Information about Fayette County’s STEP program for parents: fcboe.org.
The kids have been in school for several weeks. So now it’s the parents’ turn to go back to the classroom.
For the last 20 years, moms, dads, grandparents and other parental units have been heading back to school in Fayette County for a program aimed at educating them about best parenting practices and ways to support their students. The Systematic Training for Effective Parenting invites adults to brush up on those skills such as encouragement and effective communication that can make a difference in a child’s academic performance.
And that often goes well beyond making sure homework is completed on time, said program facilitator Karen Spangler.
“For instance, a child might be habitually tardy to school,” she said. “It might be that the parent isn’t able to get the child out of bed in the morning. We can help them communicate more effectively about the consequences of misbehavior, as well as what the problem might really be: It might be as easy as the child’s wanting to sleep more and needing to go to bed earlier. We teach there’s a difference between discipline and punishment.”
The free program usually draws between 25 and 30 parents each year, and attendance has grown steadily as word of it has spread through the community, said Spangler.
“We do this as a way to engage the community, and they’ve help spread the word,” she said. “Over the years, it has changed a bit. For instance, we’re now having more grandparents attend, since we see more of them taking on parenting roles. And many of the questions we get now are about learning disabilities and how the brain works.”
The course includes 90-minute sessions held for eight consecutive weeks. During those programs, parents hear from parenting and effectiveness training expert Jason Snow, PhD., who gives them assignments to work on outside of class.
“They have to practice every week,” said Spangler. “Then they have the opportunity to discuss how different strategies worked and how to troubleshoot for problems. They also can ask individual questions.”
The program has proved so popular that attendance is now limited to 50 participants, and Spangler has started making it available in the spring as well as the fall.
“The goal is to identify problems early,” said Spangler. “Everything is tied to enhancing skills between parents and their children, so we can enhance what goes on in the classroom – better behavior, academics and social skills. This program helps parents reinforce that at home.”’
Tammy Becker and her husband took the parenting course a few years ago and found the information “practical, sensible and easy to put into practice.” She also suggests that anyone who works with children might benefit from attending.
“Dr. Snow touched on a variety of topics, such as understanding the birth order of your children, how to communicate effectively and how to hold family meetings,” she said. “We gained a plethora of knowledge and have been implementing his strategies ever since. Our children are now 13, 17 and 19, and his advice has helped us when we needed it most. We highly recommend it.”
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