HIPPY and what it means to children and parents

HIPPY USA video to show what HIPPY does for families

Children must master a number of skills prior to entering Kindergarten. Parents are perhaps the best teachers to develop these skills at an early age, certainly prior to school age. However, not every parent is equipped with the necessary skill set to prepare their child. Some parents have the best intentions, but may be missing the tools to prepare their child for school. HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) (http://www.hippyalabama.com/) is a program that aids parents in making their child ready for school. HIPPY has been serving parents and children ages three, four, and five since 1993 in the State of Alabama.

HIPPY helps parents prepare their children for school by teaching them knowledge of letters, shapes, colors, and motor skills. Each week, a parent educator visits the home and brings a packet of lessons, books, and enrichment materials. Parents do the teaching, and parent educators model important instructional behaviors to them. The HIPPY program consists of 30 weeks of lessons. (Alexander T. Vazsonyi, 2008)
 Proven Results
HIPPY is firmly based in research. First tried, tested, and shaped by researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel in the 1960s and 1970s, HIPPY has been implemented and studied in countries around the world, from New Zealand to Turkey to the United States. Results of these studies demonstrate that HIPPY benefits children, parents, and home visitors.

Effects on Children

1. The HIPPY pilot program and a follow up study of children at the end of second grade found overall positive effects of participation in HIPPY for school achievement compared to children who were randomly assigned to a control group or a group who received teacher instruction.

2. In Arkansas, where HIPPY is offered state wide, children who participated in HIPPY for at least one year outscored their peers on reading, math, and language arts achievement tests, had higher classroom grades, were less likely than their peers to have been suspended, and had better classroom behavior ratings from their teachers through the 6th grade.

3. This quasi-experimental study found that children who had the HIPPY program for two years were better adjusted according to their teachers and had higher grades in language and reading that lasted through both third and sixth grades than children in other preschool programs.

4. A New Orleans study demonstrated benefits of HIPPY through the 7th grade in attendance, academic performance, social skills, and low suspension rates.
5. After participating in HIPPY for a year, more children were performing at or above their age level on standardized vocabulary tests, which are related to success in school.

6. In New York HIPPY children scored higher than comparison and control group children on reading, standardized tests of cognitive skills, and adapting to the classroom. In Arkansas, more HIPPY children were promoted to first grade and adapted well to the classroom. It should be noted that in both states, these findings did not hold for a second group of children most likely because parents were not as involved in the program.

7. In Colorado HIPPY children had higher grades in reading, math, and social studies than their classmates.

8. In New Zealand, HIPPY children consistently performed better on a standardized reading test than children who did not participate in HIPPY, which probably reduced their need for remedial reading services later.

9. In Israel, a teacher surveyed about the value of HIPPY said: “You can tell at once who is in it (HIPPY) and who is not. There’s a huge gap between a child in the program and one who isn’t.”
10. Another teacher said: “There’s a three-and-a-half year old girl in the preschool. Once when I was just talking she was the only one to know the answer to a difficult question. I asked her, ‘How did you know that?’ She said that her mother teaches her in the HIPPY program.”

Effects on Parents

1. Parents report that they read to their children more, tell them stories, and teach them letters, words, and numbers more than parents report in the National House- hold Education Survey, the largest survey of parents in the United States.

2. In 4 different locations across Texas, the majority of HIPPY parents report reading and telling stories to their children up to four hours a week, having children’s books at home, and encouraging their children to read and write. Nine of every 10 parents said they became more aware of the importance of reading as a result of participating in HIPPY.

3. Parents report they spend more time reading to their children, more time talking with them about books, more time teaching them the alphabet, and that they have more knowledge about the way young children grow and learn.

4. Spanish-speaking parents said they changed the way they parent after participating in HIPPY and now have regular times and places so they can work on learning activities with their children at home, making HIPPY and especially important tool for the fast growing number of Spanish-speaking parents and their children.

5. Parents report being involved in their children’s education, working with their children at home on HIPPY materials, reading books together, and also connecting with their children’s schools.

6. Over 800 parents across Florida reported that HIPPY made them more aware of the importance of reading to their child and 8 of 10 say they read more to their child since joining HIPPY.
7. Nine of 10 parents with children who are now in school say thanks to HIPPY they check to see if their children finish their homework every day or every week.

8. HIPPY parents report that their experiences in the program have improved their communications with their children and helped them feel more confident as parents.

9. In Colorado Teachers rated HIPPY parents significantly higher for attending teacher- parent conferences and other school events when compared to other parents in their fifth grade classrooms.

10. In Israel teachers reported that HIPPY helps the parents. “They (HIPPY parents) show more interest in their children and what happens in the preschool, and even come sit with them in class and do some activities.” (Lisa Klein, 2010)