Train-the-Trainer Workshops Offered for Fall 2010PIRC Workshop Offerings -- Complete List
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General Workshops
Your Child and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) — An overview of the education law, school accountability, report cards (NECAPS), school choice, and supplemental educational services. For Parents of K-12 students Helpful Homework Hints — Parents will learn the key ingredients for supporting their child’s academic success. Topics include helping your child stay organized through the use of planners, calendars, assignment notebooks; study place and study schedule, and parent encouragement. Grades 3-8.
Giving and Getting Respect — Learn ways to enhance parent/child and teacher/student communication. Create an atmosphere where everyone’s feelings and needs can be heard and respected. Helps improve school atmosphere and reduce bullying. For Preschool through Grade 12, Parents, Teachers, Students
Motivating Middle School Readers — Keep your child motivated to read and learn how to help him/her select suitable reading materials. This workshop will help you understand the needs of the middle school child and find solutions to overcome their excuses for not reading. Parents of Grades 5-8.
Helpful Homework Hints — Parents will learn the key ingredients for supporting their child’s academic success. Topics include helping your child stay organized through the use of planners, calendars, assignment notebooks; study place and study schedule, and parent encouragement. Grades 3-8.
Supercharging Your Child’s Learning — Learn to take advantage of everyday opportunities to enhance your child’s reading, math, and other academic skills. Parents of Grades K-8.
Motivating Middle School Readers — Keep your child motivated to read and learn how to help him/her select suitable reading materials. This workshop will help you understand the needs of the middle school child and find solutions to overcome their excuses for not reading. Parents of Grades 5-8.
Family Math. A math extravaganza for your school! This events offers families a hands-on way to connect math skills to everyday life activities. Parents and children circulate among activity tables while learning how fun and practical math can be. For parents and children in Elementary and/or Middle School.
School/Kindergarten Readiness for Parents and Teachers — Addresses the typically developing child entering Kindergarten, including social, motor, cognitive, and communication skills.
Being Media Savvy in a Digital World — Today’s children spend nearly 50 hours a week consuming media — tv, phones, iPods, internet, movies — yet parents often are not aware of the extent of their children’s exposure or how to help them make safer and healthier choices. This workshop promotes a common sense approach to cell phones, Facebook, YouTube, movie ratings, video games, social networking, cyber bullying, instant message, music, and more. For parents of K-12 students.
Understanding ADHD — This workshop will present basic information on the characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The workshop includes strategies that may be included in the child’s IEP or 504 plan, as well as suggestions for parents and professionals supporting children who have ADHD. Parents & Teachers, Grades K-12.
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Workshops for Building Family-School-Community Partnerships
Parents and Educators Working Together — For helping parents and educators work together effectively to support student learning. Includes tips on successful parent/teacher conferences, two-way communication and shared responsibilities in the education of children. K-12, Parents and Teachers.
Expanding Parent Involvement in Children’s Education — This workshop provides a blueprint for promoting parent involvement practices which can lead to increased student achievement. Parents and educators will strategize the first steps in the development of comprehensive and effective parent/school/community partnerships. Grades K-12, for Parents and Teachers
Parents & Learning Workshop for Teachers — Parents & Learning covers the "curriculum of the home," the parent-child interactions and patterns of family life that influence children's school learning. This workshops highlights the role of the teacher in encouraging these positive home practices that contribute to school success. For Teachers
Comprehensive Workshops are available on any of the following topics:
- Improving Communication
- Promoting Positive Parenting
- Enhancing Student Learning
- Increasing Volunteerism
- Supporting Decision Making and Advocacy; and
- Collaborating with the Community. Different modules designed for Parent and School Personnel Groups
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Workshops for Helping Your Child Learn to Read
Parents of Children Birth-Grade 3 — Research has shown that a child’s success in school is determined in part by how well the child reads and the level of parent involvement. This three-part series provides information on how a child learns to read and gives parents hands-on activities and ideas on how you can be more involved with your child and the reading process.
Preschool Literacy — It is never too early to read with your child. This interactive workshop helps parents identify key pre-reading skills that are essential to future reading success. It provides hands-on activities and ideas on how to be more involved in helping your child learn to read. Pre-School.
Kindergarten Literacy — This interactive workshop helps parents understand the five key reading skills and the concepts that are taught in Kindergarten. You will learn how a child learns to read, with hands-on activities and ideas on how you can be more involved with helping your child learn to read. Kindergarten.
Interactive Reading – Storybooks and Story Telling — This workshop instills lasting, positive affection toward books! It expands on what a book offers to increase learning, communication, and vocabulary. Participants learn to talk about the words, pictures, and even the design of the book. Participants go home with their own interactive reading book. Grades K-3, for Teachers & Parents.
Interactive Reading – Building Blocks for Reading Skills – This workshop promotes the 5 components of learning to read —phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Participants are guided to choose activities that follow the reading ability of the child. These skills can be used to assist children in developing or enhancing reading skills. Grades pre-K thru 3, Parents & Teachers
Birth-5 Literacy Workshops
Bonding with Books
This workshop provides an overview for parents of how to introduce books to very young children and develop a sense of what types of books are appropriate for different ages. Bonding with books is currently available in a 60- or 90-minute format, in both English and Spanish. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org
Creating Literacy-Rich Environments*
This workshop helps participants create an environment that encourages young children to explore and make discoveries about language and literacy through play, routines and other daily experiences. Learn how to use pictures, books and song to individualize the environment in response to culture, personal interests and language. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org.
Reading Aloud*
Reading aloud to young children is one of the most effective ways to support language and literacy development. Children who are read to from infancy associate reading with pleasant, warm feelings. This workshop focuses on reading aloud in a way that engages and actively involves young children. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org.
Where Conversation Leads*
Children begin to learn about conversation in infancy when their families and caregivers respond to their sounds and gestures and play games and sing songs with them. This workshop focuses on engaging children as equal partners in conversation and encouraging children to build listening and speaking skills as a tool for thinking and learning. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org
Making My Mark: The Writing Connection*
Children pass through stages as they develop drawing and writing skills. Writing helps children develop an awareness of how print is organized and used and how it is related to spoken words. Learn how you can support children's growth from early scribbling to learning to write their name. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org
Supporting Language and Literacy Every Day*
Language and literacy skills are connected to more than just reading. There are many activities during the day that provide an opportunity to have fun with words. Learn how to promote literacy in a wide range of activities from pretend play, to self expression, to painting, to finger plays, songs, and more. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org
Make Reading Fun: Creating Your Own Books
This interactive workshop provides ideas, tools and materials for parents to learn how to make simple books. No matter what your comfort level is with reading, making a book and sharing a story with a young child is a fast (and easy) way to help children grow to love books. Leave this workshop with a hand made gift for your young child. For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org
Interactive Reading: Storybooks and Storytelling
This workshop instills lasting, positive affection toward books! It expands on what a book offers to increase learning, communication, and vocabulary. Participants learn to talk about the words, pictures, and even the design of the book with their young children. Attendees also go home with their own new book to start using their new skills right away! For more information contact Kimm Phillips 848-5446 or LetsReadTogether@nhpirc.org
* Developed by the national organization Reading is Fundamental.
Become a Literacy Volunteer!
Let’s Read Together volunteers teach parents realistic strategies to use with their children (ages birth-5) during the course of the everyday activities. NH State PIRC works with you to ensure your workshops are a success. Volunteers receive training, a stipend, expense reimbursement, ongoing support, and all materials needed for workshops free of charge, including free books, CDs, and DVDs to give away to parents. To learn more about this opportunity, visit this page or call (603) 848-5446 or (800) 947-7005. Back to Top
Solid Foundations Courses for Parents
Solid Foundation courses help parents build their capacity to support their children’s success in school. Each course is taught in small groups (10 or less), in 90-minute sessions over three consecutive weeks.
Ready Here I Come! — A course for parents of preschoolers. The course teaches 15 family activities that help children develop gross-motor skills, fine-motor skills, language, visual discrimination, and memory. All of these skills are presented within the context of play, everyday tasks, and preparation for school. Pre-K, for Parents and Teachers.
Reading at Home — Content includes storytelling, family reading activities, Interactive Reading, work—sound exercises, and methods for reading to learn. Grades K-3, for Parents and Teachers.
Studying at Home — Support your child’s academic success through communication, organization, and homework success strategies. Content includes study schedules, study place, talking about learning, assignment notebooks, study time and family meetings. (Note: this course is a more detailed version of the Helpful Homework Hints course.) Grades 3-8, for Parents and Teachers.
Raising Good Kids — examines the sentiments of sympathy and fairness and considers the ways families shape children’s self respect, respect for other people, and sense of responsibility. Lessons include discussions of characteristics parents want to see in their children, ways adults model admirable behavior, and practical ways to instill good manners in children. Grades 4-8, for Parents and Teachers.
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Parent Power: The Parent Leadership Courses
This workshop series is presented in 3 separate multi-session strands (typically 6 courses per strand) that can be taken individually or one after the other:
The Family Leadership Series promotes skills for supporting your child’s learning at home, with topics such as: communication, literacy, No Child Left Behind, help with homework, and more.
The School/Community Leadership Series provides information and training for developing effective partnerships with schools and working with parent-teacher organizations and school improvement efforts.
The Train-the-Trainer workshops such as those listed on the back of this brochure.
Groups have the option to choose the most relevant courses for each strand. Please request our Parent Leadership Training brochure for more information.
Go to the Parent Leadership Training Section
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Train-the-Trainer Courses
The following courses are also available in train-the-trainer format:
- Parents and Educators Working Together
- Expanding Parent Involvement in Children’s Education
- Interactive Reading – Storybooks and Story Telling
- Interactive Reading – Building Blocks for Reading Skills
- Helpful Homework Hints
- School/Kindergarten Readiness
- Solid Foundation Courses for Parents
Please call (603) 848-5667 for more information about these workshops.
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Special Education Workshops
For workshops on topics related to special education, please call the Parent Information Center on Special Education at (800) 947-7005.
- Effective Parent/Professional Communication
- Envisioning Your Child's Future
- IEP Clinic
- Life After High School: Strategies for Effective Transition Planning
- My Child's Going to be 3, Now What? (The Transition from Early Intervention)
- What Do I Do If I Think My Child's Development is Delayed? (Birth - 5)
- Extended School Year Services for Children with Disabilities
- Around the World of Special Education in One Day
- Special Education Advocacy 101
- Knowledge is Key — Being an Effective Member of Your IEP Team
- Understanding Family Centered Early Supports and Services
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Discipline for Children with Disabilities
- The "New" NH Special Education Rules
- The Steps in the NH Special Education Process
- Understanding ADHD
- Understanding Your Child's Learning Style
- Volunteer Advocates for Special Education Training
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