Play & Learn (KLRN)

Orientation & WEEK 1

The KLRN team set expectations for processes and activities with caregiver participants during an orientation group discussion, while participants asked questions and shared their personal hopes and goals for the program.

From the very first week, FFN caregivers shared an overwhelming enthusiasm for being part of the pilot project, along with some anxiety about the experience ahead. In many cases, this was the first the caregivers and their children would be separated during a portion of the day for program activities.

As anticipated, there was some significant separation anxiety (from caregivers as well as kids) during the transition to the first grown-ups group discussion and kid activity time. The pilot team capitalized on an opportunity to integrate the “Parents Come Back” video from PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger into the program to help everyone build confidence for this transition. The team used the video as a transition activity during Week 2, and shared it with parents to practice with their kids at home.

WEEK 2

FFNs enrolled to receive text messages (and/or emails) with content resources related to the program's weekly themes to use at home with their children and families.

The transition to the grown-ups discussion time was still a little rocky, but expectations were improving. Families shared examples of how they used the Second Step Brain Builder game introduced in the previous session with their children during the week at home — introducing the activity to other adults in the house, using it to help manage transition times (e.g. from the home to the car), and integrating it at random times during the day to help their kids focus.

FFNs let us know that their kids were already demonstrating an improved ability to recognize how others show emotions (like happy or sad) with the support of examples and activities from Second Step, PBS KIDS for Parents, and Daniel Tiger. One mom shared specifically, “I really love this program, and the way she is growing to know differences in expressions.”

WEEK 3

During the grownups' group discussion session, many families expressed that they enjoyed using the Brain Builder activities outside of the weekly Play & Learn, and described how they involved other family members — one father even choreographed moves to the Brain Builder. One grandmother shared that when her granddaughter is talking to her older sister (or grandma) and they aren’t paying attention, she says “eyes on me” — translating a phrase from the Second Step Listening Rules used during program activities.

The majority of FFNs shared feedback including new, different, and/or rich conversations they’ve had with their children and within their families about feelings — reinforcing the learning theme for the past three weeks: recognizing if others are happy, sad, scared, or surprised.

One mother shared that the program “has helped [my son] understand his AND my feelings.” She disclosed that she is bipolar and that she’s had conversations about her own emotions with her son.

WEEK 4

Families began to gain familiarity with the program cadence, as well as receiving program content messages at home. Most parents reported that they were happy with the types of messages being sent and the timing of delivery. Across the board, participants said they like having quick ideas for learning activities they can use to engage their kids at home.

Two weeks ago, one mother shared that her family modified the Brain Builder activity to be a choreographed activity. This week, the family shared the Brain Builder Dance Challenge video that they produced!

On Saturday, families were invited to attend a community Empathy Celebration event produced by KLRN staff, three community volunteer groups (Kohl’s, John Jay High School, and Junior League), Bexar County Sheriff Officers as security, community agencies (ReadyKidSA, Guardian House, United Way), a family therapeutic yoga teacher, and a percussionist with enough instruments to share.

Families were engaged by appearances from Daniel Tiger, participated in interactive stations (including family yoga and crafting tables), and enjoyed countless activities that focused on preparing their kids for Kindergarten.

WEEK 5

KLRN facilitated a community-building activity for the FFNs during their regular discussion session in which they shared the ways they feel the program is helping them build a network together and creating a rich learning neighborhood for themselves and for their children.

Families started asking this week about what will happen after the end of the program — many indicating that they wished the program would continue beyond the scheduled 10 weeks. They voiced an interest in continuing to receive text/email resources. This feedback provided the pilot team with the opportunity to explore potential opportunities for the FFNs to continue to build the community they’ve created.

The pilot team gathered feedback from participants around timing and frequency of messages: the majority said they would like 4 messages per week, with 25% preferring messages between 7-9:30am, and 50% preferring messages between 11:30am-1pm. Given this feedback, we stayed with the original 10:15am distribution time, and planned to add a new content message during the week to test an increase in frequency from three messages per week to four.

WEEK 6

During this week's facilitated discussions, participants shared and explored ways they react to and manage anger in their kids and themselves — finding things they felt good about as well as some they'd still like to improve. They mentioned coping mechanisms, use of media resources, as even coaching and continuing education classes as things that help them speak with their kids more effectively about anger. After receiving a parent-facing Parachute video on handling tantrums last week, participants shared that they value both adult-facing and child-facing content.

The P&L cohort also engaged this week in an exercise to identify components of the program that are most “fun,” “valuable,” and “manageable” in an effort to help the pilot team understand more about what types of activities are most appealing for participants, and also to help shape options for how the group might carry on their experience as a cohort beyond the 10 weeks of the program. Many participants noted that continuing to receive the SEL messages would be valuable, along with ideas for additional learning supports geared toward kindergarten readiness (e.g. motor skills, numeracy and literacy, sharing, and managing conflicts). In the category of “fun” and “manageable” a majority of participants identified outdoor activities, music and dancing, and hands-on activities at the top of their lists. Next week, the pilot team will continue to learn more about what platforms and places participants currently spend their time in order to help guide ideas for post-program opportunities for the group.

WEEK 7

The FFN cohort shared a variety of insights in a survey, and started a highly engaged discussion around kindergarten readiness. They expressed a variety of hopes and concerns for their kids as they think about how they’ll manage this key transition. Several of the group shared the importance of helping their little ones gain the confidence and independence required in a kindergarten environment — from identifying and managing their emotions (to get along with others), to developing executive function skills (following directions and controlling impulses), to developing the agency required for self-care (e.g. putting on their own coats).

The majority recognize the importance of social-emotional skills as well as academic skills in preparing their kids for a more formal school environment, though not all of the FFNs are convinced that formal kindergarten is right for their child. Several caregivers shared that they are weighing the pros and cons of homeschooling. However, they all agree the Play & Learn experience is a way to help build crucial social-emotional skills in their kids, regardless of the choice they’ll make about school when the time comes.

When asked if the LN experience has changed their perspective on kindergarten readiness, 10/12 FFNs said it had. One FFN said “...my child now sees a group of the same faces every week. She also enjoys working on the homework and she looks forward to showing it to everyone.” Another shared “...I now know that they will be more successful in life if we foster social-emotional learning in addition to traditional academic skills.”

WEEK 8

Feedback on the the types of content and activities that make FFNs feel most empowered to help their children revealed a strong preference for the high-touch, in-person experiences of the Play and Learn (adult/child activity time) and adult group discussions. (see Metrics, above)

When asked to evaluate the additional components of the program, FFNs highly rated receiving text messages as reminders to engage with the content and with their families. FFNs also reported a preference for the Brain Builder games. While both of these components start as adult-facing experiences (activities directed at and initiated by the caregiver), as one FFN shared, they lead to engaging in “quality time” with their children — something meaningful they can do together.

FFNs have told us repeatedly over the course of the pilot that they like the content, finding it both relevant and useful. This week some of the FFN cohort clarified that receiving content via text messages serves as a reminder to engage with the learning themes and with their families, as a way to keep themselves accountable for that engagement during the program, and as a good way to share activity ideas.

In addition to learning opportunities, FFNs reported enjoying the socialization opportunities that Play & Learn provides their children. For some children without siblings at home, it’s their first and/or only chance to interact with peers.

WEEK 9

The last two weeks of the Play & Learn program focus on Caring and Helping from Second Step’s Empathy unit. While we’re gathering feedback from the FFNs on their experience with the content on this theme, based on interest from the FFNs themselves, the pilot team has shifted the grown-ups discussion time to focus on helping the group shape their own learning neighborhood(s) after the program ends next week.

The FFNs broke into groups to discuss one of two strategies they previously proffered for shaping their own learning neighborhood experiences moving forward: community playgroups and technology supports.

The group discussing playgroups agreed that existing community playgroups would be a great place to start. They placed a high value on a set schedule for playgroup opportunities, and quickly agreed that technology would be required for reminders and to share playgroup locations.

The technology group discussed a variety of potential platforms and behaviors, including group text messages, Twitter, and Facebook. One grandmother invited her peers to follow her boards on Pinterest.

The more we’ve seen and heard the joy and gratification our FFNs experience in working and sharing together, the more we’ve learned that the opportunity is not simply supporting nor infusing SEL, but catalyzing and launching learning neighborhoods by connecting and empowering those very same adults whom we first set out to engage.

Perhaps as Learning Neighborhood programs evolve, they can be designed to provide more opportunities for FFNs to come together, build mutual trust, listen to one another and to themselves in an environment where they can also grow and learn. As a result of such programming, FFNs can continue on the road to school readiness with one another as additional resources, supports, and friends.

The pilot team must now focus on some key questions: to catalyze the development of more organic and self-sustaining community networks, what elements of the pilot experience — content, goals, talent, technology, interactions, and resources — should remain the same? What do we need to change? And what process improvements can we make to ensure smoother program development and delivery, and to create a program that can be responsive to the needs of different communities?

WEEK 10 & Graduation

On the last week of the program, we celebrated our time together.

The FFNs’ experience working and sharing together demonstrated that a key opportunity of this type of program is not simply supporting nor infusing SEL learning opportunities, but catalyzing and launching organic learning neighborhoods by connecting and empowering adults.