Welcome to Parents as Teachers
by Josephine Njoroge, PAT Area Supervisor
Did you know Parents as Teachers (PAT) was started in Missouri? In 1984 Missouri became the first state in the nation to mandate parent education and family support services, beginning at the child's birth, in every school district. The State Board of Education had earlier defined this as the role and responsibility of the public education system during the years when home is the child's school. A year later, in 1985, the Kansas City Missouri School District fulfilled this mandate with the PAT Program.
This program is designed to offer developmental information and support to all parents of children birth to five. The goal of the program is to help parents give their children the best possible start in life. At PAT we believe that parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.
Research has shown that children learn more during the early years. To foster children's early learning experiences PAT uses four ways to partner with parents to help each child reach his or her potential for learning:
- THE PERSONAL VISIT. At the personal visit, a certified parent educator shares information on child development, brings an ageappropriate activity for parent and child to do together, and with the parent observes the child's play and development.
- GROUP MEETINGS. Parents come to a central location to hear experts speak on parenting topics, or share interesting activities with their child. The meetings provide opportunities for parents to meet other parents of young children.
- SCREENINGS. Screenings provide a yearly opportunity for parents to see where their child's progress fits in with standardized measures of child development. Health, hearing, and vision screening are also done. Although these screenings usually reassure parents that their children are successfully reaching developmental milestones, they also alert the parent to delays that may affect learning. If delays are identified referrals can be made immediately.
- RESOURCE NETWORK. Each PAT program identifies resources in the community that are available for supporting and enriching families.
It is the task of those of us who work with parents and their children to encourage these parents to produce rich experiences for their children. We know "rich experiences produce rich brains." We have to assist parents to become better observers of their child, to help them have realistic expectation of their child and to encourage them to interact with their children in a positive manner.
Having provided PAT services to families for over 20 years, we know the homeschool partnership really works. Experience has shown that PAT produces confident, competent parents and happy, wellrounded, academically able children. Independent evaluations showed that children who participated in the program were significantly more advanced in language development than other three year olds; had made greater strides in problem solving and other intellectual skills; were further along in social development than their peers; and were still ahead in first grade.
Parents as Teachers is a free program and is available in your local Missouri and Kansas school district. Please contact your local school district to enroll. See PAT events below!
Jump, Jog and Jingle- focuses on motor skills, balance, & social skills -- 3mo to 5yrs
- Central - 14 West 10th Street, 816-701-3400 - 6:30pm Tuesdays, Sept 13 & Oct 11
- Plaza - 4801 Main, 816-701-3481 - 7pm Tues, Sept 20 & Oct 18 ~ 10am Wed, Sept 21 & Oct 19
- Waldo - 201 East 75th St, 816-701-3486 - 7pm Wed, Sept 7 & Oct 5 ~ 10am Thurs, Sept 8 & Oct 6
- Westport - 118 Westport Road, 816-701-3488 - 6:30pmWednesdays, Sept 14 & Oct 12
First Books/FELI (Family Emergent Literacy Initiative) - birth to 8, features songs, crafts and stories promoting literacy. Each child receives a free book.
- Westport - 118 Westport Road, 816-701-3488 - 6:30pm Wednesdays, Sept 7 & Oct 5
Check the Kansas City Public Library website at http://www.kcpl.lib.mo.us for more children's events.