Sept. 9, 2005 – The Virgin Islands Institute for Teaching and Learning Inc. will hold the Mother Goose Especially for Dads workshop for fathers, Tuesday, Sept. 20 and 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Home Depot conference room. The workshops give fathers tips and strategies for encouraging reading among their children who are 3-7 years old. Workshop leaders will guide fathers in a review of fun books. Then the fathers will engage in hands-on activities related to the book's theme, which can be performed at home. Each Dad gets a free set of 11 children's books and an activity kit.
Karen Gutloff, executive director of the institute said, "More that 50 fathers from St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix have participated in Especially for Dads workshops so far. They have let us know the workshops gave them great ideas for encouraging their kids to read more. Plus they have fun."
Mother Goose programs, a product of the Vermont Center for the Book, operate in 14 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The institute also sponsors Mother Goose Asks "Why?" which combines reading and science and You Can Count on Mother Goose, which blends reading and math.
Fathers interested in registering for the workshop can contact the VIIFTAL at 777-7030.