About HIPPY

  • How does HIPPY work?
    HIPPY lessons are delivered by home instructors who are active parents from the community. These instructors are trained to cover a highly structured, 30-week curriculum in English or Spanish for an hour every week in the parents' home. Home instructors use role play to teach parents educational activities which the parents can then practice with their children throughout the week.

    What happens in a typical HIPPY lesson?
    HIPPY lessons last 45-60 minutes once a week and feature a wide variety of activities for parent and child, such as
    Reading stories together and answering questions about the stories

    • Counting and grouping
    • Learning sounds
    • Increasing vocabulary
    • Identifying opposites

    Who can enroll in the HIPPY program? Which HISD schools participate in the HIPPY program?
    Families living within the Houston Independent School District who have a three or four-year-old child zoned to a participating elementary school may apply.

    How much does it cost?
    There is no cost to the child's family or HISD schools.

    HIPPY results
    Since the 2007-2008 school year, students who participated in the HIPPY program significantly outperformed their HISD kindergarten peers in reading and math. HIPPY students have also outperformed their peers in the subsequent school grades.