Parents as Teachers

Parents As Teachers

Become your child's

first and most important teacher.

  A free program for you and your child. 

What is Parents as Teachers?

Parents as Teachers is a free and voluntary early learning program.  The goal of Parents as Teachers is to help parents be better teachers during the most critical years of their child's development -- the years before kindergarten.

Parents as Teachers helps parents understand more about how children grow and learn.  This will help children get a better start in life and be more ready to learn when they start school.

How do I qualify for Parents as Teachers?

There are three qualifications for Parents as Teachers?

1.   You must live within the Pine Valley School District.

2.   You should be expecting a child or have a child under the age of 3.

3.   You should have a desire to learn more about being your child's first teacher.

Why is early childhood learning so important?

• The brain uses stimulation from the environment to learn.
• Brain development before age 3 is rapid and extensive.
• The influence of the early environment is long-lasting.
• By age 3, a child should understand about 1,000 words, which is two-thirds of the vocabulary he will use in everyday conversation as an adult.
• By age 5, it is difficult to overcome delays in language, problem solving and social skills.

What are the family benefits of early learning?

• Parents are more confident in their skills.
• Children perform better in school.
• Parenting is more fun and less stressful.

What free services does Parents as Teachers offer?

• Information and guidance before birth to help prepare for the important job of being a parent.
• Information on what to look for and expect as a child grows and develops.
• Check-ups of your child's educational, hearing and vision development.
• Personal visits every 4-6 weeks with educators trained in child development.
• Group meetings with other parents to share experiences and discuss topics of interest.
• A resource library to learn more about teaching and rearing your child.
• Home visits by educators to help you track the development of your child and get answers to your questions.

Your baby was born to learn.

Does Parents as Teachers work?
The answer is a resounding YES!  Evaluations of Parents as Teachers programs show beneficial results.

• Parents as Teachers children were more advanced in social, intellectual and language development.
• Parents as Teachers parents know more about child rearing techniques.
• Parents as Teachers children scored higher on math and reading achievement tests.
• Parents as Teachers children were given higher teacher evaluations in reading, language arts, social development, study habits and spelling.
• Parents as Teachers parents agree that personalized visits were helpful, informative, and supportive of them as parents.
• Parents as Teachers parents were more likely to regard their school districts as responsive to their children's needs.                                    

If you are interested in participating in the Parents as Teachers program or would like further information, please contact your PAT representative today.