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Erin Pohren

Parents as Teachers

The Parents as Teachers program is a voluntary early childhood parent education and family support program designed to help parents give their children the best possible start in life.  The Parents as Teachers program believes that all parents will be their child’s best first teachers. If you have a child who is five years old or younger, you are eligible to join!
 
There is much research to support the Parents as Teachers Program. In fact:

  • Parents as Teachers children at age three are significantly more advanced than comparison children in language, problem solving, and other cognitive abilities

  • Parents as Teachers parents are more involved in their children’s schooling, which is highly related to a child’s success at school

  • Parents as Teachers children score higher on kindergarten readiness tests and standardized measures of reading, math, and language in early elementary grades

  • Parents as Teachers parents are more confident in their parenting skills and knowledge; they read more to their children, which leads to future school success.

Components of the Maryville R-II Parents as Teachers Program:

Personal Visits: During personalized home visits with a certified parent educator, who is trained in child development, parents are assisted in understanding what to look for in each stage of their child’s development.  Parent educators offer practice tips to parents on ways to encourage learning, manage behavior in their children, and promote strong parent-child relationships.
 
Group Connections: At group meetings, parents get together to gain new insights and to share their parenting experiences, common concerns, and successes.  Some group connection meetings also provide families the opportunities to participate in parent-child activities.
 
Screenings: Parents as Teachers offers periodic screening when children are screened for hearing, vision, language, dental, nutritional, motor, intellectual and social-emotional development.  The goals of these screenings are to give parents an understanding of their child’s development and identify any potential concern before it could be an obstacle in their child’s development.
 
Resource Network: Families within our program can access other services integrated with Parents as Teachers programs in a broader early childhood program.  Parent educators can also provide assistance in finding requested community services.
 
To enroll your child in the Parents as Teachers program, please call 660-562-3915 today.  You can also contact Erin Pohren at pohrene@maryviller2.com
The Parents as Teachers office is located at the Maryville Early Childhood Center at 418 E. 2nd St., Maryville, MO 64468