Joplin Parents as Teachers

08/29/2026

📚✨ Little Books, BIG Vocabulary! ✨📚

Did you know? Children can learn an average of 4,000–12,000 new words each year as a result of reading books! 🤯💬

Every story you share is more than just a cozy moment—it’s an opportunity to build language, spark curiosity, strengthen connection, and help your child discover new words and ideas. ❤️

🌟 PAT tip: Let your child choose the book, pause to talk about the pictures, point out interesting words, and ask, “What do you think will happen next?” There’s no need to finish the book—the conversation is the learning!

So grab a favorite book, snuggle up, and read, talk, play, and discover together! 🥰📖

Source/Credit: Scholastic — research cited from Anderson & Nagy (1992).
Inspired by: Discovery Toys

08/28/2026

Your child can know the rule and still not have the skills to follow it in a hard moment. 💛

When emotions are big, children may need connection, co-regulation, and practice—not just reminders of the rule.

Knowing what to do and being able to do it when overwhelmed are two different skills. 🌱

Credit: .parentcoach

08/26/2026

🚂🦖⛵🏠 When Play Has No Rules…That’s When the Learning Happens! 💛

This little PAT cutie is busy creating a whole world with a dollhouse family, train, boat, dinosaur, and a little imagination! And the best part? The child is in charge of the story. 🥰

When children lead their own pretend play, they’re building so many important skills. They’re practicing language, creativity, problem-solving, flexible thinking, sequencing, and social-emotional skills as they decide what happens next and how all their characters and toys fit into the story.

There may not be an obvious “plan” to us—but in a child’s mind, that hodgepodge of toys can become an entire adventure! 🌟

At Parents as Teachers, we love following the child’s lead, watching their ideas unfold, and giving them space to explore, imagine, and learn through play. When children lead the play, we get a glimpse into how they think, what they know, and what they’re discovering. 💕

08/25/2026

Thank you Dolly!

Thank you, Dolly.

For decades, Dolly Parton has helped put books into the hands of millions of young children through her Imagination Library, beginning at birth.

And those books represent so much more than learning to read.

In the earliest years, sharing a book is a chance for babies and toddlers to hear new words, explore the world, connect with the people who love them and build the relationships that help their brains grow. Long before a child can read the words on a page, they’re learning through every story, snuggle, point and conversation.

Inspired by her own father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read, Dolly turned a deeply personal experience into a commitment to making books more accessible to families, regardless of where they live or what they earn.

Her work is a powerful reminder that every child deserves opportunities to learn, connect and thrive from the very beginning.

Thank you, Dolly, for believing in babies.

08/25/2026

A few more First Day of school cuties!!

08/24/2026

First Day of School cuties!!

08/24/2026

🎒🍎✨ Happy FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! ✨🍎🎒

Here’s to a year filled with ABCs, 123s, story time, crafts, play, giggles, and lots of learning! 📚✏️🌈

There may be big questions, big feelings, messy projects, and plenty of “I’m done!” moments 😂—but there will also be so many sweet memories made along the way.

Cheers to an amazing preschool + kindergarten year! 🎉❤️

Let the learning, laughter, and adventure begin! ✨

Pics of our little cuties ready for their first day to follow! Be on the look out!

Joplin Schools Early Childhood

08/23/2026

Just one more sleep until our favorite people are filling up our school buses, classrooms, playgrounds, and hallways - we're ready to welcome you back tomorrow, Eagles!

⭐ Prep your first day outfit and backpack
⭐ Charge your Chromebook
⭐ Set your alarm
⭐ Get to bed early
⭐ Leave time for back-to-school pics
⭐ Eat a good breakfast (hopefully in our cafeterias!)

We will see you in the morning! 🦅