Building Stepfamilies That Work©	

Read Me First 

Welcome to the Building Stepfamilies That Work download site. 

If you have not already done so, consider viewing the downloading tutorial. A link to it appears at the top of this download site, and at the end of the “Introduction” section.  The following information provides a summary of the information that appears in the tutorial.

Step 1) Before beginning to download:
•	Read the information about:
o	The types of files stored on the site
o	The three downloading options
•	Decide upon the method (Graphical Display, Text Display, or Zip File) that you will use to access/download your course materials. (We will assume that you are using the Graphical Display method.)

Step 2) Scroll to the Graphical Display table: 
•	Refer to the appropriate “row” or “Week” of documents 
o	View the Readings for the week (by single, left-clicking on them).
o	Next, download the week’s homework assignments (by right-clicking the appropriate icon and selecting “Save As” or “Save Target As”)  
o	Then complete the downloaded homework assignments, and finally,
o	Bring your completed assignments to the next class.

For example, after Class 1 you will: 
•	Read:
o	Patterns of Development in Stepfamilies
o	Strengthening Your Couple Relationship

•	(Independently) complete: 
o	the on-line Stepfamily Stress Index (SSI), and

•	Print out and complete:
o	The *Balance Map (Print out two copies)
o	The Dating Assignment,
o	The Expectations Assignment, and then
o	Print out the Goal Setting Assignment

•	Then you will:
o	Watch the How To Succeed video and 
o	complete the Goal Setting Assignment

* Note: Some items will need to be printed in duplicate so that you and your partner will both have a copy. These items are marked with a “double icon” on the download page, and are also marked with an asterisk ( * ) in the Table of Contents—one of the first documents you will print out.

	Always bring your completed assignments to the next class (or videoconference).
Do not work ahead. It is important that you have the necessary background information before attempting these assignments.	

Additional Materials: For our home-study courses, all of the necessary materials will 
be included in your program package. For our videoconference and in-class courses, 
some materials, in addition to those provided on this download site, will also be used. They will be distributed when appropriate.

Technical Information:  Most of the text files on the download site have been saved as “rich text format” (.rtf) files. You should be able to open them up with any word processor installed on your computer. 

 In keeping with their authors’ wishes, some documents only appear as .pdf files (portable document files). They are marked with this red icon. You will require an application called Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to open and print them. If these .pdf files do not open when you “click” on them, you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html . Once you have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer, the .pdf files will open when you click on them, and you will be able to print them out on your printer as you would with any other document.

All rights reserved. The reproduction, use, distribution or storage or of this work, in whole or in part, by any and all means, without the express written permission of the author, is strictly prohibited.	

Readmefirst.rtf