Often, people don't think about starting or attending library programs for infants because they imagine that programming for infants will be modeled on traditional story times for older children. These caregivers and librarians recognize that infants are not developmentally ready for the type of group sharing of stories and activities that are offered in traditional story times. However, is important to understand that Mother Goose programs differ from the traditional story time in a number of ways:

1. Unlike story time programs for older children, Mother Goose programs for infants require a parent or caregiver's participation. Indeed, the programs are as much for the caregiver to learn about ways to share appropriate rhymes and activities with their child as for the child to experience the literature during the program.

2. Because younger children have different developmental needs than the children who attend traditional story-hours, the content of the program will differ.

3. Mother Goose programs use few, if any, storybooks because very young children don't yet follow plot well, if at all. Appropriate picturebooks and board books may be shared one-on-one by infants and caregivers during a play-time portion of the program. If books are used in the structured portions of the program, these will generally be limited to those with familiar objects, repetitive words, very simple plots, and large illustrations.

4. The major portion of the program comprises nursery rhymes, songs, and chants, during which caregivers participate by singing along and moving and touching their children.

5. Fingerplays of traditional story times, which are too difficult for very young children, are adapted as simplified, exaggerated movements. Often caregivers touch their children or manipulate their infants' limbs to the rhythm of the verse. Older children may perform gross-motor movements themselves and attempt some simple fine-motor movements.

6. Repetition is considered especially important. The same rhymes may be repeated, from day to day, at each session. Rhymes, songs, and activities are repeated within individual sessions as well.

7. It is not considered necessary to have a theme as is common in traditional story times, though librarians choose to do this.

8. Crafts are not generally a part of the program because younger infants don't manipulate small objects well yet. Time to play with developmentally appropriate toys, books, and tactile objects may be provided, however.

9. Clapping and bouncing between chants is common.

10. Though some librarians do use them, classic story-hour props such as puppets and flannel boards are not considered necessary, and some consider them undesirable.