What Leaders Need to Know
As is the case with all of the GFI curriculums, the new courses are self contained units presented in DVD format. Specific recommendations and suggestions for leading any particular curriculum will be found in the companion workbook.

Leaders will notice two changes in the new curriculum that affects the dynamics of the video presentation. First, each session is divided into three or four teaching segments. Each segment targets a specific topic within the general presentation. At the end of each segment, we placed a summary of the key points just covered. This brings us to our second change. The new format no longer needs the outlines to track the key points of the presentation since the segment summaries bundles this information in a concise review.

What has not changed is the “Questions for Review” found at the end of each chapter. They remain part of the course work and still considered a great way to foster discussion.

This is the second in a series of three posts.  Later this week we will share some common questions related to the early childhood curriculum updates and changes.

Understanding the Early Childhood Transition Series

Preface
Change! It seems to be a way of life in a rapidly expanding, knowledge-based society where technology changes everyday. New innovations impact life styles and the way people learn. Parenting curriculums, once designed to cover large blocks of developmental time are less effective today than years gone by. Precision teaching with concise thoughts for specific age ranges seems to be the way of educational life.

In response to the many changes in the field of early childhood education, GFI retooled its teaching philosophy to meet the unique needs of a new parenting generation. These changes are found in our early childhood transition curriculums. We trust the following explanation will help the GFI leadership formulate and implement their plans for classes beginning in the fall of 2008.

Introduction
There are a number of ways to approach and teach child development concepts. As it relates to the early childhood curriculum, GFI has moved to specific age-segmented teachings that disseminate pertinent information based on age-related topics and categories. Each of our new curriculums cover specific developmental periods reflecting the upward movement of a child’s developing body, emotions and intellect. In this way, the GFI community of parents receives age-appropriate instruction for the specific set of new skills and abilities emerging with their growing children.

In formulating the new curriculum we found the communication and dissemination of early childhood principles divides naturally into four developmental stages, starting at birth and running to thirty-six months. Each stage represents new growth transitions requiring parents to accommodate the changes taking place as their baby matures.

Early Childhood Curriculum Summary

• Stage One: Birth to 5 Months (6 Sessions) Preparation for Parenting
• Stage Two: 5 to 12 Months: (2 Sessions) The Babyhood Transitions (Parenting Your 5 to 12 Month Old)
• Stage Three: 12 to 18 Months (3 Sessions) Preparation for the Toddler Years (Parenting Your 12 to 18 Month Old) Release Fall 08
• Stage Four: 18-36 Months (4 Sessions) The Toddler Years Transitions (Parenting Your 18 Month to 3-Year Old) Release Late Fall 08

Course Benefits
One unique and exciting thread that follows each curriculum is an improved small group dynamic. The shortened curriculum with specific age related teaching allows parents who start together in Preparation for Parenting to stay together as they move through each series.

While some GFI ministries have specific leaders teaching specific classes, the new curriculum style also allows for an additional mentoring option. That being, the couple who leads Preparation for Parenting can stay with the same group as they journey through the next several curriculums. This not only increases continuity of leadership but helps build a growing sense of community among class participants. The Ezzos have worked with the new format and found beneficial results unmatched in previous curriculums. As class members interact together with each new phase of their baby’s life, they are simultaneously interacting with other parents of common interest and like-mindedness, parents who will share a small group experience for the next three years. Out of common need comes a common bond of friendship and support.

The shortened curriculums also help with the scheduling of future classes. For example, Gary and Anne Marie led a Preparation for Parenting class in January of 2008. Most of those parents had their babies a few months later. The same group of parents will reconvene with the Ezzos in August 2008 for the Babyhood Transitions class, (5 to 12 months of age). Six months later, (February-March 2009) they will meet again for Preparation for the Toddler Years and following six to seven months after that, they return to complete the Toddlerhood Transitions course. From there it is onto Growing Kids God’s Way, most likely as a group with the Ezzos.

While GFI will not require local ministries to use the same teachers as described in the model above, we will encourage our worldwide leadership to consider this a viable mentoring option with a long range view toward building stronger communities of likeminded families.

Curriculum Overview
Preparation for Parenting (The Original Feed ~ Wake ~ Sleep Reference Guide to Nurturing a Newborn) 6 Sessions

For over twenty-five years Preparation for Parenting has led the way in infant care advice with proven successful outcomes numbering in the millions. The infant management plan offered by the Ezzos successfully and naturally helps infants synchronize their feeding/waketime and nighttime sleep cycles. The results? A happy, healthy and contented baby who begins sleeping through the night, on average between seven and nine weeks of age.

The Babyhood Transitions (Parenting Your 5 to 12 Month Old) 2 Sessions (Now Available on DVD)

This is the first of a three part series covering the expanding feeding, wake and naptime transitions for babies. Informative, practical, and fast moving, the Babyhood Transitions was designed to assist parents in establishing the right patterns of learning for their child in the critical periods of brain formation and adaptation. From the introduction of solid foods to creating learning opportunities in the playpen and everything in between, parents will find this newest release pertinent, specific in content and very relevant to the learning style of a new parenting generation. (Parents should plan on attending a class as their baby approaches five to six months of age.) (Workbooks available)

Preparation for the Toddler Years (Parenting Your 12 to 18 Month Old) 4 Sessions (Available Fall of 2008)

This four-session presentation continues where the Babyhood Transitions leaves off. During this next phase, the newly emerging walking, talking, exploring child begins a developmental metamorphous from babyhood to a full blown toddler. This means the transitions successfully accomplished a few months ago gives way to new abilities and challenges as baby’s world and mind expands exponentially. As mealtime and waketime activities become more complex, parenting strategies must adjust to properly stay up with the child’s expanding world of discovery. Preparation for the Toddler Years does just what its title implies: helping parents get ready for the hectic, fast moving, exciting and fatiguing toddler years.

The Toddler Years Transitions (Parenting Your 18 Month to 3 Year Old) 4 Sessions (Available Late Fall of 2008)

In just under 18 months, the helpless, immobile infant, lying in his crib grows into a fast moving, talking, walking, exploratory person marked by keen senses, clear memory, quick perceptions and unlimited energy. The child emerges into a period of life known affectionately as the “Toddler Years,” a phase of spontaneous, engaging yet challenging time for child and parent. The budding toddler has his own peculiar way. Therefore, helping parents understand the toddlerhood transitions is a ‘must’ obtain goal. This forth curriculum concerns itself with specific “toddler” issues that will ready the child for moral, social and intellectual achievement.

This is the first in a series of three posts.  Later this week we will share some information for leaders and some common questions related to the early childhood curriculum updates and changes mentioned above.

We recently completed Growing Kids God’s Way with our small group from church. We had the honor and privilege to have Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo over for a Question and Answer session. I must say that meeting the Ezzo’s in person has blessed and encouraged me in my parenting immensely. They are so full of Grace and wisdom! They gave us some wonderful practical application to our every day struggles, and then we took a few moments at the end to encourage them by sharing what we learned AND were actually putting into practice! Here’s a short review of what we said.

Our class leader’s with 3 kids-4th time taking GKGW, they explained how we will all get something different and new each time we take the course. Dad putting into practice the Father’s mandate. Mom commenting on forgiveness and the positive results the class has had on their marriage.

Our response as parents of a two yr old- Room time and individual play- As a new Mom I would have never thought of this on my own, especially when it was in the form of play pen time and the “love/hate” relationship Isabelle had with it. But today as I see the long term results and her ability to creatively play on her own, I am so proud of her. She set up all her toy “Little People” and sang Happy Birthday to each one by name and then read them books-I peeked in and beamed!

Training in times of non conflict-WOW another wonderful blessing of instruction that I would not have thought she was capable of understanding at such a young age, and yet she gets it. If I take the time prior to a friend coming over and walk her through sharing she is so much more sweet about it all. Its when I have not done the training and a situation spontaneously arises she gets quite upset (like 2yr olds do!)

Family with 3 kids ages 6yrs, 4 yrs, and 18 mo-They made a consequences chart and how handy and useful it has become-I have seen this chart and was quite impressed. 4 yr old understanding “having the Freedom” to do and responding -kids are amazing and continually surprise us with how quickly they really do “Get it”.

Family with 2 yr old and one on the way -Teaching “Yes Mommy, Yes Daddy” and obedience to follow thru on instructions the first time.

Family with 2 1/2 yr old twins- Using proper words to train , “Fold your hands and get self-control” and the success in calming their daughter in her spirited moment. Father seeing the loving results of many months of training with his son.

Family of a 4 yr old and 2 yrs- Speaking the life virtue into her children instead of teaching against the vice.

Family with 5yr and almost 2 yr old who was born prematurely -”Will you forgive me?” importance in their marriage and with their 5 yr old. Mom discussed how her mind was changed to understanding proper biblical chastisement, and therefore reducing the amount of aggression from her 20 mo old preemie who is speech delayed.

Family with 15 mo old and one on the way- Using the technique of giving instruction and then walking away allowing the child time to obey instead of going”toe to toe” with him in a power struggle has been very rewarding for them. They love building family identity and are rejoicing in seeing the results of early instruction and training in their child’s life.

In closing, if you haven’t taken Growing Kids God’s Way, I am currently telling all my friends that I do believe it’s the best thing I’ve done as a parent. We will definitely be taking it again!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the release of Preparation for the Toddler Years curriculum was pushed back several months. On the technical side, a piece of equipment necessary to store the digital images was back- ordered for over four months. This created taping delays outside the control of GFI administration. The unit is now in place and the taping is proceeding according to a new schedule.

The second delay came as a result of an administrative decision made by Gary and Anne Marie. During the course of preparing the new Preparation for the Toddler Years curriculum, the Ezzos elected to split the series into two separate and distinct age-related programs. This decision was made in the best interest of the GFI community and for the young parents of the future who will interact with the new curriculum. The first series, The Babyhood Transitions, Parenting your 5 to 12 month old, is a two part series, designed specifically for pre-toddler parenting. We anticipate this resource to be available after March 15, 2008.

Following The Babyhood Transitions series is the long awaited Preparation for the Toddler Years. This five part series covers the specific ages of 12 to 36 months. At this time we expect this curriculum to be available on or near June 1, 2008.

We wish to note that unlike any previous curriculum produced by GFI, the two new courses have a number of highly complex, digital components and animations that support and aid the teaching process. We believe the benefits of these changes will significantly outweigh the delay in getting the new curriculum into the hands of our leaders. Please know that the team is working very diligently to meet their established goals and production deadlines. Thank you for your understanding.

The new Growing Kids God’s Way student workbooks are available for the 2007 fall classes. We trust the new look, along with some structural and content changes will deepen the student’s class experience. Our long time instructors will first notice the removal of the Foundations Chapter found in previous editions. To relieve any potential concerns, much of the content was relocated to other chapters, transferred to an appendix, or will eventually be moved to this website for download access.

Second, the appendix section has also changed with the deletion of some titles and addition of others. We added Let Them Play (Appendix Two which documents the important developmental role ‘play’ has in the life of a child), and Appendix Five, The Growing Kids Topic Pool. This appendix consolidates a number of topics into one location to better serve the student. All the appendixes, including those found in previous editions will be moved under the Class Facilitator’s Page of this website.

Third, and most significant, the new Growing Kids God’s Way edition includes: side-bar comments, Scripture quotations and recommended resources embedded throughout the text. A special word of acknowledgment and appreciation goes to Carla Link for her sacrifice of time to help compile many of these references. We believe the workbook is a better resource because of her efforts.

One of the greatest blessings any author can hope to achieve is to read how his or her life’s work impacted the hearts of the second generation. Just prior to press-time, we received a call from Amy Link, (daughter of Joey and Carla) asking if she and other teens might have opportunity to comment on various chapters and principles that were meaningful to them as children raised in Growing Kids God’s Way homes. The idea sounded intriguing, so consent was given to gather these comments. What a blessing to our hearts. Throughout the new book the reader can find brief testimonies by members of the first generation of GFI teens and young adults. We know their words will also edify and encourage the reader’s heart.

What do their comments reflect? One thing! It showcases that the GFI ministry throughout the world has grown larger than Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo ever expected and well beyond that of their children. That is, of course, the way it is suppose to be. Just as King David, in his last days proclaimed a blessing on his son Solomon – that the generation to come will be greater in the Lord than the generation that was – so also did we hope for the same outcome, (c.f. I Kings 1:37, 47). Our hope was fulfilled! As a result, anyone looking for role models within the Growing Kids community can turn to the thousands of families whose children, teens and adult children beautifully and fully exemplify GFI’s life giving message, it’s vitality, and the wonderful relational outcomes that are evident in so many families. The second generation has exceeded the first!

Finally, you will find a number of references to the “Mom’s Notes Bookstore”, (www.Momsnotes.com) throughout the text. This on-line store, established by Joey and Carla Link, provides quality print material for the entire family. Each book was reviewed for content, relevancy and it’s similarity to the GFI parenting philosophy. While we may not endorse every statement made in every book, the author’s over all parenting philosophy is consistent with that of the GFI curriculum.It is our hope and prayer that the changes and investment made in this new curriculum will be a blessing to parents now and in the future. Enjoy the new book.