Parents as Teachers
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Being a parent means finding answers to questions. Long before their child asks "Why is the sky blue?" parents are faced with other issues such as "Is my child developing slower than his peers?" or "Does my baby actually learn when I play with her?"
Parents of children younger than 36 months old may find answers to many of their questions through the Parents as Teachers program in the Olathe Public Schools. The free program is personalized to meet the needs of individual families of babies and toddlers living within the Olathe Public Schools.
The Olathe program is part of the national Parents as Teachers program and follows its curriculum. All parent educators have a minimum of an undergraduate degree and experience in early childhood education. They also train in the national Parents as Teachers certification program.
Parents as Teachers can be reached at (913) 780-8106. The program coordinator is Nancy Keel, keeln@olatheschools.org. For more information, please contact Marita Douglas, douglasm@olatheschools.org.
Parent-Child Activity Ideas:
Parents may want to download and print these activity sheets for use at home. All are in PDF format.
- View A Cleaner, Greener House activity
- View Accordion Book activity
- View Bean Bags activity
- View Clothespin Color Match activity
- View Family Earth Day Ideas activity
- View File Folder Matching Game activity
- View Grocery Store Fun activity
- View Hammering Block activity
- View Make a Puzzle activity
- View Matching Lids and Jars activity
- View Music Shakers activity
- View Nesting Containers activity
- View No-Sew Fleece Cube activity
- View Paper Bag Blocks activity
- View Paper Bag Road Map activity
- View Peek-a-boo Baby activity
- View Phone Book Step-up activity
- View Placemat activity
- View Pop Bottle Roller activity
- View Pretend Groceries activity
- View Recycled Crayons activity
- View Resources for Outdoor Fun sheet
- View Roly-Poly Books activity
- View Shaker Bottle activity
- View Sock Can activity
- View Straws and Holes Toy activity
- View Surprise Box activity
- View Tracking Toy activity
- View Tummy Time Tent Board activity
- View Ziploc Books activity
Program Services:
- The winter 2012/spring 2013 P.A.T. newsletter (PDF) keeps parents informed of upcoming events as well as offers ideas for encouraging a child's development. (The newsletter is a PDF document viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
- Personal visits by certified educators trained in child development help parents understand each stage of a child's growth and offer practical tips to encourage learning.
- Group connections (formerly group meetings) bring parents together to share common concerns and gain new insights.
- Playtimes for parents and children are scheduled in three Olathe centers: Ridgeview Elementary School, North Lindenwood Support Center, and the Center of Grace.
- Screenings for overall development, language, hearing and vision help detect potential problems and prevent future difficulties in school.