Putting the 'Parent Piece' in Schools

By Linda Jacobson

Sun Valley, Calif.

It's Blue Day in Roscoe Elementary School's "Mommy and Me" class, and 16-month-old Salvador, being wheeled into a classroom in a navy-blue stroller, is appropriately decked out in royal-blue overalls and carrying a large, stuffed, blue dog.

Parent educator Kim Shirley adds the words "stroller" and "overalls" to her vocabulary list on the board as she exuberantly leads the group of mothers and toddlers in applause. Having the Spanish-speaking mothers remind their children to bring something blue to class, she said, is a subtle way to get both mother and child involved in education and to encourage conversation at home.

For the mothers, who all have older children at Roscoe Elementary, the weekly class is a chance to learn some English, get to know other parents, and familiarize their future preschoolers with group activities. The class is also just one of many educational opportunities open to parents at the school and throughout the Los Angeles...