Maria Carter teaches pre-kindergarten at Harold McCormick Elementary School in Elizabethton. As the first teacher tapped by her school for the Parents Are Teachers Home Based program, Mrs. Carter has had a major influence on its curriculum design and development. "The program," she explains, "has a two-fold purpose-to prepare the child for school success and to increase parenting skills in the home." The weekly Home Activity Sheets that Mrs. Carter developed to accompany the program contain games, rhymes and recipes to guide parents in creating a challenging and enriching home environment. Mrs. Carter has taken special care to tailor each activity sheet to the interests of the individual child. In addition to a monthly calendar that informs parents of classroom events, Mrs. Carter has also developed a voice mail service complete with assignment information and "dial-a-story."
