5 Essential Features

The Five Essential Features are at the heart of HIPPY - they're the key elements that make the program.

One of these, 'Everywhere Learning' (that the skills that children learn and develop through HIPPY activities can be applied to everyday situations), wasn't always known by that name (or easily understood by families) until the HIPPY team in Alice Springs put their own stamp on it and changed the way we approached it permanently- as current Coordinator Mica explains:

'When I first became a Tutor, Nicola, who used to work in HIPPY, came to do pre-service Tutor training with us. She was going through the Five Essential Features, which included the term ‘generalisation’. I had never heard of that word in my life! I explained to [Nicola], ‘I’ve done higher education...and I’ve never come across this word.’ She went through and explained it to me, and I was like, ‘Oh. [It means] anywhere that you go, you’re constantly learning. Why wouldn’t you just say, “everywhere learning” because you’re learning everywhere?’

"Wouldn’t you just say, 'everywhere learning' because you’re learning everywhere?"

She was like, ‘Mica!’ and I thought I'd offended her. Then she said, ‘That’s brilliant!’ She said, ‘I’m going to take that back to HIPPY Australia – do you mind?’ And I said, ‘No! If it’s going to make things easier for regular people like me, then, yes, take it back’... [Generalisation] is not something I would use with families who have English as their second language. [If I were to say] ‘Today we’re going to talk about generalisation, they would be like... “What?”’

'Everywhere Learning' has since been adapted Australia-wide, supporting families understanding of this important HIPPY concept.

Staff at HIPPY Alice Springs have continued to influence the program and how families and Tutors are trained through designing an artwork depicting the Five Essential Features.

Originally the Features were depicted in a diagram as part of an abstract house - an image that didn't really resonate with Tutors and families as it had no real connection to the concepts it was supposed to depict. The HIPPY Alice Springs team again demonstrated their creativity and sharp thinking:

'That came about in our preservice Tutor training as well. Sarah, another Tutor who worked with me at the time – she and I were looking at each other and were like, ‘What is this house?’ I didn’t get it... Nicola asked, ‘Why don’t you come up with something that depicts [what you’re after]?’

[Then-Tutor] Aunty Joyce and I... had a little conversation in language and decided if we’re going out to get our families on board with this, we need to make it something they can relate to locally. We needed to make it our own. We [took on] one essential feature each, like, ‘[then-Coordinator] Aunty Gerri you have “two-year program” and Sarah you do “role play”.’ We just came up with our designs and put them all together on a big painting. Aunty Gerri and Sarah did a lot of the dot work and Aunty Joyce and I did all the symbols.'

“If we’re going out to get our families on board with this,
we need to make it something they can relate to locally.”

The above artwork was created by Aunty Geraldine Stewart, Mica Fleming, Aunty Joyce Palmer and Sarah Carmody, the Coordinator and Home Tutors at HIPPY Alice Springs. The artwork depicts the Five Essential Features of HIPPY and was presented to HIPPY Australia in July 2013.

Ever since, these images have been used illustrate HIPPY's Five Essential Features.

Just as HIPPY acknowledges that parents and carers art their children's first and most important teachers, we also acknowledge that HIPPY staff, families and communities bring their own expertise and knowledge that actively shapes the program both locally and nationally.

Find out more about Tangentyere Council, the program provider of HIPPY Alice Springs by visiting their website .

"When HIPPY Australia sent out all the new materials, we were the first ones to receive the Five Essentials Features banner with our design on it.

We were so proud."