Parent Training
Parent training classes appropriate to the developmental level of the children were offered on a voluntary basis to parents or adult caretakers of children. The components of the parent training consisted of behavioral management skills, academic support skills and skill to reduce the risks of drug use.
Behavioral Management Skills
Parents in the full intervention condition were offered training in child behavior management skills when their children were in the first and second grades though a seven-session curriculum, “Catch ‘Em Being Good.” The curriculum involved demonstrating and modeling skills, role-play, feedback and homework practice assignments. It taught parents how to:- Observe and pinpoint desirable and undesirable child behaviors
- Teach expectations for behaviors
- Provide consistent positive reinforcement for desired behavior
- Provide consistent and moderate consequences for undesired behaviors
Academic Support Skills
In the spring of second grade and again in the third grade, parent of children in the full intervention also were offered a four session curriculum, “How to Help Your Child Succeed in School,” to strengthen their skills for supporting their children’s academic development. Each two-hour workshop session used an interactive, skills-based format that provided opportunities for parents to learn from each other. The curriculum focused on teaching parents skills to:- Initiate conversation with teachers about children’s learning
- Help children develop reading and math skills
- Create a home environment supportive of learning
Skills to reduce risks for drug use
When their children were in grades 5 and 6, parents of children in both the full and the late intervention conditions were offered a five session curriculum “Preparing for the Drug (Free) Years ®(Hawkins, Catalano, Brown, et al., 1988) to strengthen their skills to reduce their children’s risks for drug use. Preparing for the Drug Free Years (PDFY) is a research-based program that has been found to be effective in helping parents of children ages 9-14 protect their children from substance abuse. It seeks to reduce drug abuse and related behavior problems by helping parents:- Create opportunities for children to be involved in meaningful ways with their families
- Strengthen family bonds
- Set clear expectations for their children's behaviors
- Teach their children skills to resist peer influences
- Reduce family conflict and control emotions
- Practice consistent family management
