About TFM
The Mission and Vision of Tools For Motherhood
Mission & Vision
The Mission of Tools for Motherhood material is to equip mothers of young children (ages 0-5 years) with “tools” they can use to help prepare their young child for school readiness in the five main subject areas. Activities are geared to items moms may have around the house and can be done for just a few minutes each day. Through the various learning platforms, mothers will also be able to learn from one another fun activities they have enjoyed trying with their own child.
a few words about
The Founder / Creator
Mary Duncan, has a Ph.D. in Education, a master’s degree in teaching and has taught various grade levels over the last 30 years as a certified teacher. Each semester, she enjoys teaching at the University as a Graduate Workshop Instructor for preschool and elementary teachers as well as working for a government agency as a Division Training Coordinator. She is a motivational instructor who strives to differentiate instruction to meet student needs for both classroom and online training as well as provide resources to enhance the learning experience. In the past, she was a MOPS mentor mom. Dr. Duncan has created and presented CEU credited early childhood workshops, traveled around the Midwest as a speaker for mothers’ groups, and presented at National and International Conferences. She has held leadership roles and is a team player on state and national-level educational councils, boards, and committees and served under two Governors as chair of an education council. In 2014, Dr. Duncan was a featured Presenter and Author at the State Book Festival, where she shared her new book. Spring 2017, she spoke at an EC Education Conference in Atlanta, GA. Based on that national presentation, she was then invited to lead an Oxford Round Table Symposium for International Scholars at Oxford University in England, which she did March 2018. Summer 2017, she led a teacher’s conference in Port au Prince, Haiti, Central America. Summer 2019, she presented at a World Early Childhood Conference in Panama City, Panama. In January 2020, she was invited to be part of a US Panel that were the keynote speakers at the Belize International Symposium in Belize, Central America.
Professional Research:
Master’s Thesis: An Examination of Training to Enhance Intentional Parental Involvement to increase Kindergarten Readiness Skills. (2009)
PhD Doctoral Research Title: Case Study of Teen Mothers’ Perceptions of Their Influence on Preschoolers’ Language Development. (2016)
Mary Duncan, has a Ph.D. in Education, a master’s degree in teaching and has taught various grade levels over the last 30 years as a certified teacher. Each semester, she enjoys teaching at the University as a Graduate Workshop Instructor for preschool and elementary teachers as well as working for a government agency as a Division Training Coordinator. She is a motivational instructor who strives to differentiate instruction to meet student needs for both classroom and online training as well as provide resources to enhance the learning experience. In the past, she was a MOPS mentor mom. Dr. Duncan has created and presented CEU credited early childhood workshops, traveled around the Midwest as a speaker for mothers’ groups, and presented at National and International Conferences. She has held leadership roles and is a team player on state and national-level educational councils, boards, and committees and served under two Governors as chair of an education council. In 2014, Dr. Duncan was a featured Presenter and Author at the State Book Festival, where she shared her new book. Spring 2017, she spoke at an EC Education Conference in Atlanta, GA. Based on that national presentation, she was then invited to lead an Oxford Round Table Symposium for International Scholars at Oxford University in England, which she did March 2018. Summer 2017, she led a teacher’s conference in Port au Prince, Haiti, Central America. Summer 2019, she presented at a World Early Childhood Conference in Panama City, Panama. In January 2020, she was invited to be part of a US Panel that were the keynote speakers at the Belize International Symposium in Belize, Central America.
Professional Research:
Master’s Thesis: An Examination of Training to Enhance Intentional Parental Involvement to increase Kindergarten Readiness Skills. (2009)
PhD Doctoral Research Title: Case Study of Teen Mothers’ Perceptions of Their Influence on Preschoolers’ Language Development. (2016)
Past Speaking Engagements
At Oxford University
US Panel Keynote Speakers Belize International Symposium
Oxford RoundTable Symposium Presenters
Oxford RoundTable Presentation
OMEP National Conf
MathCounts Workshop
Kansas Book Festival Featured Author
World EC Conf Friend from Haiti, Central America
World EC Conf Panama City Panama Presentation
World EC Conference Japan Friend
Haiti Teachers Conf Certificates
Haiti Teachers Conf Participants
World Conf Friend from Dubai
Workshop
Work in Pairs
