Daddy Reads with Me (DREAM): Critical Lessons Learned from Piloting a Father-Centric Dialogic Reading Intervention

Background and Purpose: Fathers’ cognitive stimulation—such as book reading with their children—during early childhood is a key predictor of positive outcomes including academic performance, behavioral functioning, language skills, and socio-emotional development. Dialogic Reading (DR) is a well-established, evidence-based approach to shared book reading designed to enhance preschoolers’ early school readiness, particularly through improvements in language skills. Most DR interventions to date have excluded fathers despite their positive roles in their preschoolers’ early school readiness. Even more concerning, there is currently no DR intervention specifically designed for non-resident Black fathers from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. To address these critical knowledge and program gaps, we piloted Daddy REAds with Me (DREAM)—a father-centric DR intervention aimed at strengthening father-child relationships and promoting child development among Black families in Columbus, OH. The current qualitative study explored themes related to the acceptability, usability, and perceived impact of DREAM as reported by participating fathers.

Methods: Six non-resident Black fathers and their young children participated in the pilot of DREAM, which was an eight-week DR program. Eligibility criteria required that a father (a) be 18 years or older; (b) self-identify as Black; (c) have an income below the federal poverty level; (d) have a child aged 3–7 years; (e) live separately from the focal child; and (f) obtain permission from the primary caregiver (e.g., mother) for the child’s participation. Fathers participated in weekly in-person group sessions with the DREAM mentor to learn DR strategies and applied them by reading with their children at weekly virtual reading sessions. Fathers were trained in Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, Repeat (PEER) and Completion, Recall, Open-ended, Wh- questions, and Distancing (CROWD) to enhance the interactivity of their reading sessions. Qualitative data were collected through post-program in-depth interviews with fathers. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021).

Results: Thematic analysis revealed four themes. Theme 1 “Strengthening of Father Role Identity” depicted fathers experiencing a shift in how they view themselves, developing a stronger identity as active parents, and embracing their capacity to contribute positively to their children's development. Theme 2 “Adoption of Dialogic Reading Practices” illustrated how fathers applied new reading techniques learned from the DREAM program, highlighting the high acceptability and usability of DREAM. Theme 3 “Social Support and Peer Learning” emphasized the ways in which the DREAM program facilitated the creation of a supportive community among fathers, enhancing their engagement and providing emotional and informational support. Theme 4 “Positive Impact on Children and Fathers” illustrated fathers witnessing their children’s improved literacy and excitement for reading together and also feeling deeper emotional connections with their children through shared book reading.

Conclusion and Implications: DREAM was exceptionally well-received and shows substantial promise for enhancing father-child relationships and advancing children’s developmental outcomes. Its high acceptability and usability demonstrate that virtual, culturally tailored, father-centric interventions can be effective. Fathers reported increased patience, improved literacy, and deeper emotional bonds during shared reading, suggesting that DREAM could serve as a transformative model for engaging non-resident Black fathers.