Pack the kids in the stroller and roll on over to the Ringgold County Parents as Teachers’ first-ever Roll and Read– Powered by Parents as Teachers. The event will be held on Thursday, September 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m, at the shelter house in the courthouse yard in Mt. Ayr. With a focus on physical well-being and early literacy, parents and children can walk, bike, skate, push a stroller or pull a wagon for a mile, walking laps around the inside of the square. They will also enjoy select children’s books at points along the way. The party is open to families with children of all ages, not just those participating in the Parents as Teachers program.
Roll and Read will offer fun and educational activities for families with children of all ages. Volunteer readers will share children’s stories at designated stops during the walk. Families will receive a free book for participating. Additionally, trained staff will be on hand to discuss child development, suggest appropriate children’s books and answer other related questions parents may have.
The Parents as Teachers event is one of several being held in communities across the United States in September as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Parents as Teachers (PAT). Internationally, PAT provides curriculum and training to support families with children from pregnancy through kindergarten. In Ringgold County, the Parents as Teachers program offered by Ringgold County Public Health has been serving families since 1999 and serves families with children 0-3 years old. It is part of a network of more than 2,000 PAT programs worldwide.
For more information about the Parents as Teachers international organization, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org. For more information about Parents as Teachers, check out our Parents as Teachers page on this website or contact Robin McDonnell by calling 641-464-0691 at Ringgold County Public Health.