Teaching parents to teach children to be ready for school!
HIPPY is a pre-school, home based education programme
that empowers
parents to be their 3, 4 or 5 year old child's first educator and
to prepare them
for success when they enter Kindergarten.
Families apply to HIPPY and are selected on the basis of
need and income. They make a two year commitment to the
programme.
HIPPY Home Visitors work with the parents in their homes.
The week's work is reviewed using role play
and the native language of the family.
Parents work with their child for 15 minutes each day
at home, using engaging activity packets and supplies provided
by HIPPY. The children learn pre-math, pre-reading and
pre-writing skills and develop the social skills that will
improve their success level in school.
"Learn everything you can,
anytime you can,
from anyone you can –
there will always come a time
when you will be grateful
you did."
~Sarah Caldwell
Group meetings for parents are held every second week. Parents
are presented with enrichment activities and have the
opportunity to build relationships, share information and extend
their knowledge of their community.
Home Visitors attend weekly training sessions to assist them in
their preparations for their visits. Home Visitors receive over
100 hours instruction in the course of a year.
"HIPPY serves 3 constituents – the mothers who develop
their own literacy skills while they develop their relationship
with their children; the children who are able to enter school
ready to learn; the Home Visitors for whom this is often their
first entry level job
in Canada." ~Vital Signs Oakville.
