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This program provides parents of preschool children with an overview of what is
important for young children to be able to do before they begin kindergarten. Then, it
teaches parents very specific games and activities they can use at home to help their
children develop the skills and attitudes that are needed to be successful in
kindergarten - and throughout all of their formal education!
The goals of this program and its one-day seminar are to help parents prepare their pre-
kindergarten children to:
- Be academically ready,
- Have good attitudes toward learning and towards school, and
- Have good personal and social traits.
Most of what is taught in this program is based on the highly acclaimed Kindergarten
Survival Handbook, by Dr. Allana Elovson.
The topic areas that are addressed in this program are:
- What schools will expect from your child (and from you and your family)
- How to enhance your effective parenting
- How to communicate positively and often with your children
- How to help your children learn to use their senses
- How to help your children develop speaking and listening skills
- How to help your children learn the alphabet, colors, and numbers
- How to help your children learn creative thinking, reasoning, and mathematical
skills
- How to help your children gain awareness of words and word sounds
- How to help your children learn how to use books and tell stories
- How to help your children build physical movement skills
The program was developed by Dr. Reg Clark and his associates with consultation from
CICC’s executive director, Dr. Kerby Alvy. It can be taught as a multiple-session class,
a one-day seminar, or segments of it can be used for one-hour and lunch-and-learn
parent meetings.
The program is taught through the use of a variety of teaching methods that include:
- Self-reflection exercises using parent and child behavior checklists and parent
self-assessment surveys,
- Individual and group exercises that include “hands-on” activities to do at home
with children,
- Skill-building exercise and role playing
Research on the use of the program, some of which is available in Dr. Alvy’s book on
Bringing Parenting Education Into the Early Childhood Care and Education System,
indicates that it gives all parents everyday and simple-to-do activities to help promote
their child’s readiness for kindergarten. Many parents are amazed at what they can
teach their young children by just knowing what to say as they set the table, show
children magazines, etc. This program gives parents a solid foundation for truly being
their child’s first teacher!
Bring School Success from the Start to Your Community
CICC can arrange to have a professional instructor come to your community and deliver
a one-day seminar, one-session meeting or a multiple-session parenting class in this
program. Click here to begin the process.
Obtain The Kindergarten Survival Handbook
This is the main handbook that parents receive when they take School Success from
the Start. It contains a wide range of activities to do with children and checklists to
show exactly what children need to know and be able to do to survive and thrive in
kindergarten. It is available in English and Spanish.
Click here to obtain this practical handbook.
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Parents On Board – Building Academic Success Through Parent Involvement!
The Parents On Board Program is for parents of 4 to 14 year old children, and it is
based on the assumption that they want their children to succeed in school – but they
aren’t sure how they can help.
The program reinforces their motivation for their children’s academic success by
sharing some important facts from the research on children’s academic achievement.
The research is very clear that children whose parents are involved in their education:
- Get better grades
- Do more homework
- Have better attendance
- Have a higher graduation rate
- Demonstrate a more positive attitude
The program then goes on to teach parents a set of skills and attitudes on how best to
be involved in their children’s education. The three teaching sessions cover:
Session One: Preparing Your Child to Succeed
- Learning Styles
- Learning Habits
- Social Skills
- Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
- Structuring the School Smart Home
- Start the Year Off Right
- Maintain a Good Relationship All Year
- Understanding Information from the School
- If you Suspect a Learning Difference
Session Two: Encouraging Positive Behavior
- Encouragement
- Discipline
- Beliefs Build Success
- How to “Teach” a Positive Belief
Session Three: Reinforcing Your Child’s Academic Skills
- Parent As Coach
- Coaching Your Child in Reading
- Coaching Your Child in Writing, Spelling, Math and Science
Video Vignettes will get great reactions from parents!
Parents On Board, written by Michael Popkin, Ph.D., Bettie B. Young, Ph.D., Ed.D., and
Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., uses an engaging video and group-discussion format to help
parents realize that everyone faces similar problems when it comes to encouraging
their children’s academic success – and everyone can find solutions, too.
It’s easy to lead a group using the video and group discussion format!
The Leader’s Guide, included in the Program Kit, gives step-by-step instructions on
when to show the video portions and how to lead the discussions. Parents follow along
with the Parent’s Handbook.
Special “parent preview” makes it easy to sign parents up!
The Program Kit includes directions on how best to use a special 30-minute
promotional presentation. Designed as a mini-seminar, “Helping Your Child Succeed in
School: An Introduction to Parent Involvement” includes video snippets and is an
excellent way to publicize the program to groups of parents (such as PTA meetings).
Obtain Instructional Materials
You can bring this program to your area by obtaining the Program Kit of training
materials.
Click here to obtain the Program Kit.
Obtain The Parents On Board! Parent Handbook
This is the handbook that parents receive when they take Parents On Board. It contains
all of the information, skills and strategies of this program.
It is available in English and Spanish.
Click here to obtain this practical handbook.
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