Early childhood intervention is as easy as reading to your children

5 February 2004

Children from low-income and culturally diverse families often experience disadvantage early in their schooling resulting in low literacy that can lead to limited opportunities later in life.

We know that unemployment is one of the major causes of poverty in Australia, and research shows that people who carry lower levels of literacy and numeracy into adulthood are more likely to be unemployed than people with higher levels (ABS, 2002).

At the Brotherhood of St Laurence we believe a program like HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) is vital in breaking the cycle of disadvantage.

What is HIPPY?

HIPPY is a two-year literacy education program for pre-school aged children. It is designed to provide parents with the support, information, and tools they need in order to take on their critical ‘first teacher’ role and instil a ‘love of learning’ in their children.

Barbara Tinney, HIPPY program coordinator at Fitzroy, says the results for the first group of children to complete the program in 1998 are confirming HIPPY’s value.

"The children’s problem solving and communication skills are improved. They have a better head start and are far more likely to stay at school in the long run."

But HIPPY is not just about the children. The parents also benefit. Victoria University research has found that parents enrolled in the HIPPY program feel more confident in engaging in their child’s education and have a greater sense of self esteem as a result of helping their child learn.

"The brilliance of HIPPY is its simplicity," says National Manager Joanne Donne. "It instils a love of learning in children and helps their parents, who may have little cultural experience of formal schooling, become valued and confident participants in their child's education."

The HIPPY program originated in Israel in the late 1960s in response to the many newly-arrived communities whose children were at a disadvantage starting school. It is now run in 10 countries.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence pioneered HIPPY in Australia, introducing the first program in Fitzroy, Melbourne, in 1998. Since then, the program has expanded nationally, helping families from such culturally diverse backgrounds as Vietnamese, Hmong, Turkish and Somali.