Rhymes That Bind: Adapting the Parent Child Mother Goose Program Model¹
Barbara Sykes, Ruth Wolfe, Louise Gendreau, and Lynda Workman

Introduction

The first Mother Goose program in Edmonton, Alberta was offered in the spring of 1995 and several programs were begun in other communities shortly after. The success of these initial programs convinced a number of community organizations of the value of offering Mother Goose in a more intentional and sustained way.

In the spring of 1996, Prospects Literacy Association made a commitment to include Mother Goose as one of their key program areas. In a collaborative effort involving Capital Health Authority and other partner organizations and with funding from Early Intervention, Action for Health and the United Way, Prospects Literacy Association undertook to coordinate the delivery of a number of Mother Goose programs across the city. The programs that were included in this collaborative effort were given the name Rhymes that Bind.

The model for Rhymes That Bind programs in Edmonton is Toronto¹s Parent-Child Mother Goose program which was developed twelve years ago and which has subsequently been running in a variety of settings in Toronto. Much has been learned, both from the Toronto experience and from the Edmonton programs, about what works and what doesn't work. However, until this initiative began there had been no comprehensive evaluation of Mother Goose programs.

In preparation for a development phase for Rhymes That Bind, a one day basic training session and a four session storytelling workshop were held for potential program facilitators. Following training, Rhymes That Bind programs were offered in six sites in the fall of 1996 (and an additional site beginning in November). Many of the people who had taken the initial training, continued their training as co-leaders of these sessions. This phase of the program in Edmonton offered a unique and valuable opportunity for focused learning about the Parent-Child Mother Goose program model regarding:

• the difference it makes to parents, children, and other participants,
• where it fits in the community,
• what is needed to support and sustain the important elements of Mother Goose