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A free, home-based learning programme designed to give Kaipara children the best possible start is welcoming new enrolments.
HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters) supports parents and caregivers to prepare their children, aged two to six years, for success in education, while building confidence and strong learning habits at home.
Kaipara HIPPY coordinator Kim McDonald, from Great Potentials Foundation, says the programme is built on a simple but powerful belief – that parents and caregivers are their children’s first and most important teachers.
“HIPPY is unique because it supports parents to develop the skills and confidence to teach their own children,” she says. “The learning happens in everyday moments, using short, fun activities that fit easily into family life.”
Families receive weekly workbooks with activities to complete at home for 10 to 15 minutes a day, five days a week. The programme is linked to Te Whāriki and the New Zealand curriculum, helping children develop both cognitive skills such as literacy and numeracy, and non-cognitive skills such as confidence and self-esteem.
Kim says children who take part are more likely to develop a lifelong love of learning and retain their reading and numeracy skills as they progress through school.
“Parents also benefit, gaining a greater understanding of child development, stronger relationships with their children, and increased self-confidence,” she says.
A key part of HIPPY is its regular whānau hui, where families come together to connect, learn new skills and provide a safe, social space for tamariki to play.
HIPPY has been working alongside local organisations including Plunket, Te Ha Oranga and the Te Whai Community Centre to support families in the Mangawhai community.
For more information and enrolment details, contact Kim on 027 258 4384 or email kim.mcdonald@greatpotentials.org.nz.
