Parents as Teachers
Enrollment is always open!
There has been lots of press about the state cuts for the Parents as Teachers Program. Here at Lafayette County C-I, we were forced to reduce our staff but we are continuing services as we have in the past.
Parents As Teachers is a free voluntary program provided by all Missouri public school districts. We have an organized curriculum that offers personal visits, group meetings, and screenings to monitor your child's development. We provide you with information about child development and give you various activities and handouts to help facilitate your child's learning. Parents As Teachers promotes the philosophy that the parents are the first and most effective teachers in their child's life. The first three years of life are the most important for learning.
Personal visits provide an opportunity for a Parent Educator to come to your home to share information with you about your child's development and give you an opportunity to ask questions about your child. During personal visits, the educator will also provide a parent-child activity for you and your child to do together to help facilitate their learning.
Group meetings are offered through out the school year. They provide an opportunity for you and your child to get to know children of the same age and network with resources in the community. At these meetings, parents can share common concerns, frustrations, and successes in rearing and teaching of children. Some group meetings that we have provided include: infant massage, story time, theme parties, constructive play, effective discipline and child safety.
The screenings are offered to monitor a child's development. These screenings can be done in the home, at our local preschools, at our spring group meeting, or at our office.
Several studies show that children that participate in Parents As Teachers Program were significantly advanced in language development, were further along in social development and make greater strides in problem solving and intellectual skills.
So how do you become involved in Parents As Teachers? You may call our office at 660-584-6069 or email us at knipmeyera@huskers.k12.mo.us. We would love to schedule a personal visit with you and your child, to let you see how out program works and enroll you in our program.
