1. 7714771720199
Getting the
Blokes on Board
Involving fathers and male carers
in reading with their children
Real life stories
Schools 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

2. Foreword
As a father myself, I have seen how important it is to read to my
son – both for his development and for our relationship. Education
happens not just in school, but in the home too, and the Government
understands that parents are their child’s fi rst and most important
educators. It is therefore vital that schools work together with families
– and that means dads as well as mums. Fathers, grandfathers,
uncles, brothers and other male carers are role models for children
and young people, particularly boys. As we seek to close the gap
between boys’ and girls’ educational attainment, these men and
older boys have an even more important role in demonstrating
that they value reading. And as we seek to reach out to families,
particularly those most in need, it is not only schools that can take
the reading message to fathers. Every Child Matters is helping
different agencies work together to ensure that all children enjoy
and achieve so that they make a positive contribution and attain
economic well-being, as well as staying safe and being healthy. This
magazine shows how libraries, museums, children’s centres, sports
clubs and prisons, as well as schools, have engaged dads in reading
to and with their children. I hope it will inspire you to do the same.
Parmjit Dhanda
Parliamentary Under -Secretary of State for Children,
Young People and Families
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 find 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 significant role in a child or young person’s life.

3. Contents
Image: Alexandra Strick
Introduction
The 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 dads
8 Early years
Dads speak out in Stoke
Creepy-crawlies for crawlers
Don’t let go
12 Primary schools
Holne Chase dads’ club
Fathers go wild
The difference a day makes
Dads Matter
Count men in
How to read a bedtime story...
16 Secondary schools
‘Dads and Lads, Mums and Sons’ reading club
Fathers, football and fun
18 Libraries
Dads in the library
Dads have pester power too
20 Prisons
Dads on disc
Reading dads at HMP Blantyre House
Exploring new territory
24 Football
Brentford ‘Til I Die
Make reading your goal
Kick into Reading
26 Features
Read with care
Make men the issue
Patrick Augustus: what reading means for me
Make talk, not war
30 Resources

4. 4
Does it really matter whether or not dads read
with their children? Research says that it does.
Christina Clark from the National Literacy Trust
sets out the evidence.
What’s
the
point ?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 flexitime 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 specific influences 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 benefit 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 benefits 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 influence 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. 5
involvement. In a separate study, this research also
highlighted that engagement by both the father and
the mother contributed significantly 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 benefits their
children. There are also numerous benefits that have been
reported for the fathers themselves, including greater
skill acquisition, greater confidence and self-esteem,
a better father-child relationship, and increased
engagement with learning.
Finally, a finding 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 significant outcomes to come
about, suggesting that an emphasis on increased father
involvement alone may not be sufficient for bringing
about change or beneficial 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 finding 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 defining 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 significantly on the degree of mother
Image: Alexandra Strick

6. 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 – give
dads the opportunity to do something with or for their
children. It can help to spell out what the benefits will
be for their children, such as boosting their brainpower.
Use the mums – many mums act as gatekeepers for
their child’s education, so involve them in encouraging
the dads to get on board. Separated mums may still
be happy for dads to be contacted, if you just ask.
Timing – as dads may be more likely to be at work
during the day, think about when they might be available
– early mornings, evenings or weekends perhaps.
Know your background – be persistent, creative,
patient and sensitive in the recruitment of fathers, as
it can be challenging and time-consuming.
They like to do something, not talk about it –
use activities as part of the sessions: quizzes, interactive
games, workshops, the internet, puzzles, and visits from
celebrity authors, poets, dramatists and storytellers
– anything that mixes reading with doing something.
Look at the whole organisation’s attitude – there
may be mistrust on both sides of the fence and any good
work you do can be undone in a moment if you do not
have everybody on board or at least aware of what you
are doing. Allow time for staff training and discussion of
the issues.
Plan for long-term commitment – don’t get hung up
on numbers: word of mouth will help if you are successful.
Speak to them directly – events labelled for ‘parents’
tend to attract mothers. Address letters to fathers, and try
other media too: text messages, emails or a website. Are
there other organisations that can help you reach dads
– libraries, schools, sports clubs, community groups or
even a local employer?
Consult them – ask fathers for their advice on factors
such as content, design, publicity, recruitment, themes,
timing and venue.
Use a dad-friendly hook – sport is a great place to
start, particularly (although not exclusively) football, and
even more so if there is a reward like a ground tour at the
end of it. Your local club may be able to help. ICT is also
very popular.
Not all dads are the same – their life histories,
experiences, situations and expectations will be varied
so try not to lump them all under the same label. Value
the reading that is part of different families’ cultures.
It’s not just books – consider what reading materials
fathers will enjoy, including subjects such as sports,
travel and sci-fi, as well as other non-fiction, magazines,
manuals, websites and newspapers. Find some that
feature dads in a positive light.
TOP TIPS
for engaging dads

7. Activities
Turn one of your events into a longer course, giving
dads a clear purpose and offering them the chance
to walk away with something.
Practical courses – organise a healthy food campaign
where dads prepare food and sell it to parents and staff
or learn to cook a special dinner with the help of sons for
Mothers’ Day.
Storytelling workshops – offer advice on how to
read with children at home.
Ambassador dads – nurture one or two enthusiastic
dads and build up their confidence so they can help
develop a larger group. Have a dad monitor: someone
alert to regional or national opportunities for reaching
out to male parents, such as Fathers’ Day or sporting
tournaments.
Radiowaves – involve dads through making radio
programmes that can be podcasted in and between
organisations. www.radiowaves.co.uk
Digital-Blues – lend out Digital-Blues cameras and get
children to make videos with their dads. Have an award
evening for the videos. www.digiblue.com
Building something – provide practical sessions, be it
a robot, a computer, a remote-controlled car or a go-kart.
These tips are adapted from those devised by a range
of professionals with expertise in engaging fathers in
reading. They first appeared in the Reading Champions
Toolkit. Visit www.readingchampions.org.uk
Events
Holding a one-off event to grab attention can work
well, but you need to have a retention strategy in
place or numbers will fall off dramatically. Use the
event to give dads the opportunity to spend some
time with their children, have some fun 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 – if you work in a school,
ask dads to come in and find out about what their
children are up to all day. See page 13.
Beer and books – organise a reading group in
the local pub for dads. See page 14.
Business breakfasts – provide a resident speaker
and networking opportunities.
Weekend clubs – organise clubs and trips so dads
can play a nurturing role that empowers them and
offers support beyond mum.
Football match evenings – have a quick session
of quizzes etc before settling down to watch a game.
See pages 24-25.
An auction of promises – ask dads to donate time
such as five hours of bedtime reading; offer them free
classes or taster sessions in return for jobs done.
A man who can – ask dads for help around your
organisation: BBQs at a book fair, or providing help with
a building or maintenance project.
Skill swap – offer dads the services of their children to
design business cards, posters, flyers on the computer
etc, in return for time in school.
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.

8. Early
years
Fathers can make a great contribution to their
children’s development from the earliest age by
talking, singing and reading with them. Children’s
centres and other early years settings have a vital
role to play in getting this message to both mums
and dads. In fact, reaching and engaging fathers
is part of the core aims of a children’s centre, and
the Sure Start Children’s Centres Practice Guidance
Toolkit
for Reaching Priority and Excluded Families
a partnership between parents and professionals – all
aims of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Ultimately,
involving the dads is a great way to help children
meet the outcomes aspired to by Every Child Matters:
be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a
positive contribution and attain economic well-being.

9. Early years
In Stoke-on-Trent, a city-wide project is helping parents, including
many fathers, to understand their important role in developing
their children’s early communication skills. Janet Cooper,
the project leader, and Jo Hobbins Diana Hemmings,
community play workers, offer an explanation for the popularity
of the project’s toddler groups among dads.
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

10. 10 Early years
“
Family literacy coordinator Claire Glenn
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

11. 11Early years
For dads who don’t see the point in reading with their very
young children, or don’t have the time, author Tom Palmer
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:
• Read from day one – make it a habit, even if it
seems your child is just a pair of eyes peering
at you
• Start with plastic bath books or cloth books
and just point to and talk about things like
faces or animals
• Read in a regular place that is secure, warm
and quiet without the distractions of lots of toys
– and maybe under a cosy blanket
• Read at a regular time – bedtime is ideal, but
over breakfast also works well in our house
• Use silly voices – ham it up
• Once she’s older, let her choose the books
• Find books about things he likes; or about
things coming up like a beach holiday or a
trip to the dentist
• Ask him questions about the cover, the story,
the pictures; what he thinks might happen next
• Be comfortable to laugh (or even cry) if the
book is funny (or sad)
• If you’re away, try taping or videoing yourself
reading a favourite book – apparently, in my
absence, my daughter talks back to my face
on the screen, telling me about her day and
then reading along with me
Don’t let go

12. 12
Primary schools
Schools 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 Sachar
The Amazing Story of Adolphus
Tips – Michael Morpurgo and
Michael Foreman
The Captain Underpants books –
Dav Pilkey
The Series of Unfortunate Events
books – Lemony Snicket
The Rainbow Magic books –
Daisy Meadows and Georgie Ripper
Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz
Wolf Brother – Michelle Paver
Groosham Grange – Anthony Horowitz
The Cat in the Hat – Dr. Seuss
Top dads’ books from
Holne Chase dads’ club
Sunset at Blandings – PG Wodehouse
His Dark Materials trilogy –
Philip Pullman
Deception Point – Dan Brown
Angels and Demons – Dan Brown
The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
Digital Fortress – Dan Brown
Anything by Dick Francis
The Sharpe books – Bernard Cornwell
Holne Chase
dads’ club
Glynis 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’s good for the children to see us reading.”
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.
“My son looks forward to coming now on Fridays.”

13. 1Primary
“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
Image: Alexandra Strick
The difference
a day makes
World 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. 14 Primary
The Dads Matter project at Coopers Lane Primary School
in Lewisham was born out of a concern in the school about
the lack of positive male role models in the lives of many
children, especially boys. Headteacher Steve Davies and
family learning coordinator Tonia Pancucci describe some
of the project’s current activities, integrating the motivational
framework designed by Reading Champions, an initiative
that uses the power of male reading role models to
encourage boys and men to become lifelong readers.
Dads
Matter
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
ImagecourtesyofAdrianPancucci,
JohnsonPancucciLimited

15. 15Primary
How to read a bedtime story…
Bedtime stories aren’t just for tiny tots: older children enjoy
them too. Rob Kemp, journalist, passes on some tips for dads.
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

16. 1
Secondary
schools
Parents’ involvement in their children’s education has a significant
effect throughout school – but it tends to decline as children get
older, and many secondary schools find it particularly difficult
to engage with fathers. Nevertheless, dads need to know that
they can make a difference to the achievement of their older
children. If schools can help them see what they can do at home
to work with the school, including basic things like talking to young
people about their day and their homework, they will be helping
fulfil the aims of Every Child Matters. Dads can also play a role in
raising children’s expectations about what they can achieve. As
schools seek to develop personalised learning and to capture
the interests of 14 to 19-year-olds, fathers can help young people
formulate their aspirations and begin to work out how to reach
them. Becoming an avid reader is key to fulfilling potential, and
dads can both demonstrate by example that they value the skill
of reading, and encourage their children to read widely: not just
books, but newspapers, magazines and the internet too. Finally, the
extended schools agenda provides new opportunities to engage
with parents, and practical activities can provide a way of making
contact with dads who might be wary of educational settings.

17. Team
prize fun
session at
Harcourt
sands
Families Learning in Island Partnerships
Have you ever thought?.......
For all
Dads, Grandads, Uncles, Male Carers, Friends and their
Middle School children
Saturday 19
th
June
At
Smallbrook 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
commentate
better than
that!
I could answer
those football
questions
1Secondary
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. 18
LibrariesLibraries provide a welcoming space for dads to share books
with their children, look at websites and find music and films, as
well as additional family activities. Libraries also run promotions
highlighting good books that are suitable for new or reluctant
adult readers, including those ideal for sharing with children.
‘Five Minutes’ books are especially for dads, and ‘First Choice
Books’ (www.firstchoicebooks.org.uk) and ‘Got kids? Get
reading!’ (see page 30) both have collections for parents.
Public libraries support families to develop children’s language
and reading skills through national initiatives such as Bookstart,
the book-gifting programme that works in conjunction with
health services. Framework for the Future
DOsfor Dads
Speak to dads coming into
the library with their children
Ask children, mums and other
carers to bring dad to the activity
Lots of dads are out with their
children on a Saturday, so it’s
the ideal day for an activity
Promote events as widely as
possible at other dads’ groups
and places dads visit
Avoid clashing with major
sporting events
Pictures taken to show dad-
focused activities happening
in the library are evidence that
dads attend and, in time, will
attract other dads
Image: Alexandra Strick

19. 19Libraries
Dads in the library
out 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. 20
Prisons
Many offenders have had a very poor experience of education,
but there are inspiring projects going on in prisons to help turn that
around. The informal approach of helping prisoners to help their
children is used to engage their interest in learning. Reading with
or for their children can both increase prisoners’ skills and deepen
family relationships – leading not only to a transformation in the
prisoner’s life, but also in the lives of their family. This approach
fi ts two of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS)’s
‘pathways’ to reducing re-offending: education, training and
employment; and children and families. NOMS is also concerned
with providing life skills for offenders, including parenting and
relationship skills, and with ensuring that the needs of their children
are met as Every Child Matters is implemented. Becoming a reader
has incalculable benefi ts for any child, and being ‘inside’ need
not be a complete barrier to a dad’s involvement in the process,
as these stories show.
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 disc
Storybook Dads is a registered charity based at HMP Dartmoor, which
maintains family ties between imprisoned parents and their children
through the production of story CDs. Project manager Sharon Berry
explains how the scheme works.
The value of Storybook Dads is illustrated by
Mark’s situation: a married man with a five-year-old
daughter and a second child on the way, Mark was finding
imprisonment very difficult. This was not helped by the
knowledge that his family was finding 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 first 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 first time since I’ve been in jail.”
For more information visit www.storybookdads.co.uk

21. 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
certificates. They also include photos
of the dads as reading role models
– flicking 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 sunflower
seed and were encouraged to have a
‘sunflower race’ – each recording their
flower’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.”
Family learning tutor Sam Hart describes some ingenious
ways in which dads in prison can be reading role models
and support their children’s education.

22. 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
territory
When 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 first 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-friendly
One 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 specifically
for under-fives). The aim was to
link families through reading and
help adults to improve their basic
skills. We organised five 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 first
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 confidence
Library sessions were also run as
part of the Family Man course being
delivered by the education department
at the same time. In the first session
we talked about books, reading and
libraries. Out of the 12 men taking

23. 2Prison
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 difficulties 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 floor, 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 benefits 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

24. Brentford ‘Til I DieBrentford ‘Til I DieBrentford ‘Til I DieBrentford ‘Til I Die
24
FootballFootball is a great way of encouraging many men and children
to get reading, as it has huge motivational power. Of course,
it’s not the only sport to have this effect: anything that dads
are really interested in can play a key role in engaging them.
Nevertheless, activities that combine football and reading,
reports of top players talking about their favourite books and
incentives such as match tickets or skills training can work
wonders. Many sports grounds now have study support centres
and are doing great things to improve the skills of children and
adults in their local communities, both on and off the pitch.
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 Griffin 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.
Griffin 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 first time during the
book work.
The Brentford ‘Til I Die approach
is being undertaken by other clubs,
which raises our profile 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 five 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

25. 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 first-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 fiction, 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
benefit 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 influence 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 find things that
interested me.
Being separated from my
children means it can be difficult 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

26. READ
WITH CARE
READ
WITH 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 find 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 first 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 film
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.

27. 2
John Bird, founder and editor-in-chief of The
Big Issue, argues that dads should not leave
their children’s reading to chance.
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 finally 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 Wakefield 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
officer 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 officer 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 flower 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. 28
Patrick Augustus:
what reading
means for me
Patrick 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?
Reading opens up a whole new world that takes
you out of yourself and helps you think outside
the box. And there’s no substitute for education.
What was your experience of reading as a child?
My mother used to read the Bible to me: most
of my favourite stories were about Jesus, and
also the story of Samson and Delilah.
Did you have any male reading role models as a child?
My brother was a role model – he used to read a lot of books
and I knew reading was important because I saw him doing it.
Martin Luther King and Angela Davis are people whose books
I can remember him with.
It reinforces to them how important reading is. If you take time
out of your busy life to read with them, it sends a positive mes-
sage. Hopefully then they’ll see the value in reading too, and
pass it on to their own children.
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?
I enjoy reading the Bible with my children too. Anything
that happens to you in life – someone in there has al-
ready been through it, so you know they felt the same.
Then the way that they dealt with it gives you wisdom.

29. 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

30. 30
Resources
Some 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 kflynn@cflearning.org.uk
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=263cms=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

31. 3Resources
Ideas for men’s reading matter
www.literacytrust.org.uk/vitallink/fcb.html
www.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

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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 contact@literacytrust.org.uk.
Literacy changes
lives
Literacy 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 find out more, or make a donation, visit our website at
www.literacytrust.org.uk, email contact@literacytrust.org.uk,
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Image: Alexandra Strick