- By Blanche Fisher Wright, 1944
Anyone on the Long Beach Peninsula this weekend probably knows that today is Loyalty Day here. But, what is even more exciting to me is that this also is Mother Goose Day! Founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar in conjunction with the publication of her book, Mother Goose; from Nursery to Literature, the day is now listed in many calendars of events and celebrated throughout the United States.
What a great idea – to establish a day of celebration in conjunction with a book you’ve written! As an author, I’m full of admiration at such chutzpah. I wonder if a “Medora Day” would catch on? I already know that an “Oysterville Day” would not – too many people let us know that when we tried a few years back!
But a Mother Goose Day is a fabulous idea! I’m a great fan of nursery rhymes. As May Hill Arbuthnot wrote in her classic Children and Books: “Knowing the verses expands the imagination, increases the vocabulary, and develops an ear for the music of words. Enjoying Mother Goose predisposes children to other books. Poring over the illustrations is an education in art appreciation. And meeting Mother Goose in the security of mother’s or father’s lap is a happy experience no child ever forgets.”
During the years I taught primary grades, I often included a unit on nursery rhymes. I found that the majority of children came to school without knowing them. In some cases, of course, that’s because parents did not read to their children at all. In other situations, the nursery rhymes were skipped in favor of story books or other “more advanced” (and less age-appropriate) literary choices. Dr. Seuss and demon TV had usurped the place of the old (and now un-) familiar nursery rhymes.
Interestingly, the parents loved those Mother Goose teaching units as much as the children did. By the time ‘my kids’ left my classroom both parents and children knew by heart dozens of those “artless, picturesque, lyrical rhymes that, after all, constitute the child’s most entertaining introduction to English poetry.”
So, hats off the Mother Goose Day! If I were in charge of this day, I’d insist that everyone teach one nursery rhyme to each person they met – all day long! The one I’d choose is:
One misty moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man,
Clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment
And I began to grin.
How do you do? And how do you do?
And how do you do again?
I credit technology for Mother Goose and her rhymes fading from the American collective consciousness. I suppose it started as soon as parents could plunk the kiddies in front of the television. No need to read to them. In the 1980s I was shocked and upset that parents were engaging in tugging matches at Toys R Us over a mechanical bear designed to read to children. Just pop in the tape. I love books on CD and my hours spent driving to and fro the beach are spent listening to my favorites and my grandchildren enjoy them, too, but their parents still take them into their laps and read books, talking about the pictures along the way. The children you taught were largely not that fortunate. Some of them were responsible for getting themselves up, dressed, and to school on their own by the time they were in second grade. Many mommies were just too hung over to get themselves up, let alone see to their children. How fortunate they were to come to a school where the adults cared. It was the hook they could hang their hat on, so to speak.
My memory of your teaching Mother Goose at Ocean Park School is one of my happiest. It wasn’t just your split class that benefited. Everyone got into the act reading those endearing rhymes with children. Not long ago you reminded me that even the kitchen staff got into the act by serving peas porridge hot for lunch. The best was the culmination of everyone coming to school dressed as their favorite Mother Goose character and the parade you, a Mother Goose herself, led around the school, picking up each class along the way.
I have had the privilege to work with a lot of teachers, most of them wonderful, but I do not think anyone has ever matched your passion for making children excited about learning.
One of the first things I did with Hazel was introduce her to nursery rhymes. Last year she would recite Jack and Jill as she swung on her swing and knew many others, but she didn’t like Humpty Dumpty–think she felt badly for the fellow who couldn’t get back together again! Recently her Montessori teacher taught the class “Miss Mary Mack” and she had it memorized on the first day. While it may not be a true nursery rhyme, I credit her exposure to all the others with making this particular one so easy to remember. By the way, I also have a copy of the Blanche Fisher Wright book. Happy Mother Goose Day!
Macy says, “Thanks again, Mrs. Stevens, for my first Mother Goose book. I love it when my mom reads to me!!!!” Thanks for teaching her to love reading.:)