U.S. #3125
1997 32¢ Helping Children Learn
Issue Date: February 18, 1997
City: Washington, DC
Quantity: 122,000,000
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: 11.6 x 11.7
Color: Multicolored
The Parent Teachers Association was founded 100 years ago during the Industrial Revolution. Knowledge was rapidly expanding and it was felt that children learned best when parents and teachers worked together.
The years that followed saw the electronic, atomic, and space ages – all of which brought about rapid social and technological changes. As knowledge continued to grow, learning became more formalized. More time was devoted to things of the mind, and less time was spent teaching social skills and developing the spirit. Once an activity of both the home and community, learning became divorced from everyday life.
The consequences were alarming. Test scores steadily declined and it became apparent that many American children weren’t effectively learning the skills necessary to sustain their society. Now in the Information Age, it is clear that learning must continue throughout life if everyone is to participate fully in our society.
We now realize that learning must begin at home. Reading – the basic building block of learning – has become a national priority, and parents are encouraged to participate in their children’s education by taking time to read aloud to them. This stamp however, reminds us all to invest time in our future’s best resource – our children.