Newborn A

(Child due between September and April)

This class provides the foundation for a successful transition into motherhood. There are many new things to learn about a newborn’s development, behaviors, and most importantly needs. Please feel free to bring your infant with you to class if you should have him or her during the school year!

Newborn B

(Child born between April and August)

All the infant “firsts” are shared and cherished in these important first six months. Bedtime routines are established and new foods are introduced.  Please feel free to bring your infant (0-6 months old) to class with you!

Class 1A

The entirety of the first year is discussed and celebrated. The child is developing new behaviors and reaching milestones in crawling, walking, and babbling.

Class 1B

Bye bye baby-hello toddler!  Mobility and exploration are underway.  In this class, we cover discipline, napping, language development, and social skills.  We also discuss preschool readiness, preparing for siblings, and potty training.  The goal of this class is to help prepare parents for the many transitions that are a part of this stage of development.

Class 2A & Class 2B

Helping parents prepare and guide their children through the major transitions of toddlerhood and the year ahead. Preparing for preschool, potty training, moving from the crib to the bed, behavioral changes, and social interaction are the goals of this class.

Class 3A & Class 3B

This class focuses on the struggle for power between child and parent, providing useful and effective parenting strategies while respecting the child’s need for independence.  Sibling interaction and the family are discussed as well.

Class 4A & Class 4B

This class devotes much time to children’s social development, covering a variety of issues from anger management to conflict resolution to peer relationships.  Additionally, topics in this class will include: establishing family rules, building self-confidence and self-reliance, and encouraging cognitive and physical development.

Pre-K or Junior Kindergarten

(Child enrolled in Pre-K or Junior Kindergarten)

Parents discuss and prepare for the next step into kindergarten, including but not limited to: choosing a school that meets their child’s and family’s needs, learning math and reading tools that will enhance kindergarten success, and finding ways to encourage self-confidence and independence.

Kindergarten

(Child enrolled in Kindergarten)

Come to this class for support, encouragement, and many laughs as we help moms and their children transition into elementary school. Topics will focus on nurturing a child’s autonomy, helping them set appropriate boundaries, fostering their awareness, and encouraging responsibility.

Elementary A & B

(Grades 1-3 & 4-6)

These classes help Valley parents navigate the challenges of parenting increasingly independent children. These classes will cover topics such as: how to partner with your child’s teacher and school, bullying recognition and prevention, nutrition for learning, deepening your relationship with your child as he/she gets older, parenting in the digital age, raising your child to be an innovator, and encouraging autonomy. Elementary classes will be split as deemed necessary (based on enrollment) in order to provide content to as targeted of an age range as possible.

Parenting Exceptional Kids

This class is geared towards parents who have a child with a suspected or diagnosed condition that creates learning differences for them. Examples include, but are not limited to, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADHD, and Autism. This class is age inclusive and will cover topics related to developmental markers/milestones, evaluations and assessments, navigating the school system, setting up various therapies and resources for your child, and parent support.

**Please note that registration in this class does not include a full NCPG social membership, nor does it replace enrollment in any of our age-specific classes.

Class Progression

For 35 years, North Central Parenting Group has followed a class progression that has proven to be most beneficial to members and instructors. We group parents by their oldest child’s age.

Parenting a 3 month old is much different than parenting an 11 month old, so classes for the “little ones” were created for a much smaller age range. As our children age, the developmental differences between a few months lessens, therefore the age range in classes widens as we move on into school-age  years.

Below are the NCPG policies and protocol for class placement:

  1. For Newborn A through Class 4B, members will be placed based on the birthdate of their oldest child. In some circumstances, members may be permitted to request placement based on a child other than their oldest. However, this is up to the discretion of the Membership Co-Chairs and the Executive Board.
  2. Member enrollment may impact class placement as the Board strives to have no class be too large or too small. If the class that a member would normally be assigned to is full, that member may be offered a spot in the class just above or below their child’s age group (if space permits). Please note that placement outside of a member’s child’s age group will only be permitted in the event that the normally assigned class is full. Special requests will not be accepted.
  3. Beginning in Pre-K/Jr. Kindergarten, class placement will be determined based on the member’s oldest child’s GRADE in school rather than their age. Enrollment in the specified grade is required to be placed in a particular class. For example, a member’s oldest child must be enrolled in Kindergarten to be placed in the Kindergarten class.
  4. The only exception to the previously mentioned policies will be if abiding by these policies prevents an existing member from remaining with their current group. For example, if a member is placed slightly outside of their child’s age group due to space restraints in the year that they joined, that member will be permitted to remain with that group as they continue on in NCPG if desired. These members are also welcome to request placement that more closely aligns with their child’s age or grade if space permits during a subsequent year. However, once moved, these members cannot choose to repeat a class in order to be back with their original group.
  5. Special requests based on teacher preference and/or having friends in a particular class will not be honored. This is to maintain the integrity of our classes and prevent a wider range of ages and/or school grades in each class than was originally intended.

If you have any questions about your class assignment, please contact membership@ncpgaz.org.

 

The information provided by NCPG instructors should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.