The dad effect

The Paternal Involvement and its Effects on Children's Education (PIECE) study in 2023 explored how dads and male caregivers’ involvement in childcare and early education activities, including reading, playing and arts and crafts, affects children’s cognitive development and educational attainment. The study found that dads and male caregivers’ involvement has a unique and important association with children’s educational outcomes, which is different from the effect associated with the involvement of mums and female caregivers.

It found the following:

• Greater involvement by dads and male caregivers in activities such as reading and playing during the early years gives children an educational advantage in their first year of primary school.
• Dads and male caregivers’ involvement is associated with increased educational attainment, while mums and female caregivers’ involvement is associated with aspects of cognitive behaviour, including reduced hyperactivity and enhanced peer socialisation, emotional development, conduct and pro-social behaviour.
  
• Dads and male caregivers’ involvement at age three is associated with increased educational attainment at age five, while involvement at age five is associated with increased attainment in Key Stage assessments at age seven.
  

PIECE therefore recommends supporting dads and male caregivers to participate equally in their children’s early education and learning because of the complementary benefits each parent can bring. Early years settings have an important role in enabling this dual involvement.

The 2021 Parent Voice Report from Parentkind found that 85% of all parents wanted to play an active role in their child’s education. However, barriers included lack of time, uncertainty about what skills or knowledge they could offer, not being asked directly and finding involvement intimidating. This particularly applied to dads and male caregivers.

The 2026 survey carried out by Parentkind found that parents felt less involved in their child’s education than in 2023. Settings can address this by reviewing who receives their communications, how those communications are directed, and consider whether dads and male caregivers feel ‘seen’ and included in activities and events.

The PIECE Study identified an additional barrier for some dads and male caregivers: early years settings and schools may communicate predominantly with only one parent or household. Traditional assumptions about gender roles still often result in mothers being treated as the default or sole point of contact. This can create barriers where children live or spend time across more than one household, or where the family structure does not fit this traditional matricentric picture. It is important to understand each family structure to ensure real inclusion and involvement.

Settings can help dads and male caregivers recognise that everyday interactions are valuable learning opportunities. Educators can model simple activities such as sharing books, talking during daily routines, singing, counting, noticing numbers and shapes around them, and following the child’s interests.

The Education Endowment Foundation identifies practical strategies for learning at home and modelling positive learning interactions as useful approaches to parental engagement. This means engagement does not need to depend on dads and male caregivers having specialist knowledge. Settings can build confidence by showing how ordinary, enjoyable interactions can support learning, directing this information at dads and male caregivers specifically, as well as to parents and carers generally.

The FRED (Fathers Reading Every Day) programme is all about learning to love reading. The initiative, which is included on the government’s current parenting evidence-based initiatives (EBI) list and has been adapted for the UK by the Fatherhood Institute, provides practical ways to kick-start dads and male caregivers’ engagement with both their child’s learning and development and with their early years setting.

Evidence cited for the programme shows that 42% of FRED children demonstrated greater-than-expected progress in reading, compared with 11% of children who did not participate, and 22% demonstrated greater-than-expected progress in numeracy, compared with 9% of non-participants. 

FRED also improved father-child relationships, increased fathers’ active involvement in both their child’s learning and early years setting, improved their confidence and competence as parents and their understanding of child development.

For further information, visit: bit.ly/U5-fred.

In partnership with the Fatherhood Institute, the Alliance has developed a new three-module e-learning course Engaging with Dads and Male Caregivers. This training helps educators to look closely at their own practice, challenge assumptions and build approaches that genuinely include dads and male caregivers as active partners in their child’s learning. By doing so, educators can strengthen the reflective practice needed to create truly inclusive settings and support a positive home learning environment.

If you are interested in finding out more about this or registering for this e-learning course please email connect@eyalliance.org.uk.