In others texts, celebrity literacy father figures give way to the domestic literacy work of the “ordinary” father:

Sam didn't become so well-read all by himself. His love of books — substantial, challenging books — is a direct result of the hours his parents (his dad especially) have spent reading to him. To Sam, this is a completely different activity from reading himself," noted his father, Jim. "Being read to is one of the highlights of his day, and if I have to be away during his bedtime, we both make sure we find another time to read”. (Bennet, 1998)

It may well be that fathers play a much larger role in domestic literacy work than is acknowledged in advice or in family literacy research and interventions. The theme of fathers’ role in domestic literacy work was evolving in literacy advice to parents at the time this research was concluded.

Mothering the early brain: Literacy as nurturing baby care

“It’s not what happens in the White House that is important. It is what happens in your house”
(Sears & Sears, 2000, p. 31).

A fourth, emerging theme in literacy advice to mothers in the 2000s is the application of the re-discovered trends of attachment parenting and “early brain research” to literacy advice. As discussed in the introduction, human capital theory framed a new interest in the early years as a crucial time for brain development. Attachment, stimulation, and intensive care for children in the early years were signaled as crucial to the appropriate “wiring” of children’s brains. The interest in early brain development also included a shift in focus from parenting styles and conditions for children’s literacy development in low-income homes, to the practices of middle-class parents as well. The policy implication of this shift was considered by David Dodge, the President of the Bank of Canada, who considered early childhood development a crucial capital investment:

While research has demonstrated that parental input during the first 24 months of life is crucial to the “wiring of the brain”, what is much less clear is what kind of support for parents is most effective in fostering child development during that critical period. Some minimum level of income support is important (and is now being delivered through the National Child Benefit). However, it must be remembered that in Canada about half of “children at risk” come from households in the top three income quintiles. The real challenge is not delivering bigger cheques to poor families, it is how to reach all parents in their communities. (Dodge, 2003, p. 5)