Elsevier

Academic Pediatrics

Volume 18, Issue 2, March 2018, Pages 179-187
Academic Pediatrics

Do Fathers' Home Reading Practices at Age 2 Predict Child Language and Literacy at Age 4?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2017.10.001Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Maternal shared reading practices predict emergent literacy, but fathers' contributions are less certain. We examined whether fathers' shared home reading activities at 2 years predict language and emergent literacy at age 4 years, when controlling for maternal contributions; and whether this differentially benefits these outcomes in disadvantaged children.

Methods

Two-parent families were recruited from 5 relatively disadvantaged communities for the universal Let's Read literacy promotion population-based trial (ISRCTN 04602902) in Melbourne, Australia. For exposure at 2 years, home reading practices were recorded via self-reported maternal and paternal StimQ-Toddler questionnaires and dichotomized at study median (high vs low). At 4 years, outcomes assessed included receptive and expressive language (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals 4) and emergent literacy (Sunderland Phonological Awareness Test–Revised). Linear regression, adjusted for mothers' home reading, was performed to assess 2-year-old vocabulary and communication skills and family disadvantage. Interaction of disadvantage (yes vs no) with high home reading by fathers and at least one parent was assessed.

Results

Data were available for 405 families (64.3%). High father reading at 2 years (reference: low) predicted better expressive (mean difference, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 8.0) and receptive (mean difference, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.8 to 8.2) language at 4 years (both P < .001), but not emergent literacy skills. Similar patterns were observed in families with at least one parent with high home reading. Fathers' reading did not differentially benefit outcomes in disadvantaged children.

Conclusions

Fathers' involvement in reading at 2 years predicted better language but not emergent literacy at 4 years, and it did not protect against adverse effects of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Section snippets

Study Design and Participants

Data were drawn from the Let's Read cluster randomized controlled trial (ISRCTN 04602902), the detailed design of which has been described previously.18, 19 Five local government areas participated, drawn from the most disadvantaged tertile of the 31 local government areas in Melbourne, Australia. Children were recruited through their maternal child health nurse during their 8-week-old well-child visit (attended by 96% of all babies born in the state of Victoria) between March 1 and August 31,

Sample Characteristics

Figure 1 presents the flow of study participants; Table 1 lists the sample characteristics. In total, 630 families were recruited from 65 participating nurse clusters. Compared to the summary demographics of the 5 selected government areas, our sample had slightly higher proportions of primary caregivers who had completed high school, were born in Australia, and mainly spoke English at home.

Of the original sample, both the mother and the father of 405 children (64.3%) reported their shared

Discussion

In these 2-parent families, fathers' home reading practices at 2 years predicted children's expressive and receptive language but not emergent literacy at 4 years, even after accounting for mothers' home reading practices and the child's vocabulary and communication skills at 2 years. Children living in families with socioeconomic disadvantage generally had less high parental reading in their homes, as well as poorer language and emergent literacy scores. However, fathers' home reading appeared

Conclusions

Children in 2-parent families have better language, but not emergent literacy skills, at age 4 if their fathers read more with them at age 2 years. Understanding how to capitalize on this finding would require further exploration and testing. Such studies should focus on how current service systems that predominantly engage with mothers can use father-inclusive practices to promote activities such as father–child reading interactions. If this proves possible, it will be important to determine

Acknowledgments

Funded in part by the Australian Research Council Linkage (grant LP0561522). Research at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is supported by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Program. The Australian Research Council supports Dr Quach (Discovery Early Career Researcher Award DE140100751), and the Australian National Health Medical Research Council supports Dr Wake (Senior Research Fellowship 1046518) and Dr Goldfeld (Career Development Fellowship 1037449). Professor

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    The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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