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Babies are born to learn! And you are already your child's first and most influential teacher. You have shown your interest in your child's development by choosing to participate in Parents as Teachers.
The Parents as Teachers program is designed to offer developmental information and support to all parents of infants and young children. The goal of the program is to help parents give their child the best possible start in life. Parents as Teachers uses four ways to partner with parents to help each child reach his potential for learning.
The personal visit. During a personal visit, a certified parent educator (i.e., Kristi Lincoln) shares information on child development, brings an age-appropriate activity for you and your child to do together, and with you, observes your child's play and development. Usually, visits are conducted at your home, making it convenient and safe for small children. Visits last about an hour.
Group meetings. Parents come to a central location to meet other parents, hear experts speak on parenting topics, or share interesting activities with their child. Group meetings provide a chance for you to meet other parents of young children.
Screenings. Screening provides a yearly opportunity for you to see where your child 's progress fits in with standardized measures of child development. Health, hearing, and vision screenings are also provided. Screenings usually reassure parents that their children are meeting developmental milestones within usual age ranges. If delays are identified that may affect future learning, you can be referred to resources that will provide the help your child needs.
Resource network. Each Parents as Teachers program identifies resources in the community that are available for supporting and enriching families.
What you can expect from Parents as Teachers...
We will inform you of what you can reasonably expect of your child at each stage of development.
We will help you be a good observer of your child.
We will help you have fun playing with your child, and show you age-appropriate activities and materials.
We will help you be your child's first and most important teacher.
How You Can Help?
Please be willing to have personal visits, usually in the home, with a certified parent educator.
Please participate in group meetings.
Please be considerate about keeping appointments by being on time, and by canceling those that must be missed well ahead of time.
Please be willing to focus on your child during the personal visits. Turn off the TV or radio, put distracting pets in another room, and join the parent educator and child in play.
Please feel free to do whatever is necessary to meet the needs of your child during Parents as Teachers personal visits.
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