Children and Parents Together

Description of Program Model

The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is a charitable organization based in Toronto that provides group experiences for parents and their babies and young children focusing on the pleasure and power of using oral rhymes, songs, and stories together. While the emphasis during sessions is on enjoyment, the underlying idea is that by sharing simple interactive rhymes and songs with their very young children, parents form a closer bond with them and start laying the foundation for later literacy. Children thrive on the cuddling and the sound of their mother’s voice, while at the same time enjoying the rhythmic patterns of language, becoming aware of language sounds, developing vocabulary, and learning about how stories are constructed. Interactive oral activities provide the focus for the group, and no toys, objects, or books are used.

The Mother Goose Program operates four core Mother Goose programs in Toronto. Three are for parents of children from newborn to aged two, and one is for parents with children between two and four years old. The organization also offers a two-day teacher training workshop to agencies and individuals. An apprenticeship training program is available in Toronto where teacher trainees work alongside experienced Mother Goose program staff in one of the four core programs. Associate programs whose facilitators have been trained in Mother Goose methods and materials now exist throughout Canada. The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program has developed a variety of resources including rhyme books, story books, cassettes, videos, and manuals, which can be ordered directly from the organization.