A preliminary evaluation of the Parent–Child Mother Goose Program in relation to children’s language and parenting stress

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in children’s language skills and parenting stress following participation in the Parent–Child Mother Goose Program (PCMGP). The intervention group consisted of 29 parents (age range 24 to 43 years, M = 33.5, SD = 4.1) and 30 children (18 females and 12 males) with ages ranging from 1 to 46 months (M = 14.2, SD = 13.0), who were participating in the PCMGP. The comparison group consisted of 22 parents (age range 28 to 43 years, M = 34.5, SD = 3.7) and 25 children (14 females and 11 males) with ages ranging from 5 to 37 months (M = 18.2, SD = 10.7), who were participating in community playgroups. Children’s scores on receptive and expressive language using the Preschool Language Scale-3, and parenting stress scores using three subscales of the Parenting Stress Index were obtained at the beginning of the research (pre-test) and again 15 weeks later (post-test). Results revealed that the PCMGP children showed greater improvement in language skills, especially their expressive communication skills. The parents participating in the PCMGP also reported a more positive impact on their perceptions of their child’s demandingness compared to the comparison playgroup parents. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of the PCMGP as an early intervention program in relation to aspects of both receptive and expressive language and parental stress, and adds to the limited existing literature evaluating this program.