The Effects of Reading on a Father- child dyad for the Formation of an Attachment Bond and the Improvement of Literacy Skills

Abstract

Much research has shown that reading aloud to children has important relevance to the children's cognitive and academic achievement (Harris and Salt, 1999). The caregiving responsibility typically falls to the mother and the important role of the father is often neglected or non-existent. The attachment formed between each parent and the child is crucial to the well-being of the child. As attachment and reading are both a necessity in a child's life, the study proposes to use reading as a way to form or strengthen attachments between a father - child dyad. The father- child dyads have had little or no relationship before the study. They are expected to attend bi - weekly reading sessions at a father involvement center and receive bags of books to read at home weekly for a period of 7 months. The attachment bond between the father - child dyads was assessed by questionnaires, the Separation Anxiety test, and by observing their interactions. A standardized reading test assessed the child's literacy skills. It is predicted that by these reading sessions the attachment bond will form or strengthen and literacy skills will Improve.