Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
Problems addressed
Low educational/academic performance
Low parental skills
Effectiveness

Effective

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Effective

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Life periods served
Children (4 to 13 years)
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Residence / home
Country of application
United States
New Zealand
Description

This is a residential school readiness program aimed at children aged three to five from socially vulnerable families with limited resources and literacy skills. The aim is to reduce delays in children’s development and literacy.
The program offers materials, curricular activities, and educational books for parents to help strengthen the cognitive skills that are useful for starting school and for physical and emotional development. The team consists of educational coordinators and home visitors, who monitor the progress of the program through roleplay techniques and tests, as well as home supervision.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation study found that children who received the program’s intervention scored higher on standardized reading tests and showed better adaptive skills in the classroom [1]; fewer suspensions, better performance in reading, language and math, better overall adaptive scores [2]; greater cognitive stimulation in the home environment; and mothers participating in the program developed greater parental efficacy [4]. No significant effect was observed on school readiness [4].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Baker, A. J., Piotrkowski, C. S. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1998). The effects of the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) on Children's school performance at the end of the program and one year later. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 13(4), 571–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(99)80061-1

[2] Bradley, R. H. & Gilkey, B. (2002). The Impact of the Home Instructional Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) on School Performance in 3rd and 6th Grades. Early Education & Development, 13(3), 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1303_4

[3] Nievar, M. A., Jacobson, A., Chen, Q., Johnson, U. & Dier, S. (2011). Impact of HIPPY on home learning environments of Latino families. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26(3), 268–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.01.002

[4] Barhava‐Mònteith, G., Harré, N. & Field, J. (1999). A Promising Start: An Evaluation of the HIPPY Program in New Zealand. Early Child Development and Care, 159(1), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/0300443991590112

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