Current Projects
Parents As Teachers (PAT)
Program
Information
| PAT Brochure | History and Background
| Quotes from Families | FAQ's
Information
provided by Parents As Teachers National Center based out of St. Louis,
Missouri.
The concept for Parents As
Teachers was developed in the 1970s when Missouri educators noted that
children were beginning kindergarten with varying levels of learning readiness.
Research
showed that greater family involvement in children's learning is a critical
link in the child's development of academic skills, including reading
and writing. Early childhood professionals suggested that a program to
help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development
right from birth could help prepare children for school and life success.
Such a program, available to all families, would help level the playing
field for all children.
With funding from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The Danforth Foundation, Parents As Teachers began in 1981 in Missouri as a pilot project for first-time parents of newborns. Convinced of the program's benefits and cost effectiveness, state funding was provided in 1985 to implement the PAT program in all Missouri school districts. Since 1985, the program has expanded to all 50 states and to other countries.
Research indicates there are
"windows of opportunity" 
during
the early years of a child's life when learning takes place more easily.
Through collaboration with a team of neuroscientists from Washington University
School of Medicine in St. Louis, Parents As Teachers developed a comprehensive
neuroscience-enriched curriculum. With this research-based curriculum,
Parents As Teachers focuses on the early years, throughout pregnancy to
kindergarten entry, to help parents understand what to expect during each
stage of their child's development.
