HIPPY exposes potential in kids and parents

Thanks to a national parenting programme, low-income families have found success in their children’s and their own education.

The programme HIPPY – Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters – helps low-income parents to prepare their four and five-year-old children for school.

“HIPPY socially develops the relationship between parent and child and opens the notion to parents that they are teachers as well,” says Roberta Morunga, Mangere HIPPY coordinator.

The programme was designed specifically for parents who may not feel comfortable in their own abilities to teach their children. It particularly proved to be a great success for mothers in Mangere, South Auckland.

One young mum, who had no working experience prior to the programme, became a HIPPY tutor and is currently studying to become a fully trained teacher. “The programme was the stepping stone for that,” says Roberta.

Another mother of six, who did not know how to support her children in their learning, is now a teacher aid at her child’s school. She is convinced that HIPPY has been the catalyst for change.

Developed by the ‘Great Potentials Foundation’, which was established by Dame Lesley Max in 1990, HIPPY is a 40 week long programme that operates in 27 low-income communities around the country.

Parents and children work together for fifteen minutes a day with storybooks, puzzles and learning games, which help children to become successful learners at school.