Parent Education Curriculum/Course Outline

       Bridges to Kinder provides observation and hands on experience allowing parents to understand child development theory in action and acquire new skills for increasing self-esteem, communication, cooperation, and problem solving.

Textbooks:

• Positive Discipline for Preschoolers  by J. Nelsen, C. Erwin, & R. Duffy
• Becoming The Parent You Want To Be  by L. Davis & J. Keyser
• The Parents Tao Te Ching  by W. Martin
• Parents Make the Difference  Early Childhood Newsletter

• Course Goals:

• To raise self-esteem of parents.
• To expose parents to current thinking in child development.
• To achieve a level of competence in working with preschool aged children.
• To prepare parents to participate in a meaningful way in their child’s future education.
• To enhance communication and conflict resolution skills.
• To develop an understanding of their child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
• To gain a working ability to understand and meet their own child’s developmental needs.  Translated to home environment, they become more able and confident in their parenting skills.
• Under the guidance of teaching staff, parents will be given expanded tools and skills, which they will use in meaningful and concrete ways to enhance the school community.
• To learn what county resources are available to them as parents.
• Board members will expand their knowledge of administrative, leadership, and fundraising skills.

Performance Objectives:

• Parents will become knowledgeable of developmental growth in young children.
• Parents will become advocates for their children’s educational needs.
• Parents will learn techniques for working with toddlers, preschool, and primary age children.
• Parents will learn to enjoy and relax in the companionship of their child.
• Parents will increase their awareness of the uniqueness of each child and accept their individuality.
• Parents will become acquainted with and participate in a community service that teaches parenting and communication skills.
• Parents will become active participants in school operation and program administration through a variety of activities.
• Parents will become aware of county resources available to them and their children.

Instructional Strategies:

• Handouts and annotated materials from the parent library.
• Large and small group discussion.
• Aiding in toddler, preschool, and primary grade classrooms.
• Community speakers and lectures.
• Workshops.
• Fundraisers.
• Field trips.
• Parent conferences.
• Classroom observation.
• Films, visual materials and displays.
• Developing and maintaining classroom buildings and outdoor facilities.

 Evaluation Methods:

• Discussion and feedback of staff and peers at small group meetings.
• Ono-on-one parent conferences with staff.
• Written evaluation to demonstrate the following: Comprehension of program content, critique of staff and program, self-evaluation of skills and knowledge upon entering and when exiting the program.

 Course Repetition: 

Considering the unique needs of each parent/child relationship, and a child’s progress through developmental stages, a parent may continue to enroll so long as he/she has a child within the program’s age requirement.