"Parents as Teachers"

Did you know that if something can fit through a toilet paper tube, it's too small to give an infant?

Neither did I. Of course I always used common sense when handing things to my children, but this little nugget of information was provided to me by my "Parents As Teachers" parent educator. Sara has also given me information on choosing a pre-school, biting, picky eating, encouraging a bright child, basic baby care and much much more.

Each month Sara comes for an hour with a developmentally appropriate activity for each child and we work together on new concepts. This past Friday we worked with Ellie on patterns, sorting and hand-eye coordination by putting colored pegs into a board. Maddie discovered gravity when she was tracking red yarn and we lifted it high into the air and then dropped it. I litterally watched her learn this. It took exactly three times for her to catch on! Other memorable activities have been using a muffin tin as a puzzle with tennis balls and painting with shaving cream.

The goal of Parents as Teachers is to help parents think of themselves as their child's first teacher. They also do testing every six months to track each child's progress and assess areas that may need improvement or enrichment. Having a developmental specialist in your home for an hour each month is invaluable!

The best part of P.A.T. is that it is FREE. Yes, FREE! And every child qualifies no matter your income or need. You can check out http://www.parentsasteachers.org/ for information and to see if it is available in your area.

Happy teaching!