Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) is a preventive intervention program to strengthen the bond between parent and child and to stimulate early language, cognitive, and social development. The program is facilitated by a trained parent coach who supports the parent in applying specific responsive strategies. Each strategy is demonstrated via videotaped examples of real parents and their children playing together and interacting during daily routines.
Through our infant and toddler/preschooler programs, parents learn specific strategies that help them tune in to their young children, respond in a sensitive and contingent manner, and provide effective cognitive and language stimulation.
Our mission is to help parents support their young children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and language development.
The PALS program was developed by the Children’s Learning Institute at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Multiple research studies have confirmed the efficacy of the program to positively impact parents’ interactions with their young children. If you are interested in partnering with us to deliver PALS or incorporating its model into your grant or project, please contact us.