We create early childhood education curricula and training for home visiting programs who support families.
Model Alignment
With Great Kids® (GK) curricula, certification programs, and professional development resources, practitioners enhance their ability to engage parents and motivate them to be their child’s first and most important teacher; all within the context of their own family values, traditions, and culture.
GGK® is endorsed by Healthy Families America and is identified by Head Start as a promising research-based curriculum with clear alignment to the Early Learning Outcomes Framework and the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework.
Alignment with Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework
Programs can use the P-36 Crosswalk to connect the GGK® Next Generation P-36 curricula and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF). This crosswalk will help guide effective learning experiences that support important early learning in all five ELOF domains. For programs using our Growing Great Kids® Next Generation for Preschoolers, please find the alignment crosswalk by following this link: Preschool Crosswalk.
As part of our latest effort to support the work of Home Visiting, our Growing Great Kids® Next Generation Curriculum includes these crosswalks within the content. Each parent-child activity is aligned with the child development skills it can support.
Healthy Families America and Great Kids
Healthy Families America (HFA) and Great Kids have worked in partnership for many years focusing on the development & delivery of training & curriculum for HFA sites. Current state and federal accountability standards require use of evidence-based home visiting models and demonstration of program fidelity, making it essential for HFA providers to utilize high-quality, cutting-edge skills and strategies aimed at best practices for supporting the families participating in HFA.
The HFA model is unique in its approach. It is aligned with three major principles: 1) trauma-informed 2) attachment/relationship focused, and 3) grounded in reflective practice. Once families have been supported in a way that builds parental capacity to be present and eager to learn, HFA providers should complement their work with engaging curriculum materials that follow the parent’s lead and optimize the parent-child relationship. The Growing Great Kids® curriculum is closely aligned with HFA’s approach and offers a solid fit for HFA home visitors for these reasons.
The GGK Curriculum is designed to foster the growth of secure attachment…
Part of HFA’s trauma-informed approach is to learn about each parent’s early childhood experiences and stressors, identifying both the strengths/protective factors and challenges parents may face. Many families who have experienced adverse childhood experiences may have difficulty with bonding and attachment. It is therefore important to use a curriculum designed to promote social-emotional development which includes bonding and attachment.
A primary GGK focus is on growing empathic parent-child relationships and secure attachments. There is a strong emphasis on supporting parents in responding sensitively to the needs and development of their children.
GGK utilizes a solution focused format, essentially creating “teachable moments” by asking parents what knowledge they have about a certain topic before providing information. The curriculum is not scripted, but creates a structure for conversation building. Each module provides step-by-step interactive questions to actively engage parents in the conversation so they do not feel they are being given advice or being talked down to.
The GGK curriculum supports the training staff receive in Foundations for Family Support training.
HFA’s Foundations for Family Support training provides a vehicle for attunement with parents, and focuses on how to create an environment using a culturally humble approach so parents are empowered to make the decisions that work best for their families.
The GGK Curriculum supports many of the strategies that are inherent in HFA’s Foundations training, and offers additional Growing Great Families® (GGF®) modules that are specifically designed to promote Protective Factors.
The GGK Curriculum also offers a staff development program. Supervisors learn how to build staff competence in using the curriculum. Supervisors receive monthly guides for continuing to build staff competencies following GGK Seminars. Post training consultation is offered at no additional charge.
The Growing Great Kids curriculum aligns with and builds upon the HFA model approach.
Growing Great Kids®
Why Choose Great Kids?
Never any recurring licensing fees
Proven Success
Over 37,000 people have been trained to use the Great Kids curricula
Protective Factors – GGK Constructs
Research informed constructs embedded in the Protective Factors Framework
Alignment with Head Start
The Growing Great Kids Home Based Curricula Series exceeds all Head Start Curriculum requirements
Evidenced Based Research
As evidenced by seven independent evaluations, the GGK Curriculum produces outstanding results
Specialized Training Programs
On-site and virtual training options available
Healthy Families America
The Growing Great Kids curriculum aligns with and builds upon the HFA model approach
To Learn More
In this 30-minute consultation, we will learn more about how you support healthy relationships and successful outcomes for children, families, and your community.
Looking forward to connecting and joining you in the journey of discovery to determine if Great Kids is a fit for you.
Testimonials
What home visitors and parents are saying about Great Kids.
"We have really loved the whole curriculum! We do home visits, and we see these families in their homes, or in our offices interacting with their kids and planning activities that they can do to build their self-esteem and work together and strengthen their family as a whole."
"We came across Great Kids, Growing Great Kids and it didn’t take us very long at all to read and understand that Great Kids had a curriculum that aligns perfectly with everything that we need here for our early home-based programs."
Connect With Great Kids
Phone:
1-800-906-5581
Email:
info@greatkidsinc.net
