Last Thursday, Time.com posted an interested article about the role of parents in a child’s education development. But, the role described here is no ordinary one. In many cities including Miami and Philadelphia, parents receive a welcome kit upon the arrival of their child. It included a baby book in three different languages along with a note from the “Parent Academy.” These “Parent Academies” are geared to parents who would normally not play a large role in their child’s development. These parents include low-income, single parents, and immigrants. The push of the “Parent Academies” emphasizes just how pivotal a role the home plays in a child’s literal development. Parents who might normally be uncomfortable with homework, reading lessons, and other perils are given an opportunity to learn how to help them.
This article is worth taking a look at. These programs are designed to make parents feel much more comfortable with literacy (and many other areas!) development. More often than not, we tend to focus on literacy development primarily in the classroom. There are some minor flaws for the “Parent Academy.” First of all, these organizations tend not to receive the necessary funding. In addition, those parents who may need it the most may not have access to these programs. Furthermore, these programs last about ten weeks. Ten weeks is not long enough to truly make one feel comfortable in teaching their babies on the way to read. The idea of a “Parent Academy” has a lot of potential if parents are given adequate preparation to hone their skills and give them an enhanced sense of confidence.
This article sounds really interesting, I would love to check it out. I clicked on the link, but it was not linked to the article. Do you have the exact name of the article?
ReplyDeleteI think the "Parent Academy" sounds like a really great thing. I think it is so important reading to babies is. I think it is a great way to open peoples eyes. I think it is great that there is a program like this out there, but i agree that 10 weeks is definitely not long enough to make one feel comfortable.
Working in a kindergarten class for the last few months, I have seen first hand how important it is for parents to work with their children at home. Simple things like reading with your child at night make a huge difference.
Thank you for sharing that great article.