HIPPY In the News

The HIPPY USA Newsletter, HIPPY Times, is distributed three times a year and is produced for HIPPY coordinators and local HIPPY program staff. Please review current and previous issues of HIPPY Times for interesting information and updates. Or, review the Parents Page (available in English and Spanish) for ideas on positive parent-child interaction.

HIPPY USA National Conference
Please note that this is an in-service training event for HIPPY coordinators and local HIPPY program staff. If you are not currently part of a HIPPY program, but are interested in attending or presenting a workshop, please contact HIPPY USA at 501-537-7726. Find out more information about the HIPPY USA National Conference.

HIPPY Home Visitation Impacts Families

HIPPY lessons are a family affair!

Shonyell Johnson, Coordinator with the R'Club Child Care, Inc. HIPPY Program in St. Petersburg, Florida (formerly the Pinellas County HIPPY Program), sent in the information below about the Wells family (pictured above) and their activities with the HIPPY lessons.

The following is a parent testimonial sent to HIPPY Home Visitor Tonja Waldon from Marie Wells, who shared it with HIPPY USA.

"Dear HIPPY Staff, Fiona enjoys her HIPPY experiences. I can see her fast emergence into learning skills and curriculum. I can see the tremendous difference of having had a structured, systematic way of teaching preschool because I have HIPPY with Fiona and did a non-structured way with my other kids. Fiona had so much fun with 'Jump Frog Jump.' So, as an extension activity, I made a frog drawing on a piece of paper. She was so amused, I decided to play with it like a puppet show and to make the other animals from the story. We ended up having a beautiful creation and a great time with my daughter!"

Program coordinator Shonyell Johnson adds, "The entire family is very active with all HIPPY activities. This family takes notes during the role play and Marie and Anthony's eagerness to learn more trickles down to Fiona. She is enthusiastic about learning more too!" The R'Club Child Care, Inc. HIPPY Program, which serves 200 children and 171 families, successfully promotes parent engagement in a variety of group activities and programs.

To hear more about their successes or to talk with Shonyell about the St. Petersburg program, give her a call at 727-570-8841 or email her at sjohnson@rclub.net.

Curriculum Updates in Progress

By Karen Greening, HIPPY USA Curriculum Specialist

A new year brings a new beginning to the HIPPY curriculum. I would like to tell you about some of the planned changes and where we are in revising the Age 4 Curriculum.

Input from a curriculum committee, composed of HIPPY trainers, directors, and coordinators has made suggestions for some of the changes. We are working with Dr. Susan Perry with the Little Rock School District for a large part of the suggestions for change. Dr. Perry has critiqued the Age 4 Curriculum to align it with current research and trends in public school education, since many sites are now required to show how HIPPY is aligned to state standards. Dr. Perry has a strong background in early childhood education. She has also worked with adults, completed research, and worked with children with special needs and learning problems.

The major curriculum changes will be less use of worksheets and more use of manipulatives. Example: Instead of a worksheet on circling big/small socks, parents will gather big/small items from around the house to compare size.

The alphabet book will be an environmental print book. Children will trace the letters with their fingers, talk about the sound, and find real objects or pictures to glue onto their alphabet pages.

The skill boxes for parents and extension activities will be placed into the curriculum on the day the activity is introduced at the top of the activity page.

Other changes include illustrations being updated. Instead of drawings, clip art is being inserted into the pages. Traditional nursery rhymes will be added into the activity packets.

The rough draft of the first book, "Sounds I Hear" was sent out to the curriculum committee for critiquing and returned for revisions. After making the revisions, I will send it out to the committee for final proofing, then identify printing costs and a timeline for piloting and implementation.

If anyone has suggestions or comments, I would love to hear from you. Now is the time to voice your thoughts and opinions. I appreciate visiting with each of you.

HIPPY Alumni are Young Leaders

Alumni Spotlight: David Tenner

David Tenner

with HIPPY, David's mother - Brenda - went on to complete her education and obtain a Masters Degree. Her story of educational empowerment will be featured in a future newsletter.

Featured below is a HIPPY Alumni who has had successful educational experiences.

David Tenner, seen right, graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) in 2006 with a Bachelors Degree in biology.

As a result of her involvement

Interviewed by HIPPYTimes, David shared the comments below:

What is your fondest HIPPY memory?
One of my fondest memories was attending Horace Mann, the same school as my big brother. And, HIPPY the Hippo - he was a great motivational tool!

How did the program impact your family?
This program gave my family power by giving me knowledge in reading - and I know that knowledge is power.

Did you look forward to the Home Visits and Group Meetings?
I enjoyed the group meetings the most. The interaction was great, and it seemed as if my mom was always having a good time. The kid activities were great too.

Is there any other information you would like to share about you or your families' HIPPY, high school, or college experiences?
I now realize the impact of having learned recognition and context clues skills from HIPPY. These helped me to further expand my early education skills and resulted in really successful outcomes while in elementary and middle school.

Avima's Legacy

Autumn Brown

What better tribute to Avima's legacy than the achievements of the children in which her work had a direct impact - with visible results! Avima Lombard has left an imprint on early childhood education that will constantly inspire us as we continue her work to ensure that every child succeeds.

In May of 2008, Isierene Brown contacted HIPPY USA to share an update on a former HIPPY student. Her daughter, Autumn, had been named Salutatorian of the Dumas High School graduating class in Dumas, AR and been awarded a prestigious scholarship to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In addition, Autumn received numerous other distinctions and honors during her high school career. Ms. Brown credits her Home Visitor and the support from the local HIPPY program staff with their family's educational success.

Interviewed by HIPPYTimes, Autumn shared the comments below:

Autumn Brown

What is your fondest HIPPY memory?
HIPPY was an important part of my childhood. I'll have to say that my fondest HIPPY moment was the HIPPY graduation because we dressed in our little paper gowns and hats. It made us feel important because the entire event was about us. Since I did not go to preschool right off the bat, HIPPY was my only means of meeting other children.

How did the program impact your family? Did you look forward to the Home Visits and Group Meetings?
My HIPPY guide was actually my aunt. It gave us an opportunity to grow closer while giving us something to do besides watch T.V. Since my mom had to work, I was alone with my aunt, so we began the HIPPY program to enhance my learning abilities. The HIPPY Home Visits were usually fun because I got to show off what I had learned.

Did you make any friends during your time with the HIPPY Program that you remain friends with today?
In high school, many of my friends were also part of the HIPPY Program. My parents videotaped my HIPPY Graduation and, I didn't realize it until I recently watched the tape, but many of my high school friends were HIPPY kids.

Is there any other information you would like to share about your HIPPY, high school or college experiences?
I would highly recommend HIPPY to anyone whose children are having a hard time coming out of their shell. HIPPY helped me learn how to interact with people outside of my comfort zone. I can say it had an impact on my success now.

If my family did not instill in me the importance of a quality education, I would not have acquired a thirst for learning. Learning is fun and it is something that you can never have too much of - because you really learn something new everyday. I am very thankful to my aunt and my mom for wanting me to learn and helping me as much as they could. I give them - and HIPPY - full credit for my 4.1 GPA in high school and for graduating salutatorian of my class.

HIPPY Alumni success stories will continue in the next issue. The story of Erica McMahon, former Heber Springs, AR HIPPY participant and Salutatorian of Pangburn High School, will be highlighted.

Erika McMahan Continues Education Legacy

Erika McMahan

Interviewed by HIPPYTimes, Erika shared the comments below:

What is your fondest HIPPY memory?
Graduating from the program was one of my fondest memories. I was sad to move on, but I had a sense of accomplishment at the young age of five.

How did the program impact your family?
The program was the building block of education in my family. Education was never a priority in my family until we met Ms. Julan. She is the one that taught both me and my mother the importance of reading and education.

Did you look forward to the Home Visits and Group Meetings?
Very much so! My mom worked two jobs to raise my brother and me so her time was limited. The home visits were the highlights of my week. I remember telling my little brother not to talk to me during the home visits because it was my time.

What made HIPPY so important in your life?
I truly feel that the HIPPY program was the fundamental building block of my educational experience. The program along with my very dedicated mother set me up for success at a very early age. I graduated both high school and college with academic honors and am now working as a founding teacher at KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy in Helena, Arkansas.

Erica received her Early Childhood Education degree from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, AR last spring. She currently teaches at the KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy in Helena-West Helena, AR while pursuing a Masters Degree in Reading.

HIPPY Alumni success stories will continue in the next issue. The story of David Tenner, former Central AR HIPPY participant and current University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student, will be highlighted.