads and get them to come in.”

She says many of the activities are centred around dads, and may involve children working with their dads as part of their homework.

And there are also activities that dads can take part in at school, such as the paper aeroplane challenge, where children make aeroplanes with their dads as part of their homework, and fly them in a competition at school.

Children will also be encouraged to measure a number of their flights and work out an average distance.

The readathon can be done at school or at home, and it’s suggested that dads and kids read books together, including Let’s Have A Daddy Day by Karen Kingsbury, My Dad by Anthony Browne, and Just The Two Of Us by Will Smith.

But reading isn’t just about books, and the dad and child partnership is also encouraged to read newspapers, mobile phone texts, magazines, signs and even food packet labels together.

“We’re trying to show children that the benefit of literacy isn’t just in the joy of reading a book,” Tanner points out.

As well as reading whatever text they fancy, it’s also suggested that children design a bookmark with their dad, or create a puppet show with homemade puppets and re-enact the story they’ve read in front of family and friends.

Children may also like to write a biography of their dad – the Book of Dad – or ask their dad about his own favourite story as a child.

Fathers, or grandfathers, could go into their child’s class and share their favourite childhood story, or read from the book they remember.

“The more active a dad is in their child’s education, the better their child will do at school,” stresses Tanner.

FATHER’S STORY WEEK

The first Fathers’ Story Week was held last year, and almost 90 per cent of dads said the week had improved their relationship with their child’s school.

Fathers’ Story Week is run by the Fatherhood Institute in partnership with Barnardo’s and is organised to co-incide with Father’s Day.

It offers an opportunity for primary schools, nurseries, pre-schools, children’s centres, libraries, prisons and others to get fathers and children working and spending time together in support of children’s learning and development. For more information visit www.fathersstoryweek.org.