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.
