Slow!
If I had to choose one word to sum up what I learned during my week at the Centre for Family Literacy’s Family Literacy Training Institute (FLTI) in Edmonton last week; it would be slow.
I travelled to Edmonton with Cherl Gargan and Martha Gargan from Dezoah Undaa Etleh Koke (the Fort Providence Aboriginal Head Start) as well as Jennifer Bishop and Christine Barker from Yellowknife. Together, we spent a week learning about family literacy programs and initiatives.
I chose a 2-day teacher training workshop with the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program® (P-CMGP), facilitated by Kim Heatherington and Heather Boonstra from the Fort Saskatchewan Families First Society. According to their handout, “P-CMGP® is a group experience for parents and their babies and young children which focuses on the pleasure and power of using rhymes, songs and stories together. Parents gain skills and confidence which can enable them to create positive family patterns during their children’s crucial early years, and give their children healthy early experiences with language and communication.”
One of the first things I noticed that was different from other rhyming and singing programs was the pace. It was much slower. This is one of the essential elements of the P-CMGP®. There are eight elements at the ‘heart’ of the P-CMG® program. The slow pace allows time for participants to relax and use repetition as a method to learn the rhymes and songs. It also promotes a calming atmosphere during the program – a bonus when dealing with a room full of busy toddlers.
I learned many great new songs last week. Here is my favorite (sing it slow – the tune may find you!)
You are Wonderful
You are wonderful, when somebody says that to me,
I feel wonderful, as wonderful can be.
It makes me want to say the same thing to somebody new,
And by the way, I've been meaning to say,
I think you're wonderful too!
--Kathryn Barry Paddock
