Summary of Training Activities

During the four-day training Claudia Quigg shares the assumptions about parents, infants, and toddlers that underlie Baby TALK's parenting programs.  Other faculty members--Deb Widenhofer, Ellen Stogsdill, Cindy Bardeleben, Betsy Osman and others--share descriptions of programs, uses of curricula, and research about the effectiveness of programs.

Successful Baby TALK programs are presented by teachers, videotape and curriculum. All workshop attendees receive a copy of the current Baby TALK curriculum and receive step-by-step instruction on adapting the Baby TALK model for their own communities. Baby TALK curriculum includes components of developmental newsletters, age specific parent handouts, home-made toy instructions, topical parent handouts, teen parent materials, Lapsit curricula, parent-child interaction lessons, and more.

Participants visit Baby TALK programs at pediatric clinics, hospital obstetric units, family literacy programs, STEPS Early Intervention Program, the library, and low-income prenatal clinics during the workshop to see Baby TALK in action. Time is also available during lunches to talk with Baby TALK staff and our Board of Directors about their perspectives.