Empowering Fathers of Disadvantaged Preschoolers to Take a More Active Role in Preparing Their Children for Literacy Success at School.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a project designed to empower fathers to take a more active role in their child’s academic literacy development. The fathers were parents of children enrolled in Early Head Start or Head Start programs. Data sources included transcribed interviews with fathers, the facilitator’s journal, and field notes compiled by the researchers. Findings in three areas emerged from the data: the fathers became increasingly committed to the literacy development of their children; participants learned about and regularly engaged in a variety of emergent literacy activities with their children; and participants developed confidence in their roles as agents for change in their children’s lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]