An Early Program For Parents Of Children

Welcome to Parents As Teachers

The Parents As Teachers Program Is Free And Voluntary

Lamar County School District is committed to the children and families of Lamar County. The district believes in lifelong learning for everyone. In keeping with that belief, the district offers a Parents as Teachers program which is a parent education and family support program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten. Parents as Teachers is designed to foster strong, loving relationships between parents and their children.

As a PAT family you receive:

• Personal Visits - during which your parent educator will share age~appropriate child development and parenting information, help you learn to observe your child, and address your parenting concerns.

• Parent group meetings - which are opportunities to share information about parenting issues and child development. Parents learn and support each other, observe their children with other children and practice parenting skills.

• Screenings - to assess your child's overall development as well as health, hearing and vision.

• Resource network - that link your family to other community services.

Independent evaluations show PAT works!

PAT children:

• at age 3 are significantly more advanced in language, social development, problem solving and other cognitive abilities than comparison children.

• score higher on kindergarten readiness tests and on standardized measures of achievement in early grades.

PAT parents:

• are more involved in their children's schooling.

• are more confident in their parenting role and read more to their children.