The Preschool Parent Primer

Practical Advice & Resources for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers of Preschoolers

What a wonderful time to be the parent or teacher of preschoolers. We have more information available than ever before. There is an abundance of expert information both in print and online. This book strives to serve as an informal conversation more than a book dedicated to specific studies. The Preschool Parent Primer will provide you with some practical advice learned from Pamela Evans’ many years of teaching preschoolers, developing curricula, teaching workshops, and working closely with parents. She has a unique perspective, having taught many of her students well beyond the preschool years (some right through college), as a music teacher. This has allowed her to observe many parenting and teaching styles play out over the years. Evans’ focus on the preschool years and how they impact children as they continue on in their education is highly insightful. Her respect for parents and children is integral to the book, which stresses the importance of building a calm, solid foundation.

A book cannot tell you how to raise your child or what’s right for your family. Every child is different and every family unique. You are the expert on your child, but perspective from someone who’s seen many children and families through these early years can be helpful. The best advice is to trust your intuition, seek council from those you trust, and don’t worry about the little stuff. It’s important to take the time to enjoy these years. Cliché or not, the preschool years really will be over before you know it, and you will hardly remember many of the issues that seem insurmountable now. That said, The Preschool Parent Primer is help for now!

The Preschool Parent Primer is to be used as a guide toward best practices for parents and teachers of preschoolers. The Primer offers insight into many common practices of teachers, concerns of parents, and needs of preschoolers. You will notice that the first 2 pages of each chapter are a list of key factors to keep in mind and ideas to help with a specific challenge. The chapter following the list has in-depth information on the topic with anecdotes and references for further reading where appropriate.

Parents are a child’s first and most influential teachers; however, parenting and teaching can be challenging as each has a steep learning curve. You might think I have seen it all in my 30 years of teaching, and yet, every year I am surprised by something I have never seen before! That is why I started making a checklist of things to keep in mind as I start each school year with the goal to meet the needs of each individual child and parent. As the years have passed, more and more parents have come to me with similar questions and concerns, making it clear to me that my list of best practices would be helpful for the parents of preschoolers. So here it is, The Preschool Parent Primer.