Latino Parent Intervention Program (LPIP).

The LPIP Program trains parents in teaching and learning skills and methodology, and promotes early reading and literacy. In addition, it consists of a series of workshop sessions addressing such topics as identifying the phases of normal early childhood development and helping parents assess possible “special needs” in their children. Other topics include helping children improve their study habits, communication skills at home, parents’ rights in the schools, group dynamics, improving self esteem, educational self-improvement and leadership skills. The program also offers as very special workshop to assist parents in the review of mathematics with their children. The workshop “Tools for helping your children with Math” is a unique tool which prepares parents for this task with children of all ages. The training is offered by a bilingual (Spanish/English) workshop facilitator who is also a Parents Advisor.

The Need for the Latino Parent Intervention Program (LPIP).

Effective parental involvement at home has been shown to be fundamental in increasing student motivation and achievement, and hence, school retention.  Parental involvement in schools has also proven to be crucial to increased effectiveness of schools.  Moreover, it is well recognized in the more recent education reform movement that parental involvement and community support in setting new higher standards, developing appropriate curriculum and assessments, ensuring equity and quality support services for all students, and in securing  the resources schools require to provide a quality education, are critical to renewal and student success. Yet, while many Latino parents want to help their children succeed in school, they do not know how to do this.  The LPIP provides the necessary tools, support and guidance to significantly increase the number of parents who are effectively involved, at an early stage, in the education of their children at home and in school.

Needless to say, at no time is more important for Latino parents to be cognizant of their children educational opportunities than taking advantage of the universal early childhood education services being offered in New Jersey urban districts. The parental skills learned while at the LPIP, will last a lifetime and will have a permanent and important impact on the lives of the parents and their children.

Program Components and Activities

In addition, this program also assist the district in identifying parents who have not taken advantage of the offerings of pre-school education and have not registered or enrolled their 3 and 4 years old children at any of the schools or community providers’ sites. In spite of many efforts directed at this challenge, many poor parents, and especially recent Latino immigrants, are reluctant to navigate the challenging paperwork necessary for enrollment. As a supportive mechanism for the districts, Parents Advisors will counsel and assist these parents in enrolling their unregistered children.

Latino parents are recruited using a myriad of techniques which include, are not limited to, the following:

• Working with school principals in identifying parents who are not involved in working with the school on behalf of their children.
• Distributing flyers in Spanish and English and canvassing the areas, and visiting door-to-door in areas of large concentration of Latino families.
• Organizing special recruitment events in the neighborhoods. These events will be designed to attract parents and their children (with music, folkloric presentations and clowns) and will be hosted in locations (such as the schools, churches and social clubs) where people gather for other purposes.
• Conducting recruiting campaigns at neighborhood churches on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Promoting the program via articles in local Spanish language newspapers and local church bulletins and newsletters.

The curriculum used for the workshops is based on nationally accredited models. These include such publications as “Manejo de la Infancia” and “Los Años de Preparación” used in some countries in Latin America for training parents of preschool children and “Manejo de la Adolescencia” for older children.  The program follows up on workshop participants to ascertain their degree of involvement, to encourage them to become more involved and to provide further assistance the parents may need.

The program also offers as very special workshop to assist parents in the review of mathematics with their children. The workshop “Tools for helping your children with Math” is a unique tool which prepares parents for this task with children of all ages.

With the increased awareness of educational issues and support offered through the LPIP Program, Latino parents will have a base from which to increase their participation in school activities, advocate for their children when needed, better communicate with school personnel, and develop a mindset of educational achievement and success for the whole family.