Parents Are Best Teachers
Parents as First Teachers (Paft) is a nationwide free home-visiting programme funded by Ministry of Education. It’s based on the philosophy that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers.
The eight parent educators in the Manawatu/Tararua/Rangitikei region visit 343 families between them once a month, co-ordinator Celia Thomas says.
Paft is for babies to three-year- olds with educators sharing with parents information and practical ideas on how ways to provide exciting, inexpensive educational experiences for their children and develop a love of books.
Educators show parents how to use toys to support and check on their child’s development.
For example, hearing is a big focus at four months so educators take toys that make sounds. At 17 months, when children want to be mum and dad’s helper, paint and play dough are used.
Activities that encourage peek-a- boo are good to help children deal with separation anxiety and help them learn about object permanence, Mrs Thomas says.
“Babies are born with hard wiring, it’s parents that put in the software.”
That software comes when parents develop attachment with their baby, nurture them and learn to understand how they communicate with their parents. The emotional support babies get from that attachment survives them for life.
Paft educators encourage learning based around a child’s strengths. For example, if little Zac can’t stop moving a door or pushing his toy car, he’s learning about force and motion or cause and effect, and parents can provide extra activities to support that.
A child’s interests move quickly from one activity to another so educators encourage parents to recognise this.
Educators find their work rewarding because they see parents making connections with their children and progress in recognising development, Mrs Thomas says.
Paft is part of the Team-Up campaign fronted by former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga; the campaign aims to get parents more involved in their children’s education. Umaga told the March issue of Rise magazine, published by the Ministry of Social Development, that every child has talent and the way to realise potential is to work hard and be committed.
“Parents need to help kids develop commitment,” Umaga says. “Kids can go a long way with a bit of help from mum and dad every day.” Paft, which has been operating in New Zealand since 1992, also offers group meetings and outings, plus developmental milestone checks. (…)
Source: Manawatu Standard, New Zealand
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/eveningstandard/4449200a20378.html
