In January of 2015, the first MGOL Newsletter was sent out. Since then, the newsletter is published online once a month or once every other month.  It is a combination of my personal stories, relevant research for children’s librarians and early childhood professionals with phrases or sentences that can be used as developmental tips for parents highlighted. It also has lists and links to resources, comments from readers, news and ideas, a rhyme of the month, a developmental tip of the month, and other eclectic selections.  

This month’s newsletter is scheduled to be sent out to inboxes tomorrow morning, but if you want a sneak peak, look here! https://mailchi.mp/9bce450df21f/enjoy-your-mgol-newsletter-4805298

I’m reorganizing my office and going through a pile of school papers, from high school and up. One of them called “The Importance of Various Stimuli in Child Development From Before Birth to The Age of Five” has a quote in a footnote that jumped out at me:

“It is my belief that there is no “parents’ aid” which can compare with the book in its capacity to establish and maintain a relationship with a child. Its effects extend far beyond the covers of the actual book, and invade every aspect of life. Parents and children who share books come to share the same frame of reference. Incidents in everyday life constantly remind one of the other — or both, simultaneously — of a situation, a character, an action, from a jointly enjoyed book, with all the generation of warmth and well-being that is attendant upon such sharing.”   (Dorothy Butler, Babies Need Books: How to share the joy of reading with your child. (Great Britain: Penguin Books, 1982), p. 9.

On a totally different note, I also found a paper I wrote for driver’s ed in high school, which I have photographed and will reprint here. 

My dad (who drove me while I was taking the pictures) and I sent a copy of my paper to someone in the Department of Transportation. We never heard back. But since then, as I drive in that area, I notice that there is plenty of signage for the Cross Westchester Expressway!

My daughter, Maya, is currently living in Chile and she is doing a lot of work for Mother Goose on the Loose. She has been contacting librarians who are doing virtual MGOL sessions, asking them for permission to post their programs and activities, and then categorizing the activities by topic (rhymes with bells, knee bounces, lullabies, etc.) and putting them into playlists on the MGOL YouTube Channel.

Today, she ran across this page from the Brooklyn Public Library about the MGOL app. It’s been awhile since I’ve thought about it, so I’d like to share the link:

 

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/blog/2018/10/25/read-play-mother-goose

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