Curriculum
Building Strong Families program materials were designed specifically for use by professionals, paraprofessionals and volunteers. The curriculum is based on extensive research that included pilot testing with target audience groups. The 10- to 12-week program is targeted at limited-resource, limited-literacy parents of children newborn to age three.

The curriculum consists of a series of flipcharts, videos and supplemental activities. Each flipchart presents easily recognizable scenarios that parents commonly encounter with young children. In one-on-one or small group sessions, instructors facilitate discussions on developmental stages, behavioral problems, the importance of play and goal setting.

Curriculum Components
The curriculum consists of four units:

• How Kids Develop
  

  In this unit, parents learn how to identify the developmental stages, encourage their child’s growth and set realistic, age-appropriate expectations.

• Helping Kids Behave
  

  This unit helps parents develop techniques for disciplining their child effectively and positively, in ways that match their child’s developmental stage.

• Playing to Learn
  

  This fun and interactive unit focuses on the importance of parent-child interaction, imagination and play in a child’s development.

• Smart Living
  

  Parents learn to identify personal strengths, set realistic goals and identify the steps needed to reach those goals in this unit.

• Supplemental Activities
  

  Twelve copy-ready activities supplement the curriculum to bring parenting messages to life.

Supplemental Materials
In addition, Building Strong Families also offers supplemental materials that help reinforce the positive parenting messages contained in the flipcharts, videos and handouts.

Additional Lessons

• Bee Wise
  Bee Wise…Immunize is an immunization education curriculum developed by Michigan State University Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences program.
• Don't Croak
  Don’t Croak on Secondhand Smoke is a passive smoke education curriculum developed by Michigan State University Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences program.
• Home Safe Kids
  Home Safe Kids is designed to educate and inform parents about the dangers of household environmental hazards and provide them with the opportunity to protect their children.
• Caring for My Family
  Caring for My Family helps mothers and fathers of newborns learn about building healthy relationships with each other and their children through a series of interactive educational experiences. The purpose of the program is to equip unmarried mothers and fathers with skills for making healthy decisions and to explore future options for their relationship, including the potential of getting married.

Parent Incentives Order Form
A variety of parent incentives are available to reinforce parenting messages and reward parent participation.

Curriculum Order Form
Order the complete Building Strong Families curriculum, the flipcharts, videos and supplemental materials using this order form.