|
 In the study, researchers focused on fathers and kids at Head Start
centers in New York City, where programs are designed to improve
school readiness for children under age 5 with education, healthcare
and social services.
Researchers randomly assigned 126 families to either participate in
a reading-based parenting program with eight weekly sessions or join
a control group of people on a waiting list for the program.
“We found that our program supported positive changes in fathers’
behavior, children’s language skills, and children’s behavior in
comparison to families who did not participate in the program,” said
lead study author Anil Chacko, a psychology researcher at New York
University.
Even though fathers play a significant role in the social, emotional
and behavioral development of children, much of the previous
research on parenting programs to improve kids’ behavior and
learning abilities has focused on mothers, Chacko added by email.
“Our study did not compare the effects of book exposure or
mother-child versus father-child reading interactions, but we did
use reading with fathers as a specific situation to have fathers
practice father-child interactions that support children’s positive
behavior and reduce risk for behavior problems while also fostering
children’s literacy skills,” Chacko said.
“We found that fathers engaged well in the program and saw benefits,
and the program was feasible to deliver in Head Start with staff in
the center being the ones who delivered the intervention,” Chacko
added.
For the study, fathers in the parenting program watched videos
showing dads reading with children but with exaggerated errors. The
fathers in the program discussed better approaches to these
interactions with kids in groups, and then they were encouraged to
practice these strategies when reading at home with their own kids.
Among other things, the program tried to improve parenting skills
such as establishing consistent routines, spending time with kids
doing things children choose. The program also encouraged dads to
use praise and rewards to promote good behavior and use distraction
or reduced attention to discourage negative behavior.
Compared to kids with dads who didn’t join the program, children
with fathers in the program had significantly bigger improvements in
behavior and language development during the study period,
researchers report in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent
Psychology.
[to top of second column] |
Fathers in the program also reported improved discipline approaches
and promotion of their children's psychological growth by the end of
the study.
When researchers observed how dads’ interactions with kids changed
after the program, they found fathers made fewer critical statements
to their children and used more positive parenting behaviors like
praise and affection.
Overall, researchers estimate that the program was associated with a
more than 30 percent improvement in parenting and school readiness
outcomes.
Beyond its small size, another limitation of the study is the lack
of follow-up data to see if the program had a lasting effect on
fathers or kids after the parenting help ended, the authors note.
The type of shared book reading used in the program may work well
with preschoolers but not with older kids, Chacko said.
Still, the study suggests that approaches previously tested to help
mothers improve parenting can also help fathers, said Dr. Caroline
Kistin, a pediatrics researcher at Boston University who wasn’t
involved in the study.
“Shared reading supports child cognitive development, but probably
more importantly, helps children develop the ability to pay
attention and cooperate,” Kistin said by email. “For these
social-emotional skills, the shared experience – sitting close
together, pointing out pictures, making connections between the book
and daily life - are critical.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2k1ncQi Journal of Clinical Child and
Adolescent Psychology, online January 19, 2017.
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
