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Ideas, Resources, & Research, MGOL March 2022 Newsletter
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A Note From Betsy

News & Ideas
Vote for Amanda Bressler
Upcoming Conference Presentations


Research
What is the Best Age to Learn?
COVID-era infants vocalize less and experience fewer conversational turns
The Role of Animated vs Oral Mother Goose Songs in Language Acquisition of Pre-School Kids

Suggestions / Questions from Librarians
Meet Jay Shulamith from New Zealand!

Book Recommendations
Suzie Q Books

Resources
Peptoc, A Free Inspiration Home for Kids
Spring into Garden Season Giveaway

Newsletters
What We Can Continue To Learn From Fred Rogers
CCEI

Training Opportunities
MGOL Webinars
Using Library Programs to Build Executive Function Skills, a new online course with MGOL!

Rhyme of the Month
Developmental Tip of the Month 
A NOTE FROM BETSY


Last month, I was informed that I was the selected recipient of the Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) Distinguished Service Award. What an honor! This would not have been possible without  support and collaboration from many of my colleagues.

Public libraries are meant to share information; I am lucky to be involved in a profession where we work together for the benefit of children and families rather than competing with each other. I love the way librarians build on each other's ideas, share tips and successful programs, and celebrate each other's accomplishments.  It is my honor to have been involved in ALSC for many years, and I very proud to become a recipient of this award.

Thank you to everyone in the library and early childhood community who has shared ideas with me, been interviewed or written chapters for my books, taught me new ways to present songs and nursery rhymes, asked questions that expanded my horizons, shared "Afternoon Tea Time", participated in conference presentations and panels, hired me to present workshops and webinars, edited and published my articles, co-chaired committees, driven me from one end of their state to the other during weeks of back-to-back  workshops, shared inspiring MGOL stories, shared hotel rooms during conferences to defray costs, dreamed aloud with me about ways to adapt and expand MGOL and then found new ways to do so, successfully applied for funding to support MGOL in their communities, and gave honest feedback (as requested) following a training or webinar. 

The hard work and creativity of my colleagues has resulted in MGOL adaptations that have benefited children in hospitals, children with a wide range of abilities, English Language Learners, parents in need, homeless families, immigrant families, childcare providers, teachers, families in laundromats, people waiting in WIC centers, individual neighborhoods, and much, much more. 

I also appreciate everyone who has contributed to this newsletter, the MGOL YouTube song and rhyme videos, and the MGOL website; everyone who has shared meals, hugs, and ice cream with me; and so many people who have provided inspiration in a wide variety of areas. 

Because of the assistance of colleagues, friends, and family too numerous to name, I have been given the incredible opportunity to make a difference. Thank you, all, for making it possible to affect change one nursery rhyme at a time!

Betsy

Vote for Amanda Bressler!

 

All members of ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) will be asked to vote for Book Award Committee members next month. One of these committees is the Caldecott Committee, which gives a yearly award to an illustrator for "the most distinguished American picture books for children" published that year.

Members of the committee have to read a great deal of picture books throughout the year and discuss them in depth with fellow committee members. People are passionate about their choices, discussions can sometimes be contentious, and a clear winner is not always obvious. Being on this committee requires not only a love of picture books, but also a lot of hard work and willingness to give up a huge chunk of time for reviewing books.

In March, ASLC members will be asked to vote for Committee members, and one of the people up for election is Amanda Bressler, a librarian in Albany, Oregon and Mother Goose on the Loose's Director of Program Management. Amanda is great and would be perfect for this committee. So, if you haven't yet cast your vote, please add a vote for Amanda!

 




If you are interested in learning more about MGOL Hatchlings, please join us at one or both of the following events:

At ALA in Washington DC, on Sunday, June 26 from 9:00 am - 10:00 am, join the Hatchlings team for the session:

"Library Outreach Programming for Expectant Parents and Parents of Newborns."

While you are at ALA, you may want to join Tess Prendergast and I for another session, "Supporting new parents in diverse communities with creativity and compassion" that will take place on Saturday June 25, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

If you aren't going to ALA, but live in the Maryland area, consider coming to the MLA/DLA Conference. From 9:00 am - 11: am on Thursday, May 5, the Hatchlings Team will be presenting together. Here's the description of our program:

 How can we reach expectant families from underserved populations with the message that literacy begin before birth and that talking, singing, playing, and sharing books with babies is important from the very first days of life? “Mother-Goose-on-the-Loose: Hatchlings”, is a research-based collaborative project of the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland State Library, Mother-Goose-on-the-Loose, local librarians, and community partners. Hatchlings: “Ready to Hatch”, for expectant parents and Hatchlings: “In the Nest”, for parents of newborns, have been successfully piloted in Maryland with English and Spanish speakers. Come learn about the Hatchlings programs and how to bring them to your community. Participate in hands-on activities designed to reach this unique audience. View Hatchlings materials and hear library staff describe the programs’ development, implementation, evaluation, and participants’ reactions to the Hatchlings programs.

Presenters include: Dorothy Stoltz, MLS; Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, MGOL Creator, Mother Goose on the Loose, LLC; Elaine Czarnecki, Literacy Consultant, Resources in Reading; Carrie Sanders, Youth Services Coordinator, Maryland State Library Agency; Pam Hamlin, Family Literacy Specialist, PGCMLS; Kirsten Grunberg, Librarian III, PGCMLS; Denise Laird, Library Associate, Outreach, Carroll County Public Library; and Barbara Weber, Library Associate, Children’s, Carroll County Public Library.

Click on the picture below (the cover of the conference brochure) to see a full schedule of events, or download the conference registration form:

https://bit.ly/MLA-DLA-Conference.
 

Or visit the conference site to register:  https://www.mladlacon.com

What is the best age to learn to read?

 
I just read a wonderful article, "What is the best age to learn to read?" posted on BBC's Family Tree. Written by Melissa Hogenboom and published on March 1, 2022,  this is an easy to read article with lots of great developmental tips. Here is a screen shot:



As you can see, interspersed within the text are highlighted phrases for different developmental tips. Clicking on the highlighted links will take you to a research article, an article in a newspaper such as the New York Times, reports, and online resources.

My latest program, Mother Goose on the Loose: Hatchlings is already in it's second pilot year in Maryland. Sessions were designed for expectant parents and for parents with newborns, to give them information while modeling valuable early literacy practices such as talking, singing, and sharing books with their babies...even before the babies have been born!  Being able to explain the value of talking and singing a fetus is not always easy, and this article gave some great resources.

Hogenboom states, " Babies already respond better to the language they were exposed to in the womb." Clicking on the link takes readers to a New York Times article from November, 2017 called "Language Lessons Start in the Womb." This article cites research by Dr. Anne Cutler, a psycholinguist who is a professor at the Marcs Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development at Western Sydney University, in Australia. She asserts, "Newborns can recognize the voices they’ve been hearing for the last trimester in the womb, especially the sounds that come from their mothers, and prefer those voices to the voices of strangers."  She expands on this later in the article: "Babies and children can learn new languages perfectly after birth; the learning that goes on prenatally is still fascinating in elucidating the processes of language and brain development. And we can help infant brain development along naturally with the familiar rhythms of parent-child interactions, back and forth, talking and singing and reading aloud." 

The BBC article tackles "the risk of schoolification" and places higher returns on play-based learning in the early years than on direct instruction. The Perry High/Scope Preschool Project is mentioned alongside an article about education in Finland, and a review from the University of Cambridge about Children, Their World, Their Education.  

There are references to the relationship between having a large vocabulary and better later literacy skills; there is also mention (and references) to the fact that children from disadvantaged backgrounds often enter school with a disadvantage. If you want to find out more, check out the article!

 
 
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220228-the-best-age-for-learning-to-read?ocid=ww.social.link.email

COVID-era infants vocalize less and experience fewer conversational turns, says LENA research team

By  March 7, 2022


In earlier newsletters, I wrote extensively about LENA. Here is another article published by the LENA Team on March 7, 2022 about COVID babies hearing less words, having less opportunities to "converse" and thus learning fewer words.

Thank you to Saroj Ghoting for sending me this article!


Click on the box above to register for the webinar.

The Role of Animated vs Oral Mother Goose Songs in Language Acquisition of Pre-School Kids


(NOTE: I keep a spreadsheet that tracks what is highlighted in each issue of the MGOL Newsletter in order to avoid repeating things. Just before publishing this, I filled out the information for March, 2022 and I glanced up at previous issues. I noticed that last month I wrote about this same article, but the focus was different. Because of that, I decided to let this write up remain, but next time, I will check AHEAD OF TIME before writing comments about an article!) 

This 2020 article, written by two lecturers at the National University of Modern Languages inLahore, Punjab, Pakistan and a Director from the Institute of Communication Studies at University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Published in  Global Mass Communication Review, Maira Qaddos, Noshina Saleem, & Maham Zaid Khan conducted research to answer the following three questions:
  1. How the impact of AMGS (Aminated Mother Goose Songs) is different from OMGS (Oral Mother Goose Songs) in creating awareness about phonics?
  2. How does AMGS differ from OMGS in enriching the vocabulary of pre-school kids?
  3. What is the difference between AMGS and OMGS in grooming speaking skills?
Two focus groups were formed; each consisted of 15 pre-school children and their mothers. The mothers were trained by the researchers on ways to interact with their children using the rhymes. Mothers in the oral focus group were asked to sing OMGS to and with their children while the mothers in the animated focus group were asked to show the AMGS to their children. The study lasted for three months.

After the focus group sessions, three themes became apparent: 1) awareness of phonics, 2) vocabulary, and 3) speaking skills. 

As we struggle with trying to find the balance between digital media and no digital media, this study is useful to read. Here are a few bits from the conclusion:

Awareness of Phonics
"It is argued that mother goose songs have not lost their importance yet and this re-invention has actually helped them in surviving in this era when the channel of oral traditions of storytelling is almost replaced by mobile phones apps, social media channels and digital games. In terms of language acquisition, the role of oral mother goose songs is not appreciated by mothers in creating phonological awareness among kids. Many of the mothers denied their role in making younger kids familiar with the sounds of words. However ,the role of animated mother goose songs is found to be comparatively better in terms of helping pre-school kids with phonics and phonemes."

Vocabulary
"The role of OMGS and AMGS is found to be very crucial in terms of enriching vocabulary of children. Mothers strongly endorsed that kids learn new words by wither listening to MGS from their mothers or by watching them on screens. Especially, if mothers are singing these songs for them, they learn to decode the words from the variation and ups and downs of the tone of the mother. Somehow, the role of animations is a bit ambiguous because they have changed the focus from words to visuals; still, kids learn new words and able to retain them in their memory in they watch these songs multiple times."

Speaking and Communication Skills
 "The role of OMGS in improving communication skills is really appreciated by mothers because it improves parent-child interaction and builds the self-confidence of pre-school kids. Kids learn to express them by feeling intimacy with the person singing these songs for them. The role of AMGS is quite problematic in refining communication skills because kids are at the receptive end. They are becoming passive because they do not interact with the device, and the spell of AMGS is not letting them interact with their fellow beings."

Based on these findings, the researchers gave the following recommendations:
     "1) Kids must not be left alone in front of the screen. Parental involvement is found to be a very important and determining factor, a very important and determining factor, especially if they want to ensure the positive impact of AMGS. Leaving the kids unattended in front of AMGS may damage their physical and social development proving parental negligence criminal.
     2) There is a need to limit the screen time of the children. Parents must restrict their AMGS watching to a period of one to two hours daily.
     3) There must be some rule soft watching AMGS, i.e., no screens at the dinner table or leaving the gadgets at evening time to go to ground and play with peers."

To read the article, click here: Qaddos, M., Saleem, N., & Khan, M. Z. (2020). Role of Animated vs. Oral Mother Goose Songs in Language Acquisition of Pre-School Kids. Global Mass Communication Review, 4, 1-12.

Meet Jay Shulamith, a librarian in New Zealand!

After reading the article on Masks that was reprinted in my last newsletter, Jay Shulamith from New Zealand sent input (I LOVE to receive comments from newsletter readers):

I know I’m a bit late to the party on this one but I read this interesting article about the impacts on mask use and children and thought you might also enjoy it! It came to a similar conclusion about masks but had some insightful comments too. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Do-face-masks-interfere-with-language-development.aspx

I then asked Jay to tell us about herself and received this lovely reply:

Kia ora koutou,

I’m Jay, the senior children and youth librarian at Upper Hutt public libraries in the Wellington region of New Zealand. I’ve only been in my current role for 3 months, and my work mainly involves having an overview over all the children and youth programming/services that we offer at our 2 library branches, and two outreach vehicles that we take into schools/early childhood centres (and rest homes!). I was first introduced to Betsy’s work when I was working on my Masters in Information Studies, but then was lucky enough to attend one of her workshops on play and early literacy when she came over to New Zealand about 3 years ago. Since then I’ve been attempting to bring more play based opportunities into the libraries I’ve worked in, and I’m really hoping that with my new slightly more senior role that will be easier to implement!

Ngā mihi nui, Jay
 

Following that, Jay sent in a question:
 

Hi again Betsy,

I hope this finds you well. I’ve seen a few instances of libraries doing their MGOL programme in rest homes, and am really curious if there’s been any research done on the programmes and their benefits to participants (both young and old), or any research that’s been done that people creating these programmes have used to justify the creation of the programmes. I’m also looking for research on the benefits of multigenerational play generally (not just structured programmes). Feel free to disregard if I’m asking too much, but if you know of any, I would love to read about it in the next MGOL newsletter!

Ngā mihi nui, Jay

She/her
 

Here is my response:

Hello Jay (and other newsletter readers). To my knowledge, there has not been any official research done on the benefits of MGOL on families, although I have been trying to set up something like this for years! The other MGOL programs that I have developed - Goslings for parents of NICU babies, and Hatchlings for expectant parents and parents of newborns, both have the evaluation component built in, and their effectiveness has been rated very highly by the adults who attended the sessions, completed the surveys, and participated in interviews. If you can get an evaluative study on MGOL done, I would love to hear about the results!

Thanks, Jay,

Betsy
--
Newsletter readers: feel free to add to the conversation!!!!!!!
Book Recommendations
Resources

Peptoc, a Free, Inspiration Hotline for Kids

Thank you, Lynn Scott, for posting this article on Facebook. 

A March 6, 2022 article on NPR, "Press 3 for a pep talk from kindergartners. A new hotline gives you options for joy" describes a new hotline of encouraging words for kids (and adults!) from a resilient group of kindergartners at Westside School in California.  By dialing Peptoc at 707-998-8410, you can get a boost in spirits by hearing children share creative advice such as, "If you're feeling up high and unbalanced, think of groundhogs," or "It's okay to be different." You can even press "4" to hear a bunch of children laughing. Check it out by calling the number or read more about it here!

.
 

Workman's Press publishes wonderful books. This month, they have teamed up with Johnny's Selected Seeds, and Timber Press for a Spring into Garden Season Giveaway featuring a variety of books, seeds, and growing supplies such as pot labels, a Hand Seed Sower, and an all-purpose Trowel. Check out the rewards and enter into this free contest by clicking here.  Once you register, you will get coupon and a promo code for Workman's books, valid through March 21.  My favorite book from Workman's press is the Indestructible: Wiggle! March! by Amy Pixton, with illustrations by Kaaren Pixton. It's a lovely book with colorful animal pictures and no words, so it is great to use for children of all ages. The special paper means that the pages won't rip and can be easily sanitized. Click on the photo to have a look!
My friend, Sue Futeral, was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a blood marrow transplant. She kept her friends appraised of the situation on Facebook. She was hospitalized at the University of Maryland Medical Center and underwent a number of different procedures. She searched widely for a bone marrow donor, and was lucky enough to find one. Thankfully, her leukemia went into remission, and Sue was given the opportunity to ring the hospital's 'cancer free' bell while surrounded by family, friends and the doctors and nurses who cared for her.

Sue is a social worker; before retirement, she worked for decades at Baltimore County Public Schools. After writing a poem about leukemia to read at her retirement party, she determined that children would benefit from a rhyming book about leukemia. The poem turned into one book, and then into two books. Her 9 year old granddaughter and cousin  illustrated the books, and Sue self-published them. 

If are looking for a children's book about leukemia, have a look at these books!
Suzie Q Fights Leukemia
Suzie Q gets a BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant)
 
Newsletters
   MONTHLY  NEWSLETTERS

Each month or so, different organizations send out newsletters. A number of them deal with topics of interest to early childhood professionals, whether librarians, childcare providers, early literacy specialists, etc. Getting too many newsletters can be overwhelming, but getting some that target the areas that interest you are wonderful. Below is a newsletter for you to consider subscribing to. Have a look and see if it is REALLLY something you would like to have in your inbox every week. If so, subscribe!


The CCEI Newsletter (ChildCare Education Institute)
publishes a monthly newsletter that highlights professional development topics for early childhood educators. Often, the newsletters contain information of interest to librarians. Their March Newsletter focuses on speech and language development.  Short and to-the-point descriptions are accompanied by links to relevant webpages. For instance, under the language and development topics, the four subtopics were:
  • Promoting Speech and Language Development,
  • Elements of Speech and Language Development, (article)
  • Speech and Language Development Milestones, and
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication Tools.
Under "Promoting Speech and Language Development" is a short webpage with lots of tips that can be used with parents. For instance, "Playing turn-taking talking games with children, even when they are only babbling, models the natural flow of back-and-forth conversations." Another example is "Ask lots of questions. At first, children may point to objects in the environment if you ask them where something is located.  They will soon develop the ability to use short phrases to respond to your questions.  As they age, children will develop the thinking and language skills to answer more complex “How?” and “Why?” questions."

Their September newsletter had many rich resources around the topic of PLAY. To view it, click here. Signing up for their newsletters does not require a subscription fee.
 


 


Hedda Sharapan, from the Fred Rogers Center, writes a monthly newsletter writes a short monthly newsletter sharing the philosophy of Fred Rogers with practical examples. For instance, her September 2021 issue focused on "Don't forget the fun!"  She writes:

"Think about the fun you’ve seen in your work with children. Some of it might be quiet fun, like being totally engaged in some activity, delighting in some new materials you’ve offered, or feeling that wonderful sense of satisfaction at having accomplishing something. It’s also fun to sing and dance in a group.  Then there’s the laugh-out-loud kind of fun. I had that kind of a laugh with my sister the other day, and it opened my eyes again to how important that kind of fun is for all of us.

I did some research, and I found that for children, laughter is not only a great sound, but actually a healthy sound! Laughter raises endorphins, which increases immunity, lowers stress -- and as we all know, “it’s such a good feeling.” Humor creates a feeling of being in a warm, caring place. It also activates the brain’s dopamine which helps cells make connections, contributing to memory and retention. What a great psychological and physiological climate for learning!"

She gives the example of a teacher who "changed the “Old MacDonald” E-I-E-I-O to “Oinky, boinky, doinky.” To the three-year-olds, that was hilarious, and she had great fun, too, joining in laughing with them."

After giving a few more examples, she concludes:

"They say laughter is contagious. I suppose that’s because laughter is a social experience and helps us feel we’re part of a caring community, whether we’re children or adults. And isn’t that feeling important for us all, as we wind our way through the zig-zag world of the pandemic. Let’s not forget the fun -- in our work and in our everyday lives." 

The October 2021 newsletter discusses dress-up play as an opportunity to learn what's real and what's pretend, giving them the opportunity to explore some of their feelings, a vehicle for developing empathy, and a way to support self-regulation.

Read the newsletter at: https://mailchi.mp/stvincent/happy-friday-13th-657345?e=defc8cda01

Subscribe to the newsletter at: https://fredrogerscenter.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ba841a81845f733029f4c762c&id=efce78dee5
Training Opportunities
Since the pandemic, I have been creating and presenting webinars in place of my usual MGOL training workshops. Here are some of the comments by people who have attended my webinars:


From Literacy Basics & the Mother Goose on the Loose Philosophy: 
"Betsy is a truly engaging and incredibly knowledgeable presenter, who knows how to break things down clearly and succinctly for her adult learner audience. I'm excited and invigorated for the next session."

"This was a great training, and I realized that most of the best practices I'd copied from other CPL librarians were part of the MGOL training. Definitely worth repeating every several years for new hires!"


From Programming for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Caregivers: 
"So comprehensive!  Wish I had this information when I was starting out as a children's librarian.  I feel like this could have been 2 hours and it still would barely cover everything. I love that Betsy emphasizes the importance of being welcoming in the library."

Other webinars include: 
For information about these and other custom-made webinars, please contact Betsy at betsydc@mgol.org or 443-928-3915.



This online course, developed by Betsy, is offered on My Niche Academy. Five online modules with self-reflection questions and quizzes expand participants’ knowledge of research and practical examples about new ways to support the growth of executive function skills in babies and young children through library programs and activities.  

With the belief that library programs can develop more than literacy skills, modules cover how executive function relates to brain development, early relationships, school readiness, self-regulation, working memory, economics, mindfulness, and 21st century skills. Video clips of related skill-building activities taking place during library programs are included.

For information and registration, go to: 
https://my.nicheacademy.com/MGOL/course/5590


Check out this feedback (unsolicited) from a course participant: 

 
In this video you can see Molly from the Pollard Memorial Library in the city of Lowell presenting “Little Peter Rabbit” creatively using a cooking tray as a felt board replacement during her MGOL at Home.
 
Subscribe to More MGOL Rhymes on YouTube HERE!
Developmental Tip of the Month:
 
As young children begin to discover the world around them, they love to point to body parts when you name them. Games like Simon Says, or a songs like "Little Peter Rabbit" are great for helping them build confidence regarding their ability to name the parts of their bodies. If you try singing the song faster and faster, it becomes a really fun game, too!
 
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