The Family Talk Time Curriculum is designed to provide the skills, information, and self-confidence needed to empower refugee and immigrant parents to raise their children successfully in the United States. It is part of the Washington state Multi-ethnic Family Intervention Project at the Refugee Women’s Alliance. The curriculum was developed over a 2-year period by a multi-ethnic group of 10 refugee mothers, a bilingual staff, and parent educators from Seattle Central Community College. All techniques are designed to elicit input and opinions from the participants, to facilitate sharing among them, to introduce new information, to improve problem-solving skills, and to improve English language literacy skills. The teaching techniques include student stories, problem posing, brainstorming, charts and grids, student-drawn pictures, journal writing, and grammar activities. Chapters include: (1) Raising Children in the U.S. (remembering family history and culture, methods of discipline in different cultures, teenagers); (2) Understanding American Schools (parent-teacher conferences, supporting your children in school, notes from school); (3) Changing Family Roles in the U.S. (comparing customs and traditions about marriage, family violence, family planning); (4) Taking Care of Yourself (coping with depression, raising self-esteem); and (5) Using Community Resources (low-cost family entertainment, crime prevention). (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (LB)
