About the program

P-CMG is a group program for parents/carers and their babies/young children. P-CMG supports the development of secure parent-child attachment, promotes children’s speech development and enhances families community inclusion through the pleasure and power of using rhymes, songs, and stories together. 

Program structure

P-CMG consists of an infant program (children aged 0 to 2) and toddler program (children aged 2 to 5). While the structure is the same for both programs, sessions vary according to the different developmental needs of toddlers and infants. 

The P-CMG program consists of 10 x 1.5 to 2-hour weekly sessions, and requires 2 facilitators to run the program. While adaptations can be made to suit particular user groups and settings (contact the program developer), the following elements are essential to delivering the infant and toddler program: 

• A group format in which parents/caregivers take part together with their infants and/or young children. Teaching is directed towards adults and children participate as is appropriate to their stage of development and inclination. Activities are focused on interactive rhymes, stories and songs, all presented orally and through the air (as in Auslan/Keyword Sign).
• Storytelling is an integral part of the program with stories chosen and told for the enjoyment of the adults and young children.
• Emphasis within the rhymes, stories and songs is placed on the interaction between the parent and child, without the distractions of recorded music, musical instruments, props or modern technologies of any kind.
• The pace is slow and relaxed with plenty of time for repetition of material and discussion of issues and questions that arise. 

Evaluation and effectiveness

Several evaluations of the program have been conducted that showed positive outcomes for participants. A Canadian evaluation of the program (with a control group) found that mothers in the intervention group had higher levels of parenting efficacy and were more likely to judge their children as being secure (Scharfe, 2011). Results were most significant for the intervention group over time (6-month follow up). 

In addition, results from an Australian evaluation (Terrett et al., 2013) that included a comparison group found that children in the intervention improved more in their language abilities, and parents had a reduction in perception of child demandingness.

References

Scharfe, E. (2011). Benefits of mother goose: influence of a community-based programme on parent-child attachment relationships in typical families. Child Welfare Journal, 90(5), 9-26. 

Terrett, G., White, R., & Spreckley, M. (2013). A preliminary evaluation of the Parent–Child Mother Goose Program in relation to children’s language and parenting stress. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 11(1), 16-26.