18 Jan Dad’s Reading To Children Associated With Better Language Outcomes

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Jon Quach, PhD
Postdoctoral research fellow
Royal Childrens Hospital’s Centre for Community Child Health
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute 

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? 

Response: The reading practices of mothers and fathers was assessed in 405 families in Melbourne when children were 2, and child had their language and literacy skills assessed when they were 4 years old.

We found fathers reading practices were associated with better language outcomes 2 years later, even after accounting for mothers reading and key family demographics 

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? 

Response: Encouraging fathers to read to their children can help improve the language development of their child 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

 Response: Future research should examine how father’s currently read to their children to improve the quality of these experiences, as well as to understand the best ways to engage father’s to read to their children. 

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: The findings build on the existing research which shows the benefits of mother’s reading, to highlight the important contribution of father’s reading practices on child development.

 Citations:

Do fathers’ home reading practices at age 2 predict child language and literacy at age 4? Jon Quach1,2 , PhD, Anna Sarkadi1,3 , PhD, Natasha Napiza1,2 , BA, Melissa Wake1,2,4 , MD, Amy Loughman,1 PhD BSc(Hons) BA, Sharon Goldfeld1,2,5, PhD

file:///Users/mariebenz/Downloads/LR%20Fathers%20Revisions%20paper_2Oct2017_clean.pdf

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Last Updated on January 18, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD