DadTalk Blog

The DadTalk blog features insights from dads and Responsible Fatherhood practitioners from around the country. Its goal is to start conversations about important issues surrounding fatherhood and programs for fathers today.

Sep 28, 2016

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Resources for Programs

National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated September 15 to October 15, recognizes the important contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States, as well as celebrates their history and culture. September 15 was chosen as the…

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Featured Authors

Patricia Littlejohn

President

South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families

Kenneth Braswell

Executive Director; Project Director

Fathers Incorporated; National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

Rick Johnson

Founder and Director

Better Dads

Results 1 - 10 of 12

Mar 22, 2019

Cultivating Your Child’s Passion for Reading

As technological innovations grow and expand into so many facets of our lives, it often seems that students are reading books less and less. Parents can easily hand their child a tablet with a game or some other app to keep them occupied, whether at the store, waiting for a doctor appointment, or at home. Although it can be beneficial for so many reasons, technology is only one aspect of learning - reading books is another, and something for which newer generations of students may find themselves struggling to find a passion.

Across studies and reports, rates of reading and numbers…

Aug 24, 2016

Department of Education - 9 Back to School Pro Tips for Parents

Ed note: This post appeared in the ACF Family Room Blog and was originally posted by the Department of Education. View the post here.

Back to school time can be a hectic time for both you and the kiddos. These are some of our best back to school tips to help ensure this school year gets off to a great start!

#1: Visit the school

Walk or ride the route your child will take and make note of school patrols…

Aug 11, 2016

Helping Low-Income Adults Achieve College Success: Analysis of Career Pathways Program Study Participants

Ed note: This post originally appeared in the ACF Family Room Blog. View the post here.

Having a college degree is a key factor in long-term economic stability. Research consistently shows that individuals with a college degree have higher earnings than those without. Yet many low-income people neither enroll nor complete their education. How can we help them achieve college success?

The Pathways to Advancing Careers and…

Aug 1, 2016

Keeping Kids Learning Throughout the Summer

During the summer months, it is easy to put learning on the back burner. Summer activities, vacations, and other priorities often get in the way, and kids can lose some of the math and reading skills they spent the previous school year building. Children risk significant ‘learning loss’ between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Even though all children have some learning loss during the summer, research shows that low-income youth lose up to three months in reading achievement. Additionally, many children also lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in math…

Mar 16, 2016

The certainty of homework: Four tips to make homework work

Benjamin Franklin famously stated that the only two certainties in life are “death and taxes.”

Let us add “homework” to Franklin’s list.

Nearly everybody – child or adult, man or woman – has dealt with the challenges and responsibilities of homework during their lives. Schoolwork does not stop at the final bell, and the work completed at home often reinforces skills and drives achievement. Research shows that time spent on homework, especially in grades 7-12, can have a tremendous impact on student outcomes. Parents should work to make sure their children have the time,…

Oct 29, 2015

Lights on Afterschool

Ed. Note: This is a repost from the ACF Family Room Blog on October 22, 2015. View the original post.

At the Office of Child Care, we know the need for care doesn’t end when children enter their elementary school years. And as the mother of two school-age children, I know first-hand how important it is to know my children have a safe and enriching place to go at 3 o’clock each day. The need for high quality afterschool care is no…

Oct 12, 2015

A New School Year, A New Opportunity to Reach More Fathers

When you look around in August and September, you begin to see autumn in the air. You feel the weather beginning to change, you see the leaves turning colors, and you see back-to-school sales advertised. As a new season takes shape, there is a sense of a new beginning as families get back into the routine that comes with kids returning to school. As the son of a teacher and coach, a former teacher, a recovering principal, and the father of two sons, I love the beginning of a new school year. The halls of the school are shiny and clean, the whiteboards (remember blackboards?) are clean,…

Sep 14, 2015

Five tips to help fathers enjoy reading with their children

Fathers can play an important role in promoting early learning and literacy. Unfortunately, as some colleagues and I discussed in a recent NRFC webinar, not all dads realize this or know how to go about it. Fatherhood programs can help fathers understand the benefits of early literacy skills for their children, demonstrate ways to make reading fun, and show how engaging in literacy-related activities together can cement bonds between fathers and their children.

Here…

Aug 24, 2015

College Bound - 8 Things Dads Need to Know Before Their Kids Start College

Fatherhood can be challenging at every phase of a child’s development, especially when that child heads off to college. The challenges that come with guiding the development of a college-bound child require a combination of patience, commitment and preparation.

Here are eight tips that should be on every dad’s radar as their child prepares to continue their education after high school:

1. How to Pick a School that’s the Right Fit When it comes to choosing the right school, the more information you have the better. To help you and your child weigh college options, costs and…

Aug 17, 2015

8 Apps To Build Kid’s Literacy Skills

When tackling the big task of raising smart kids, dads have to use every resource possible; including their tablets and smartphones. In the July NRFC Webinar, Strengthening Literacy and Father-Child Relationships through Reading, our presenters shared a number of ways that dads can encourage and support literacy, including how the ways in which we read and get information has changed over the years. One modern way to build literacy skills can be through interactive apps. As…

Featured Authors

Patricia Littlejohn

President

South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families

Kenneth Braswell

Executive Director; Project Director

Fathers Incorporated; National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

Rick Johnson

Founder and Director

Better Dads

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