PARENT-CHILD COURSES
Family Education at Center for Talent Development
Center for Talent Development acknowledges and supports the critical role of parents in helping academically talented children reach their full potential. As a leader in the fields of education and talent development, CTD guides and empowers parents by providing expertise and resources as well as opportunities for community and connection.
Talent development occurs in the context of a young person’s overall maturation. It begins in early childhood and continues through adulthood. Therefore, families are the first teachers, and also the most consistent and impactful influence affecting the transition of a bright child’s potential to their achievement. From the start, parents enable their child’s experiences and understanding of culture, literature, math, and science. At an early age, they expose their child to enrichment in the context of recreational and family time. Parents become their advocate in school, facilitate their access to out-of-school opportunities, and help them develop a scholar identity. With intentionality in day-to-day decisions, parents set their child on a pathway of talent development and academic achievement.
Identifying how best to support a child’s academic achievement and meet their unique needs calls for substantial and ongoing effort. To help guide you, CTD has a number of offerings for parents, and for parents and children together.
Tadpole Academy
Tadpole Academy is a series of three courses for students age 3 and their parents/caregivers. Courses take place on Saturday mornings in Evanston and other sites. No test scores are required for your child to participate. For more information:
ctd.northwestern.edu/tadpole-academy
Sample course descriptions include: Bubble Bath (Age 3)
What are bubbles, how do we make them, and why do they pop? Learn about the properties of liquids, gasses, and solids. Pretend play and conduct simple science experiments. During this course, students will:
Listen to stories about bubbles, baths, and water
Make and play with bubbles, while observing and discussing how they form, float, and pop
Build bathtubs out of blocks and pretend to bathe dolls and toy animals Experiment with water, soap, air, and ice in open-ended and playful ways
Climb Every Mountain (Age 3)
What do we need to know to climb a mountain…what is it like to live and play in the mountains? Let’s imagine we are mountain climbers! Pack your pretend gear and get ready to scale a rocky peak. During this course, students will:
Listen to stories about mountains, climbing, and hiking Pretend to hike and climb mountains Build and measure mountains made out of clay and rocks
Develop problem-solving strategies when creating block structures on an uneven surface
CTD PATHWAY: Tadpole Academy provides opportunities for parents and young children to explore new and familiar topics together by engaging in critical questioning and thinking, preparing children for independent participation in early childhood coursework in science, math, technology, and language arts.
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