Teaching Model

The Nā Pono No Nā `Ohana project team has adapted the teaching model of the National Center for Family Literacy. The NCFL model consists of four components designed to bring parents and children into the learning environment together, and revitalize the `ohana as an instrument for growing minds and futures. By helping to improve caregivers' literacy levels and social skills, Nā Pono No Nā `Ohana provides a truly comprehensive family literacy program. The project team has incorporated a fifth component in addition to the NCFL's four. Families are required to attend all five program components 4-5 days per week. The five program components are:

• Adult Education (AE)
  Adult instruction is based on the Equipped for the Future (EFF) standards, where methodologies for adult literacy and lifelong learning have been developed to teach adults what they need to know to carry out their roles and responsibilities as workers, parents, family members, citizens, and community members. Na Pono No Na `Ohana has established a General Education Development (GED) program for adult participants to encourage adults to obtain their degrees without having to go outside their community. AE services also include adult computer literacy classes, basic education, secondary education, and English as a second language.

• Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time
  Interactive parent-child literacy activities are based on NCFL-proven models which strengthen the learning relationship between parent and child and help parents take cooperative responsibility for their child's education.

• Parent Education (PE)
  Parenting curriculum is based on Parental Adults Reading, Encouraging, Nurturing, Teaching, Supporting (PARENTS) curriculum, and includes parenting workshops covering nutrition, child relationship and management, and communication skills.

• Childhood Education (CE)
  Childhood curriculum is based on Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) charts, Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), Work Sampling System (WSS), Discovering Me and My World, High/Scope, and Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). As a follow-up measure to its CE component, the program tracks school performance of children entering the district elementary school to evaluate the program's effectiveness in promoting school readiness of child participants.

• Human Resource Development (HR)
  Human resource curriculum is based on a combination of learner goals, competency-based (CB) assessment, Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) compentency skills, computer skills, and job readiness.