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With the Pathways to Competence for Young Children: A Parenting Program, professionals can help parents understand and manage their child's behavior and take an active, positive role in guiding their children's social-emotional development. Developed from Sarah Landy’s highly regarded child development book, Pathways to Competence, this manual-and-CD set shows how to set up, lead, and evaluate a successful parenting program for parents of children from birth to age 7. This one-of-a-kind program is
- Proven effective. Field-tested for ten years with hundreds of parents, this program has proved highly successful in improving child behavior and enhancing parenting skills.
- Hands-on and practical. Professionals will learn how to lead group discussions, activities and exercises, and role-plays on key parenting challenges.
- Versatile. Materials can be used for a 10-, 15-, or 20-week parenting group, and professionals can tailor the program to suit their needs. The program is appropriate for a wide range of audiences, including parents with depression, teen mothers, and parents of children with behavior problems..
Everything professionals need to conduct a Pathways to Competence Parenting Group is included: more than 140 parent handouts (easy to print from the CD-ROM inside the book), instructions on structuring and leading sessions, problem-solving tips, and evaluation guidelines. With this engaging and effective program, parents will discover how to strengthen their relationships with their children and foster the healthy social-emotional development children need to manage life’s challenges.
- Sales Rank: #1419743 in Books
- Published on: 2006-08-30
- Released on: 2006-08-30
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 10.75" h x 8.25" w x .75" l, 1.47 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 272 pages
Review
"A valuable resource that needs to be made available widely to service providers, educators, students, social marketers, researchers, policy makers and parents." - Patrick Schwarz, Ph.D., National-Louis University"
About the Author
Dr. Landy is a developmental and specialist clinical psychologist at Family Pathways, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia. She is also an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and an adjunct professor at York University in Toronto.
Dr. Landy has worked for more than 20 years in the field of early intervention. Among her many published works, she has written several articles and contributed to books on various topics related to the assessment and treatment of infants, young children, and their families, including "Parenting Infants from Birth to Two Years," in Parenting in America (ARC Clio, 2000) with Rosanne Menna; "Assessment and Evaluation in Community Settings," in the World Handbook of Infant Mental Health (John Wiley ©2000); and "Difficult Behaviours: When Your Child Seems Out of Control," from The New Baby and Child Care Encyclopedia (Family Communications, Inc., 1995).
Dr. Landy has been involved in a variety of aspects of early intervention, including program development, program management as director and clinical director, research, consultation, teaching and training, and clinical practice. The programs she has initiated and developed include a tracking system for infants and young children in which mothers and children were assessed for any risks during the children's first 5 years and provided with interventions when necessary. She has also been instrumental in creating developmental services and community-based services for families at psychosocial risk.
Dr. Landy's current interests and activities include assessment and treatment of young children with severe developmental, behavioral, and emotional and social problems of various kinds; intervention with high-risk families with young children; program development; and training. Dr. Landy has long been an advocate for programs that can reach and be relevant for the most at-risk families.
Dr. Thompson is a psychologist and medical educator who has worked with families and children for more than 25 years. She received her doctorate in child psychology from the University of Toronto. Dr. Thompson has researched, taught, and practiced in early intervention in several Canadian provinces. She is on faculty at the University of Toronto and has taught at a number of universities both in Canada and in the United States. She also teaches in the department of developmental pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where she instructs medical students, pediatric residents, and pediatricians in developmental pediatrics. Dr. Thompson conducts research in medical education and early intervention and has written articles and presented at numerous professional conferences. She has developed early intervention programs with First Nations children in the Canadian Artic and has worked with families in a variety of multicultural settings. Dr. Thompson has also worked as a school psychologist and in mental health agencies where she developed parenting groups for parents with children who have developmental and behavioral difficulties. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Excerpted from Chapter 1 and Chapter 5 of Pathways to Competence for Young Children: A Parenting Program, by Sarah Landy, Ph.D., & Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2006 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Most parents want to do the best job they can in bringing up their children. They want their children to grow up to be happy; to have qualities such as positive self-esteem, empathy, and caring for others; to have good problem-solving skills; to do well in school; and to have courage and determination. Parents identify raising children as one of their most important roles; yet, they are often unsure about how best to parent. Families of all types are facing unprecedented stresses in today's world, and this can make helping children grow up to be successful, emotionally mature adults a challenging task. The evolution from childhood to adulthood is not only affected by parents' interactions with their children but also by children's traits and competencies. Children's temperaments and abilities and their interactions with parents and other people in the community in which they live all play a crucial role in creating the adults that they will become. Still, parents play a crucial role in providing an optimal environment and an emotionally safe and secure place from which their children can explore the world, learn about relationships, and eventually find fulfilling lives through work, satisfying relationships, and meaningful activities. This role is especially important during a child's earliest years.
How much do parents know about raising children? Recent surveys have found that parents at different socioeconomic levels answered approximately 65% of questions about child development and parenting correctly (Oldershaw, 2002; Reich, 2005). Most parents identify enhancing the emotional and social development of children as the most important aspect of child rearing but admit that it is the one they know the least about (Oldershaw, 2002; Yankelovich & DYG, Inc., 2000). Parents know some general principles of parenting, and yet they are still concerned about getting them right with their own children. Every parent wonders whether he or she is doing the right things with his or her child or children, what to expect at different developmental stages, and if a certain behavior is normal or something he or she should be concerned about. This is even more of a challenge if a child has symptoms that affect his or her adjustment in the home or child care, such as excessive separation anxiety or extreme noncompliance and aggression.
Aware of their need for information and support in raising their children, parents want to know about their own particular child or children's development and the best ways to parent so as to give them the best possible start in life. To get answers to their questions, most parents turn to their child's doctor or other professionals, a spouse or partner, family members, friends, books, magazines, television shows, support groups on the Internet, and web sites. Many parents today are finding help and support through parenting groups, as well. Such groups provide parents with comfort in knowing that others are going through similar challenges. They can offer generalized information for parents of young children, or they can be more specific, such as those that offer classes in helping children who have particular challenges. These groups can provide answers to parents' questions and often help them to feel more confident in their parenting role (Oldershaw, 2002). The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program has been designed to help parents get answers to parenting challenges and to fulfill the need for information on child development and optimal parenting strategies to use with children to foster their development.
FACTORS IN DEVELOPING A PARENTING GROUP THAT MEETS MULTIPLE NEEDS
Many factors go into developing a successful parenting group. The following suggestions are intended to guide new group leaders as they set up a Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program group to meet the needs of the families with whom they work.
Target Audience
Parents are the primary audience for the Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program. Because discussion requires participants to talk about the early life of a child and the child's current behavior in many settings and situations, it is expected that parents are the ones most likely to have access to this kind of information. Grandparents or other family members and caregivers such as foster parents may be an appropriate audience if they are the primary caregiver of the child.
Sometimes parents would like to bring child care providers, grandparents, or the child's teacher with them. Some of the information discussed in the group may be of a nature that many parents would consider inappropriate to raise with these people present, so it may not be in the best interests of the class to have such individuals there. In order for parents to feel most comfortable disclosing information about their parenting practices, the leaders and parents should discuss the appropriateness of other caregivers attending the meetings if the issue comes up.
The number of participants in each group typically varies; however, the ideal size is approximately 12. This is discussed in more detail in Chapter 5.
Age of the Child
The materials in this program are written for parents with children ages birth to 7 years. This age group was chosen because research has shown the importance of intervening with infants and young children to optimize brain development, to enhance attachment, and to avoid the establishment of negative parent–child interactional patterns that become increasingly difficult to change later. Also, parents of young children are generally motivated to address children's emotional and behavioral difficulties. Often, however, a family includes children older than this target group. Parents have been able to use some of the information in Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program groups with their older children. For example, strategies suggested for encouraging appropriate behavior in young children and emotion regulation (e.g., using positive reinforcement and/or star charts and token systems and the steps of emotion coaching) can be successfully used with school-age children.
PROGRAM STEPS
The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program is based on enhancing developmental capacities that every child needs for optimal social and emotional development. Section II of this book provides a set of 10 Steps that address important aspects of these capacities that form the structure for the program sessions. The Steps are as follows:
- Step 1: Introducing the Program and Understanding Development and Temperament
- Step 2: Developing Body Control and a Positive Body Image
- Step 3: Developing a Secure Attachment
- Step 4: Encouraging Play and Imagination
- Step 5: Encouraging Language and Communication
- Step 6: Laying a Foundation for Positive Self-Esteem
- Step 7: Encouraging Self-Regulation, Morality, and a Sense of Conscience
- Step 8: Encouraging Emotion Regulation
- Step 9: Encouraging Concentration, Planning, and Problem Solving
- Step 10: Encouraging Social Competence, Empathy, and Caring Behavior
THE USE OF THE PROGRAM IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS
Parents typically become involved in a Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program through a number of different avenues ranging from having an interest in learning more about parenting in general to being ordered to take the program by a child protection agency. The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program may be used with a variety of parent and child populations and in a number of different settings, including the following:
- Parent drop-in centers and preschool programs: Parents often turn to these venues when they want to learn more about early child development and parenting
- Elementary schools: A school psychologist, guidance counselor, teacher, or administrator may refer parents to a parenting program if a child is having chronic behavioral difficulties at school and/or in the home. Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Programs have been offered in schools for parents seeking help for these issues.
- Community and church programs: Parents often ask religious and other community leaders for advice on raising their children; therefore, parent support groups and parenting programs are often offered in these settings.
- Health settings: Psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), physical therapists, and other health professionals may use the materials with clients or refer parents to a group available in the community.
- Medical settings: Parents may find out about the program through their family physician, pediatrician, or a local hospital. Developmental pediatricians can support their clinical practice and faculty responsibilities by recommending such programs to parents or by using the materials in their practice.
- Early intervention programs and children's mental health centers: Parents of young children with behavioral, emotional, or social difficulties may seek out a parenting program such as Pathways to Competence for Young Children from these centers. The centers may refer parents to such programs when parents have identified relationship problems with their children or when the children have problems with eating or sleeping, for example.
- Family service agencies: Family service agencies may refer a parent or parents to a program such as Pathways to Competence for Young Children if they see that a family is in a crisis situation, such as when parents cannot agree on discipline approaches and it is affecting the parents' ability to cope with child rearing.
- Child protection agencies: Child protection agencies may refer parents to a parenting group when their young children are in foster care or when they have just had their children returned to them. Parents who have been referred to child protection agencies because of parenting concerns but who have not had their children removed from their family may also attend.
- Agencies providing counseling sessions or home visits: The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program also can be used in counseling sessions or home visits with individual families.
Use for Children Experiencing Violence
Witnessing violence of any kind in the home or community puts children at extreme risk physically and emotionally, and the stress and trauma children suffer as a result can affect brain organization and development and create long-term behavioral, emotional, and social problems. When children have been exposed to violence, without parental support they tend to be chronically anxious or hyper vigilant and readily triggered into remembering the trauma situations. These children need particularly nurturing and containing interactions from their caregivers as well as structure and limits. The parenting skills presented in the Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program help children to feel safe and secure. These skills give children the support they need to be able to explore the environment in a safe way so that they can learn and feel more relaxed and be less likely to have their memories of the trauma triggered.
Workshop Presentations
Although the program is usually presented in its entirety, individual sessions from the program (Steps) can be used for workshops on particular topics of great interest to groups of parents such as those interested in learning more about enhancing self-esteem, encouraging social competence, and the use of play. One group of mothers whose children were in a playgroup enjoyed a workshop on play that used the materials from Step 4, Encouraging Play and Imagination, for example. They gained new insights on how important play was to their child's development, what to expect at each developmental stage in terms of play interests, and ways to play with their child that encourage physical, social, and emotional growth and development.
BACKGROUND OF THE PATHWAYS TO COMPETENCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN PARENTING PROGRAM
The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program is based on the Helping Encourage Affect Regulation (HEAR) parenting program that was developed in 1995. It was originally used for parents with young children with behavioral problems including chronic noncompliance, aggression and tantrums, argumentativeness and stubbornness, and frequent loss of control. These challenges generate a high level of parent–child conflict, which the HEAR group addressed by providing parents with a developmental approach to understanding their children's difficulties and with strategies to use with them to reduce their children's symptoms.
The National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) provided a grant in late 1995 to evaluate the program, and a report documenting the success of the program was published in 1998. The report described a number of important improvements in children and parents and in parent–child interactions that resulted from participation in the groups, including an increase in parenting knowledge, a reduction in maternal depression, and an increase in their sense of parenting competence. Children's aggression was also reduced and parents reported an increase in satisfaction in their parenting (see also Landy & Menna, 2006).
USE OF THIS PROGRAM WITH PATHWAYS TO COMPETENCE: ENCOURAGING HEALTHY SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN YOUNG CHILDREN
Following the success of early versions of this program, a book was published for professionals in the field of prevention and early intervention called Pathways to Competence: Encouraging Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Young Children (Landy, 2002). This work was the result of 5 years of extensive research of the literature in the fields of early child development and parenting. It has been used as a textbook in university courses and to train professionals in agencies. Its greatest use, however, is as a resource for a variety of disciplines including physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, early child educators, child care workers, and community home visitors. The book also includes additional group activities, homework suggestions, tests that could be used for evaluation, and questions for professionals to be used during training courses. It is strongly recommended that this Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program be used in combination with Pathways to Competence (2002) because it is an invaluable resource for the group leader for answering questions that arise from parents and to identify resources beyond those included in the manual. Throughout this book, especially in Section II, Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program Steps, group leaders are referred to specific pages in what is henceforth called Pathways to Competence (2002) for additional information and group exercises that correspond to each Step. These products are designed to work together to give parents all the valuable information and useful tools they will need to be effective caregivers. Copies of either product can be purchased at http://www.brookespublishing.com.
The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program is intentionally designed to be flexible to meet a variety of needs and populations. It is assumed that group leaders will spend some time going over the Steps, printing out the handouts from the accompanying CD-ROM and making copies as needed for the participants, and gathering materials as needed before starting the program. However, it is also assumed that each group leader or set of leaders will tailor the program somewhat to suit his or her needs and the concerns of the particular group of participants.
FACTORS IN DEVELOPING A PROGRAM THAT MEETS MULTIPLE NEEDS
Many factors go into delivering a successful parenting program. The following suggestions are intended to guide new leaders as they develop a program to meet the needs of the families with whom they work.
Sponsoring Agency
Schools, social service agencies, children's mental health agencies, early intervention programs, children's hospitals, and other community agencies have utilized the course for their clients. When entering into a relationship with a sponsoring agency, it is important to establish the requirements of your agency regarding confidentiality, record keeping, and evaluation of the course's effectiveness. Parents need to believe that the group is a safe place in which to express their questions and concerns; often, concerns that the sponsoring agency may intervene or learn more about a parent or family than the parent wants revealed may limit the information that parents will share. The sponsoring agency generally provides a location to meet and may help with refreshments, handouts, child care, and recruitment.
Number of Group Participants
Groups who have used the Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program have ranged in size from 6 to 20 participants, although an ideal size is approximately 12. Experience has shown that in groups of 12, each parent has a chance to contribute to the discussions, and the parents have the chance to learn from others. Larger size groups may feel overwhelming for some parents and discourage them from talking.
Location
Pathways to Competence for Young Children groups have been held in a variety of locations, including mental health centers, churches, and schools, depending on the sponsoring agency and the logistics of setting up a group. The important factors in selecting a location, other than those dictated by the sponsoring agency, include convenience to parents, access to transportation, and cost considerations such as easy access to materials and limited or no fees for rental of space.
Number of Weeks
The program, which includes 10 sessions or Steps, as they are called, is designed to occur once a week for 20 weeks, with each topic to be discussed for 2 weeks consecutively. This is because, optimally, developing each topic and allowing participants to understand and interact with the information as well as to practice using the suggestions requires at least 2 weeks per topic. However, the course is flexible and can be offered for fewer weeks. For example, some programs have been held over 15 weeks, which allows certain topics requiring more discussion to be covered in 2 weeks, whereas the other topics can be completed in 1 week. The sessions covering the development of attachment (Step 3), language and communication (Step 5), self-regulation and morality (Step 7), and emotion regulation (Step 8) are topics parents may want more time to explore. Although the program has been presented in 10 weeks, this generally is not enough time to cover all of the topics within each Step, and thus, some would need to be eliminated. However, in providing groups, dropping any of the Steps is not recommended; it is important to cover all of the Steps in the program because all have been shown by research to play a crucial role in forming the building blocks of children's social and emotional development. The materials in this program, however, have been used to cover specific topics in workshops of just one or two sessions. Some of the topics that parents may be interested to cover in workshops include attachment, self-esteem, and discipline.
RECRUITMENT AND ATTENDANCE
A variety of methods can be used to recruit and retain group members. In order to recruit successfully, group leaders first need to decide who the target audience will be for the particular group they are planning. The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program was initially designed to help parents with children who were aggressive and noncompliant, although it has been helpful to many other parents.
Spreading the Word
Hosting organizations and/or group leaders may want to use the sample advertisement provided in Section III: Supplemental Materials. Some sponsoring agencies have their own requirements for recruitment advertisements or brochures. Check with them before beginning.
Many agencies have identified specific individuals suitable for the group from their current client population. Therapists may initially approach their clients to determine if a group leader can speak with them. The group leaders then call or meet with each parent to describe the program in more detail and determine if the family meets the criteria that have been established for the group.
Some organizations (e.g., schools) follow a different approach and advertise the group more widely by distributing pamphlets to all of the families served by their organization. For example, a school may distribute pamphlets to parents of children in the lower elementary grades (i.e., kindergarten through Grade 2). Both parents and teachers may recommend children who are aggressive and/or noncompliant. A review of referrals and interviews with parents and teachers will help to determine which parents are best suited to the group.
Attendance and Meeting Time
Regular attendance at all of the sessions in a series is encouraged. Parents should agree to attend all sessions unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as illness or weather. Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program topics were chosen based on the factors that have been known to contribute to positive outcomes for children, and some of the topics or skills are not necessarily the ones that parents initially feel will be the most useful to them. These types of topics cannot be taught or learned sporadically or quickly; they take time and repetition to understand and apply consistently. Also, group cohesiveness builds over the weeks as parents come to think of the group as a safe place to share their concerns; thus, this cohesiveness can only be established if group members do not come and go.
Both parents should be encouraged to attend, if possible and when appropriate, although group leaders need to be sensitive to the fact that many individuals are single parents or are estranged from their spouse or partner. If both parents do join a group but it is impossible for both parents to attend all sessions, the mother and father or partners may take turns when needed and share the information with each other, and both parents can implement the homework activities between sessions.
In any case, child care should be provided to make attendance possible. Preferably, the sessions should be held in the evening to accommodate work schedules and to allow both parents access to the program.
Although interview screening and verbal commitment generally result in consistent attendance, occasionally parents miss sessions. Telephone numbers of participants should be obtained at the first meeting and group leaders should call members after a missed session to inquire whether leaders can facilitate attendance at the next group meeting or answer concerns or questions. Problem solving around impediments to attendance, showing genuine interest and a desire to understand, and help with participants' parenting questions are important for encouraging attendance.
Practical Tips for Encouraging Participation
Most participants are eager to discuss their children with peers and professionals in an informal interactive setting; however, in some situations it is hard to be able to attend a weekly group for 10–20 weeks, especially in terms of getting children cared for and preparing dinner for other family members. Child care; a comfortable, informal setting with attention to incentives such as refreshments and some gifts and handouts; and a balance of information, problem solving, and peer/professional support are the strongest motivators for attendance.
Child Care
Providing child care can be a crucial factor to encourage parent participation. Attendance at a Pathways group can be difficult for parents who have no one to care for their children. It also means that evening sessions will need to be offered to accommodate work schedules. In many cases it is difficult for the families to arrange for child care at home, so it is useful to provide child care during the sessions, whether through the help of the sponsoring agency or by some other means. A variety of arrangements may be made, such as holding the sessions in a facility with a separate room that is supervised by child care providers and providing academic tutoring for the school-age children.
Parents are encouraged to help children adjust to the new setting. This room can be equipped with age-appropriate, fun, and educational toys, school supplies in case tutoring is offered, and perhaps a television and videos or DVDs. Snacks or dinner can also be provided to the children. Parents should feel free to check on their children throughout the evening at breaks or as necessary to help parents feel more comfortable about not being able to see them.
Refreshments
Both before the session and during a break, coffee, tea, and snacks should be made available if dinner is not offered. Frequently, these informal breaks allow participants to ask questions of the leaders and each other that they have not had the opportunity to raise during the session. A relaxed, informal style should encourage parents to share their concerns and ideas about their children.
Intangible Motivators
Some other motivators are less tangible, such as being reassuring to parents who might be anxious that they will not catch on quickly or will be judged. Be sure to respect each parent's learning style and make it clear to parents that at no time during a group are parents required to talk about a painful issue. A number of strategies can be used to encourage resistant parents to join the program, including providing a variety of incentives such as child care, tokens or tickets for transportation to the meetings, refreshments or even dinner, small gifts from a sponsoring agency (e.g., sachets of bubble bath or free tickets to a local sporting event to put in their self-care boxes), and a folder of handouts with useful information.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR GROUP LEADERS
The Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program gives parents support and specific knowledge about parenting that sometimes requires special skills and background for group leaders. For example, the ways in which attachment, temperament, and self-esteem were handled in the parents' own family of origin are common areas of discussion. Discussing these intergenerational issues requires professional skills and insight to help parents to understand and begin to resolve these issues. Leaders may also be called on to help parents to deal with current difficulties concerning their child and family and life circumstances. There also needs to be an awareness of when referral for further professional counseling would be valuable; therefore, it is important that group leaders have some experience leading parenting groups. In many instances, experience in working with multi-risk families would be important, although if the group is more preventative in its goals, this may not be an issue. Leaders should have knowledge of early child development and parenting. One good source for such information is the book Pathways to Competence: Enhancing the Social and Emotional Development of Young Children (Landy, 2002). In fact, the Steps in this program are intentionally tied to the information found in Pathways to Competence (2002). Throughout each Step, leaders are encouraged to learn more or use additional exercises to be found in this book, and thus it is strongly recommended that leaders have access to a copy. (See www.brookespublishing.com for purchasing information.)
In our experience, we have found that the Pathways to Competence for Young Children Parenting Program works best when led by co-leaders who take turns leading, observing, and supporting individuals in the group. Recognizing each parent's needs while presenting information and leading discussions can be difficult. This program has been conducted successfully with student interns and other trainees who have served as co-leaders. The trainees are then able to offer the program on their own as they gain practical experience under supervision.
It is recommended that one of the group leaders have a graduate degree in a discipline related to child development, early intervention, and/or parenting as well as extensive clinical experience. The co-leader may have cultural affiliation with the members of the group and/or experience working with the particular parent population (e.g., parents who are immigrants and/or English language learners, women living in violent situations, teenage parents, parents with unresolved loss and trauma, parents referred from child protection agencies). In addition, at least one of the group leaders needs experience with the types of issues relevant to a particular group (e.g., childhood aggression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]).
Chapter 6 goes into more detail about group processes and rules. Chapter 7 walks group leaders through a typical Step.
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Very good parent education curricula
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I have used both of the Pathways to Competence books in my toddlers' classes for parents for quite a few years now, and I find it to be full of research-based material that is also extremely user-friendly (a must when prepping lesson plans in a hurry!). I also appreciate the many handouts that are available on the CD, so I don't have to create many of my own. I hope to see more parent ed materials from these authors.
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