New educational program serves parents, children at home

It’s a method to get preschoolers groomed and adjusted for their elementary school years.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, or HIPPY, allows qualified, professional instructors to tutor children three to five years old at home, free of charge.

Program Coordinator Debbie Ladd said the instructors make regular home visits to parent and child Monday through Friday.

“We go in the home and work one-on-one with the primary caregiver,” she said. “We bring along the books and the worksheets and we will make sure that the parents are teaching the child the proper things. We only do it by visiting the home and we do not go by income because everyone qualifies.”

Ladd said the home instruction lasts for about 45 minutes, while households with multiple children can also be accommodated.

“Each child will get their own handout and they will have their own folder that we use to keep track of their progress,” she said. “We also provide bilingual services. We have books printed in Spanish as well as the handouts if need be. One of our home visitors is bilingual. This is all provided free of charge.”

Additionally, Ladd noted how valuable the program can be for new parents who want their children to possess the learning skills needed to succeed throughout their elementary school years.

She said a child who has successfully gone through the HIPPY program will be much more prepared than a child who has not in most cases.

“This is a great program for both parents and students and it’s really needed,” she said. “It seems that kindergarten is not what it was decades ago and students nowadays are supposed to know how to read at a certain level by the time they reach kindergarten. This helps them get prepared for their school years.”

The program, which began in the 1990s, was eventually phased out more than a decade ago.

Ladd said the program recently received a grant, which enabled it to return this year.

Parents can learn more about the program by calling the HIPPY office at (775)537-0300, or by visiting the office located at 1210 E. Basin Avenue Suite #5.

“We are available Monday through Friday,” she said. “All parents need to do is call the office. If we are not there, just leave a message and we will get back to them. We will help parents fill out the application and they are always welcome to stop by the office.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes