Wed, Jan 07 2009
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Published September 03, 2008 06:12 pm - Many people think those little kindergartners are the youngest people enrolled in our schools. They would be wrong. Jane Drummond: Program offers early start toward success School is back in full swing! Buses are out in full force, and a fresh flock of kindergartners is getting the routine down while sporting lots of Hannah Montana and Spider-Man backpacks.
Many people think those little kindergartners are the youngest people enrolled in our schools. They would be wrong. The age at which your school district wants your child to enroll, in an ideal world, is at the time you find out you are going to have a baby ... or anytime before he or she enters school. The Parents as Teachers program, serving all children prenatal through school entry, is in full swing during the school year (many programs offer summer services, too). To enroll, you just need to contact the PAT program in the school district in which you reside. So what exactly is PAT? It actually started here in the state of Missouri more than 20 years ago and is now in all 50 states and several foreign countries. It is state- mandated in Missouri that every school district provide it. The reality is when you come home with your baby from the hospital, they forget to give you a manual on how the kid operates and develops, so the school district provides you with a free parent educator who will follow your kiddo until it is time for school. The goal of PAT is to offer developmental information and support all parents in giving their children the best possible start in life. They know the important fact that parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. There are four main ways PAT reaches out to families. The first is through personal visits. Your parent educator brings age-appropriate materials and an age-appropriate activity. They also will encourage you and answer any questions you have. PAT meetings can take place in your home or the PAT site and typically last about an hour. Your PAT program will also keep you informed of a variety of optional free group meetings and play days. Each year, your parent educator will do a developmental screening on your child, along with a vision and hearing screening. These screenings let parents know where their children are, and if there are any red flags, we can refer them to the help and services that they need. PAT also has a huge resource network, as we are tied into dozens of resources in the community to support and help you and your family. Years ago, school was much different. I remember going to kindergarten to learn to write our names and learn our colors … (I wrote “Jane” as “June” through mid year). Now I see many kindergartners reading words in mid year, and PAT is a great free, voluntary program to get your child on the right path now. PAT is a sure key to open the door to that success. Jane Drummond has worked with children as a preschool teacher and child-care director in the Kansas City area and is now in her ninth year as a parent educator for the Carthage School District. 
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