Now, social scientists are studying kids’ environment and their caregivers to see what difference the adults have on kids’ early academic skills. The findings suggested that kids received the most stimulation from their childcare providers, followed by mom and then dad. Cabrera said dads’ activities with two-year-olds were associated with higher scores for kids’ reading and math at age four and five. Researchers say the findings support the idea that kids benefit when multiple caregivers provide cognitive stimulation. “You know, maybe you’re reading the newspaper out loud, maybe you’re reading the comics, maybe you’re singing,” continued Cabrera.