Mildred Winter
Executive Director
Parents as Teachers
Beginning at the beginning" is the hallmark of the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, a home-school community partnership that extends from birth to age 5 and helps parents give their child the best possible start in life. Begun in Missouri and replicated in 47 other states and 6 other countries, the Parents as Teachers program is based on the philosophy that parents are a child's first and most influential teachers, and that the school's role in the early years is to assist families in giving their children a solid educational foundation.
An emphasis on the child's language development permeates the Parents as Teachers program. PAT shows parents, from their first interactions with their newborns, the importance of responding to the child's vocalizations and how to capture the teachable moments in everyday living to enhance language development. Parents are encouraged to be attentive listeners and appropriate questioners as they learn to engage their young child in conversations about what is happening around them.
Involving babies with books from infancy on and helping children develop a love of stories is a part of every PAT program. Parent educators routinely use developmentally appropriate books during home visits to show parents the kinds of books the child will enjoy at each age and to model their use with the child. Parents of newborns, for example, are encouraged to recite nursery rhymes to their babies so they can enjoy the rhythm of the language while being held close. As their baby grows, the parents learn to expect her to mouth vinyl and cardboard books as she explores her environment. As manipulation gives way to a greater interest in the content of books, parents are shown how to choose books with bright, simple pictures with few words; they are encouraged to store books always within the child's reach. Parent educators model expressive reading of simple stories for older toddlers, with gradual movement toward longer, yet always appropriate, books.
Parent-child group meetings regularly include story times for toddlers and preschoolers; sometimes these are "bedtime story times," when children come in pajamas and bring their teddy bears. Parents are encouraged to use community libraries; some schools districts allow PAT parents to borrow books from elementary school libraries--a meaningful effort to bring young families to school early, as well as to promote literacy.
For more information, please contact Mildred M. Winter, Executive Director (314) 432-4330 or patnc@patnc.org
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