Florence Crittenton News — September, 2009In this issue: 
First Step Prep: Through the Eyes of ChildrenTo children, the world is a magical place, full of wonder and mystery. In order for parents to understand how their children learn, and how to be better parents, they need to understand this magical world and speak its language. This is one of the teaching strategies embodied by First Step Prep, a program of Florence Crittenton Services that educates parents about how their children develop and learn new things. The program takes the form of a series of workshops held over a two-month period. The workshops teach parents about their children’s developmental phases, including brain development, and emotional and communication development. The workshops cover issues like how to communicate effectively with your child, how to deal with challenging behavior, how to set boundaries and deal with frustration, and how to make the home safe for kids. Another key fact parents learn is that healthy brain development at an early age makes success in life more likely, and that’s more likely to happen when adults are actively engaged in their child’s learning. But the unique thing about First Step Prep is the experiential way the learning is achieved. The workshops include a series of group learning exercises designed to give parents a child’s perspective on things. “By understanding this perspective, parents gain a more intuitive feel for how to become effective teachers of their children,” says Atim Chenzira, Parent Advocate at FCS. In one exercise, parents are asked to observe the world by lying on their bellies, sitting on their knees, and eventually standing up, thus simulating the way children would see the world at different stages in their lives. Discussions arising from this exercise then follow. The workshops also give parents a chance to “play” with their kids – not as if they were allowing their children to play, but as if they were kids themselves rediscovering what it is like to be a child. In one exercise, parents and their kids play with building blocks. As a result parents see what a powerful tool building blocks can be for educating children about such things as balance, gravity, structure, cooperation and communication. In another exercise, parents and children use Play-Doh to engage in free play, helping the child cultivate curiosity, self-esteem, enthusiasm and creativity, as well as learning about texture, touch, emotions, and working with your hands. Group reading exercises teach parents how to read to a child actively, engaging the child’s imagination. Each parent takes a turn reading from a children’s book to a small group of children and other parents assuming the role of children. Parents are encouraged to points things out in the books, highlighting the visual elements on each page and asking the children about them. “What’s this?” a parent might ask the group, pointing to a drawing of a bunny. “What color is that?” she might add, pointing to a green ball. Children in the group will then call out the answers. So far this year, FCS has held two First Step Prep workshops at Parent University. In June and July, six low-income parents and 13 children from Bayview-Hunter Point participated in the workshop. In April, six Cantonese-speaking parents and their children participated. Future workshops are planned for the fall at FCS’ Hayes Valley child care center. Parents have expressed much satisfaction with the program. They especially value the fact that the workshop challenged their practices as parents. “Parents enrolled in the program to learn more about their children,” says Chenzira. “But they came away having learned a lot about themselves, too.” Bail Out Kids, not Corporations
Donate your clunker and support people who are truly in need.
Our vehicle donation program is made possible through a partnership with Donate For Charity. So call toll-free at (866) 392-4483 or visit www.donateforcharity.com and help create a stimulus package that works for all of us! Taking the Pulse: FCS Supporter Survey
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