Mother Goose on the Loose: Hatchlings: In the Nest (New Baby and Me)

Four online sessions via Zoom (4 sessions - 1 optional).
May 30, June 13, July 11, Sept 12, 2024 - Thursdays from 12 PM-2:00 PM Eastern/11 AM-1:00 PM Central/10 AM-12:00 PM Mountain/9-11:00 AM Pacific
Includes recording access for the training and debrief until October 13.

Background: About Mother Goose on the Loose: Hatchlings

Learn how to reach families before and after birth, through this interactive program that shares the importance of early reading, singing, talking, and playing with babies to build early literacy skills and strong family bonding. Created with delivery options for inside the library and in community outreach
settings, ideally, a library will implement both delivery options in order to maximize reach to families who can benefit from the early literacy messages of Hatchlings.

Hatchlings focuses on the roots of early literacy and the development of daily reading habits with equity in mind as it includes under-represented populations, such as English as a second language families, low-income families, families of children with disabilities, and single parent-families In addition to singing the suggested songs provided by the Hatchlings curriculum, families are encouraged to share culturally rich songs and stories handed down through their own families.

The Hatchlings curriculum follows the Mother Goose on the Loose format and philosophy, which builds upon a research-based foundation of early childhood development using ritual, repetition, music, play, and movement in a joy-filled, non-judgmental atmosphere.

Hatchlings integrates important health and child development Information, including eye and visual development, the importance of tummy time, and how infants’ brain develops in these early weeks and months of life through verbal and tactile stimulation with caregivers.

Hatchlings currently consists of two parts:

Baby on the Way (formerly “Ready to Hatch”) is for expectant parents;
New Baby and Me (formerly “In the Nest”) is for parents with newborns.

About Hatchlings: In the Nest (New Baby and Me)

In the Nest is a series of four consecutive sessions for parents with babies from birth to
four months old. While reinforcing positive early literacy behaviors, it also supports new
parents through the major life transitions of birth, parenthood, sibling adjustment, and
acclimating to public spaces with newborns. At the end of each session, parents are
given materials that will help them continue talking, singing, sharing books, and playing
with their babies at home.

This webinar series will help you:

Learn how to reach families after birth,
Share the importance of early reading, singing, talking, and playing with babies,
Reinforce these positive early literacy behaviors,
Support new parents through the major life transitions of birth, parenthood, sibling adjustment,
Acclimate them to being in public spaces with their newborns,
Encourage strong family bonding through shared activities,
Gain knowledge and confidence in providing effective early literacy trainings for parents of young infants.

This training prepares facilitators to implement the Hatchlings: In the Nest (New Baby and Me) program for parents with newborns. The training will:

Provide an overview of all materials, familiarize facilitators with the songs and rhymes,
Explain and provide practice facilitating the scripts and using the panels, so facilitators are comfortable and confident
Provide an opportunity to discuss considerations for virtual and in-person sessions, program customization, and ask questions
Discuss marketing strategies

Thursday, March 14: Introduction & Marketing Information
Thursday, April 4: Ready to Hatch (Baby on the Way) Training
Thursday, April 18: Office Hours: (optional)
Thursday, May 16: Debrief

In the Nest (New Baby and Me) Training Overview

Part 1: Introduction to Hatchlings – This introductory meeting explains what Hatchlings: In the Nest is, and emphasizes the importance of planning ahead. It covers:

Examining a sample timeline designed to aid with marketing, purchasing, and promoting the program
Marketing strategies
Finding community partners
Drumming up an audience
Purchasing items needed
Planning for siblings
Using interpreters
Differences between Ready to Hatch and In the Nest
Access to free online resources

Part 2: Training – The training prepares facilitators to implement the In the Nest (New Baby and ME) program for parents with newborns:

Providing an overview of all materials related to Hatchlings: In the Nest
Explaining the script format
Giving facilitators practice using the scripts to help them feel comfortable and confident
Identifying strategies to adapt scripts and panels in ways that personalize them but stay true to the content.
Familiarizing facilitators with all of the In the Nest songs and rhymes
Discussing considerations for presenting virtual as well as in-person sessions
Exploring multiple ways to find community partners
Brainstorming additional marketing techniques
Introducing strategies for individual libraries’ and community partners to promote their own programs and services to In the Nest program participants and identifying methods to share their materials.
Answering questions

Part 3: Office hours

During online “office hours”, libraries and their community partners can confer with Dr. Betsy. They will then be given a break-out room where they can being planning their collaborative program, with Betsy on hand to answer questions or offer suggestions.

In addition, Betsy will be available during the entire period of the training to answer questions and provide advice.

Part 4: Debrief

A final online meeting for sharing observations and discussing ways to continue offering Hatchlings programming in the future wraps up the first official training period.

Certificate of completion available upon request with successful completion of post-test.

Cost of training:

Fee for all online trainings and meetings mentioned above: $320

Group rates available for groups of 10 or more. Contact info@mgol.org for more information.

Attendees are expected to use the In the Nest (New Baby and Me) Instruction Guide below; use of the panels is optional. Printed materials are available for free download from the MGOL Website (address to be given during the introductory webinar) or can be ordered via Booklogix (Instruction Guide, Panels and Songbook are $129.00 plus shipping and handling in the US as a separate fee that is not part of the course registration)

In-house costs:

Expenses for supplies:

10-15 families per session are recommended for In the Nest.
The estimated cost for In The Nest materials is $22 – $28 per participating family (excludes shipping & handling and depending on current prices and discounts.)
A list of recommended resources and prices will be provided. However, the in-house costs will depend on which supplies you choose to offer. If no funding is available, the Hatchlings program can be successfully conducted using the program content and activities, with suggestions to families for homemade creation of program materials used, (e.g., homemade shaker and puppet)

It is recommended that parents receive a "gift" after the session (such as a board book), which they can use to practice the skills they have learned at home.
- If funding is an issue, "gifts" for families can be replaced with different board books already in the library.

For a complete breakdown of the 2023 Hatchlings program materials information, click here.