Columbia Parents as Teachers

Parents often share that this support helped them feel more confident, more connected, and better prepared, not just for school, but for all aspects of their child’s growth.

That’s the power of Parents as Teachers Parent Education! Walking alongside families and supporting the whole child and family. 💙

🎥 Hear how families and school leaders see this impact across Missouri:
https://youtu.be/VwDxPJLGaqM

We are so grateful to Children's Grove for the chance to help them spread and promote kindness by providing these fantastic picture books to families with young children. How fun! THANK YOU Children's Grove.

Happy National Home Visiting Week!

Join Raising Readers Raising Readers email sign-up form.

This week READ.PLAY.SHINE. and SING with Jim Gill!

At the invitation of the Daniel Boone Regional Library, on May 5 at 6 p.m., award-winning musician and author Jim Gill will perform at the Missouri Theater. The Sing-Along & Read-Along With Jim Gill event is free, but attendees should register to save their seats: www.dbrl.org/jim-gill

This event marks the formal launch of . An information table will be set up in the lobby for attendees to learn more about the county-wide campaign to promote early childhood literacy and equip parents and caregivers with simple tools to build strong reading habits.

Registration for 2026 Mornings at the River is now open.

This June, we’re inviting families with young kids to spend their mornings at the river. Story time, crafts, special guests, and plenty of room to explore at their own pace.

It’s not a classroom. It’s not a program you sit through. It’s time outside, together, with the river as the backdrop.

Designed for ages 0–5.
9:30–11:30 a.m. at Cooper’s Landing.

Program Dates
June 2nd, 4th, 9th, 11th, 16th, 18th

Learn more and sign up here! �bit.ly/mo-river-mornings

Let's READ.PLAY.SHINE!

This week let's SING! Did you know music is a powerful tool that supports early literacy in development in children? "The Flea Song" is a great place to start.

Start on a low note and sing up the scale as the flea climbs up, and then down the scale as the flea climbs down. Ask your child to identify body parts as you go. Finish by gently swatting the flea.

On my foot there is a flea.
Now he’s climbing on my knee.
Past my belly.
Past my nose.
On my head where my hair grows.
On my head there is a flea.
Now he's climbing down on me.
Past my belly.
Past my knee.
On my foot.
Take that, you flea!

Our sense of whether or not we matter—to our loved ones, our communities, and the world at large—begins in the earliest days of infancy. While it’s never too late to build a sense of mattering, when we start early, we can have an outsized positive effect on children’s health and well-being across their lifespan.

Listen to our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Lindsey Burghardt, on the BDA Baby podcast, hosted by Katherine Schwarzenegger, to learn more about the importance of mattering in early childhood. Dr. Burghardt also shares everyday strategies for helping young children feel that they matter.

🎧 Listen here: https://apple.co/41p1KrA

In the first three years of life, a baby’s brain forms over 1 million new connections every second.

Those connections are built on love, safety, and emotionally nourishing relationships.
This is how babies build trust. How they learn. How they grow.

But that window is short. And not every baby gets what they need in time.

Each baby’s potential is unlimited.
The window to support them is not.

See why belief matters: https://bit.ly/4txHq4n