At The Raleigh School, children learn best when the adults around them are engaged — not just helping, but learning alongside them. When parents take part in school life, children see that their world is connected, that learning matters, and that community is built through shared experiences.
Our preschool is a place where children, teachers, and parents all play a part. You might see a parent reading with a small group, planting a garden, or helping organize a class project. Just as often, you’ll find adults sitting quietly beside children — asking questions, listening, noticing, and joining in play.
We focus on helping children engage deeply with the world: exploring materials, talking about their ideas, and taking on small challenges that stretch their thinking. We believe challenges make life interesting — not frustrating — and that discovery is most meaningful when shared.
At The Raleigh School, everyone is part of the learning. Children, parents, and teachers grow together — curious, connected, and full of wonder.
At The Raleigh School, we believe young children learn best when families and educators work hand in hand. Our Helping Parent Program brings this philosophy to life by inviting parents into the classroom as active partners in their child’s early learning journey.
As the “third adult” on our teaching team, each helping parent works closely with our lead and assistant teachers to create an enriched learning environment. Parents typically serve in this role about one day per month, gaining hands-on insight into child development while building stronger connections with teachers, classmates, and the wider school community.
The Rationale: Learning Together, Growing Together
Parents are children’s first and most important teachers, and the most powerful learning happens when home and school work together. Research consistently shows that when parents are actively engaged in early childhood education, children demonstrate stronger academic performance, improved social-emotional skills, and better behavior both at school and at home. These formative years lay the foundation for lifelong learning and development.
By welcoming parents into the classroom, we create a shared understanding of children’s learning. Parents experience firsthand the developmental milestones their children are reaching and the strategies that support growth. At the same time, teachers gain deeper insight into each child’s home life and family context. Working together as partners, parents and teachers collaborate to support children’s learning and social-emotional growth, communicating with children in ways that respect their developmental stage and engaging with them fully and authentically in the moment.
This collaborative involvement also allows teachers to offer more individualized and complex learning experiences. With parents actively participating, children benefit from smaller group interactions, one-on-one attention, and richer explorations that might not otherwise be possible.
Bringing The Raleigh School Way Home
Parents often carry the language, strategies, and practices they see in the classroom into their family lives, creating continuity between home and school. Children benefit from consistent approaches to problem-solving, communication, and emotional growth, reinforcing what they learn at school and providing a sense of stability and security. The program encourages families to be fully engaged partners in supporting their children’s growth, both in the classroom and at home, fostering confidence, independence, curiosity, and joy in learning.
As one parent reflected, “I learned so much about how to be a parent by being a helping parent in the classroom.”
A Legacy of Collaboration
The Helping Parent Program has evolved since its cooperative origins nearly 75 years ago, when parents served as the only classroom assistants and handled custodial duties. Today, its heart remains unchanged: we are raising our children together, at school and at home.
Helping Parent is not simply about providing an extra set of hands; it’s about building a community of engaged, informed parents who understand child development, support their children’s needs, and foster independence, curiosity, and joy in learning. Together, we’re not only nurturing confident learners, we’re cultivating a community of lifelong learners, both young and grown.
Preschool Parent Workdays honor our school's parent cooperative heritage, where families were responsible for all upkeep and maintenance. While we now have a dedicated team that supports the day-to-day operations of the school, Parent Workdays continue to fill a vital need for special projects and improvements that keep our facilities vibrant. They also serve to strengthen our community!
Workdays occur three times per year. Every family is required to participate, handling a variety of
tasks from laying mulch and painting classrooms to completing special projects directed by teachers. Many parents find these workdays are a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families and form lifelong friendships.
