Education Imperative - Increased Parental Involvement: Decades of research has concluded that “the evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their child's achievement in school and throughout life. When schools, families, and communities actively work together to support learning – children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” (SEDL 2002) The above referenced research, a compilation of parent involvement over a ten year period, also found that students with involved parents, no matter what their socio-economic level or background are more likely to:
- Earn higher grades and test scores
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Pass their classes
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Attend school regularly, with less disciplinary issues
- Have better social skills
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Graduate
Health Imperative - Reducing Childhood Obesity and Diabetes: The U.S. is faced with an alarming childhood obesity and diabetes epidemic! This may be the first generation not to outlive their parents. Over the past three decades the childhood obesity rate has doubled for children ages 2 - 5; tripled for children ages 6 - 11; and the trends are increasing!
Nearly one-third of US children between 4 – 19 eat fast food every day! Fast food consumption has increased fivefold among children since 1970.
Research has shown that most children do not understand the inter-relationship between and also have random concepts about…
Students need understand the relationship between “intake”, nutrition, exercise, and wellness .... It's all about 'Finding The Balance'!
Our Innovative Approach - Parental Involvement 'Take Home' Program
The Nutrition Ambition: Reaching Your Wellness Goals for grades 3 – 7 was specifically designed to address the above referenced critical issues facing education today: 1) to provide a curriculum specifically designed to increase parental involvement and improve student achievement while increasing school-to-home and home-to-school communication; and 2) to proactively address the national epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes. To make matters worse minority students (African Americans and Hispanics) being at an even higher risk, this epidemic crosses all races, education levels and socio-economic groups. The overweight child typically does not perform as well at school. This generation of children is not expected, for the first time in history, to live longer th an their parents. Nutrition Ambition: Reaching Your Wellness Goals is a researched based, standards aligned, cross-curricular, early intervention, health, anti-obesity, health & wellness program that addresses these issues. The 'Take Home' / Parental Involvement components of our programs were specifically designed to 'bridge' the gap between the home and the school. It is a non-punitive, fun and engaging Health and Wellness curriculum for students and families that aligns with the requirements of NCLB and Title I, Part A Parental Involvement mandates through the parent activities, cross-curricular content and activities, and the family ‘goal setting' components contained in each unit.
The cross-curricular activities, the Parent Connectiontm activities, and the Family 'Goal Setting' activities support Title 1, Part A by: easily improving the school's capacity for engaging parents in assisting their child's learning both at home and at school; fostering improved family communication; improving the families Nutrition & Wellness knowledge and learning about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle – while at the same time reinforcing their basic Reading/Language Arts, Writing, Math, and Science skills.
Teachers can use the interactive whiteboard edition for classroom instruction and/or to set the tone for the activities that the children will do at home with their parents and families. All activities are available in workbook format, or can be printed out individually for in classroom or at-home 'homework' use. The cross-curricular activities plus the family goal setting activity at the end of each unit provides the opportunity to:
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Easily improve the school's capacity for involving and engaging the parents in assisting their child's learning both at home and at school
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Foster family communication; Improve the families Nutrition & Wellness knowledge
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Learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, while students also improve their basic Reading/Language Arts, Writing, Math, Health, and Science skills.
Teacher assigned activities, coupled with the Parent Connectiontm activities and Goal Setting elements of the Nutrition Ambition series, encourage the particiaption of the parents in regular two-way, and meaningful school-to-home and home-to-school communication about learning and also ensures:
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... that parents play an integral role in assisting the child's learning
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... that parents play an integral role in assisting their childs education
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... that parents and the school are full partners in their child's education
Program Elements:
The Baux Publishing Parental Involvement Program includes the following elements:
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The Nutrition Ambition instructional materials in workbook and/or interactive web format
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Teacher Guides for each series that contain assessments, 'Best Practice' implementation guides, Sample Parent letters, and content/activity alignments to Core Academic Standards
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A one day 'train the trainer' staff development workshop on program implementation and evaluation
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A 'Parent Involvement' Program overview letter for the parents that outlines the goals of the program
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A 'School, Parent, and Student' Program Effectiveness Survey that provides an assessment survey on the overall effectiveness of program
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Level II technical support for any interactive program issues
Program Benefits - The Nutrition Ambition: Reaching Your Wellness Goals series is a complete packaged curriculum offering, not just a list of non-related resources! It was designed and developed based on scientific research and presented in a cross-curricular format based on teacher, parent, and student input.
Since the program is cross-curricular by design, and is aligned to Federal standards not just for Health and Nutrition; but also is aligned to Core Academic standards for Reading / Language Arts, Writing, Math, and Science.
The program also is socially timely by providing a proven curriculum that provides information and solutions that address the ever increasing childhood obesity and diabetes trends. The program by educating all parties involved in the benefits of exercise, good eating, and a healthy life style.
The program aligns with Title 1, Part A and meets the requirements for Parental Involvement through:
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Fosters improved School-to-Home and Home-to-School communication
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Reinforces parenting skills to support the acquisition of academic skills and their application to real-life situation
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Provides resources for parents to become full partners in the education of their child
