Help! Schedule And Curriculum Ideas Needed!

[Countrygal]

I need help. I homeschooled for over 20 years, so am totally familiar with preparing and carrying out my own curriculum. HOWEVER, doing that with 3 - 5 preschoolers seems to be another matter entirely!!!

I have tons and tons of ideas, but bringing them all together into a day-to-day schedule is not happening. Can you share some ideas of how your typical day looks and how much time you actually spend on each part of these curriculums? How do you have your daycares physically set up that works best for you (another think I am thinking about is how to effectively use the space I have)? I have an in-home daycare, so space is at a premium.

Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated!

[melskids]

I am play based, and use emergent curriculum.

I also have my circle time after our morning, so instead of talking about what we are going to do, we reflect on what we've already done.

Our current schedule goes something like this.....

7:00 kids begin arriving and go right into our learning centers. breakfast is served around 8, and it is typically set up in a way that the kids can help themselves.

Our daily centers are...

dramatic play
blocks
library area (books, books on tape & CD)
math
science
writing
abc/literacy

art...paint at the easel, 3D art(collage, woodworking, etc) and clay or playdough at the table

sensory table

music (sometimes materials are placed out for the kids to build instruments with)

fine motor (3 or 4 different things are set up on trays)

cooking (breakfast prep)

centers are open for almost 2 hours and they are free to choose which centers to go to and for how long. I try to encourage them to get to each one if I can.

9:00 we clean up, do diapers, etc

9:30 outside play

10:30 we come in and get cleaned up, and then have circle time

11:00 or so, we start prepping for lunch...the kids usually all help

11:30 lunch

12:00 clean up, brush teeth, get on our mats, have story time

12:30 nap

2:00-2:30 or when the start getting up, we do diapers and have snack

3:15 we go to the bus to pick up SA

3:30 SA have snack, do homework, free play, we go outside, or do a planned activity.....most centers are still open, except for the really messy ones so they can do that too if they want.

5:00 pick ups begin

hope this helps!

[Michael]

We have a lot of threads regarding schedules https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=schedule

[Countrygal]

Thank you so much for sharing, melskids. I especially like the idea of reflecting on what you have done that morning. Thank you for taking the time to share your schedule with me! Anything I can glean at this point will help me to arrive where I'm headed!

Yes, I will definitely search out other threads, Michael, although yesterday I just didn't have time to really peruse the site. Thanks for the suggestion!

[melskids]

I just recently started doing that a few months ago.

When my kids come in, they want to go right into centers, so instead of fighting that anymore, I let them. They seem to be much more interested and productive, and it seems to flow more naturally.

And having outdoor/active play before circle time, actually helps them sit a bit longer.

[Countrygal]

I think one of the big reasons I am giving this so much consideration right now is because I live in WI. There are many days when outside is not an option during the winter. (we make up for it during the summer! ) Sickness, wind, frigid cold can all keep us in. Today the wind is almost 20 mph and although it is 16 degrees, windchill says it is 0. Not a good day for outside play. Also, several of us (me, included) have colds, and flu and other nice things are going around because it has been a very mild winter so far. In fact, I am loving this winter! But it is still winter in WI.

So these great ideas you are giving me will be put to good use!

Michael, I did look back several months and found a few good ideas, but not any threads that were specifically like this one. Perhaps I missed them? Or perhaps it just hasn't been discussed for a while. I know on these forums, some ideas keep coming round and get pretty boring after a while to anyone who has been here a long time, and I apologize for that.

Perhaps people could just point me towards some specific threads??

[lovemyjob]

what works for me

Country gal...we are much alike. I taught elem. school for 7 years before starting a childcare in my home. After so much research of others online....what I learned from people over and over is that you have to do what works for you. (That idea annoyed me and didn't seem helpful to me at all for my first couple years...now I don't fight it. You really do need to do things based on what keeps you sane.) I live in MN...and have 3 babies under 2 years old...making everything more challenging.

Here are a couple ideas of how I have come to do things:

1) Story time. If I try to read a book to the kids it has to be a) while they are all seated at the table in high chairs etc cuz they can't go away...or b) after lunch, they all clear their spots, potty, wash and get their "rest spots" ready. Once that is done, they choose books and can read with a friend, to a baby, stuffed animal, or with a SA if they are home for the day. That give all ages lots of 1 on 1 time and I can clean up and diaper kids.

Every other time I have tried story time....the 3 year olds are interested but fidgit a lot, the 2 yr old and 9 month old fight over who can sit on my lap and be held, the 18 month old wants to eat the book and turn the pages constantly. It is a circus and noone hears anyting. Drove me nuts.

2) I have required "table time" for the preschool age kids when the babes take their morning nap. I have one 3yr old who would prefer never to pick up a pencil or do anything that isn't sword play. However, table time is a required time to sit at the table. I have a simple activity, craft, scissor cutting practice, dry erase boards, playdoh, game, etc to do with me. Then they can choose anything else they would like to do for the rest of the time. The only rule being they have to stay at the table and no toys are allowed. Eventually, my hope is that he will participate due to boredom or through osmosis or something.

3) I play a wonderful singing tape at rest time. It is mellow but all learning songs..which we mimic throughout the day. One song is all the sounds of the alphabet "Apple, apple a,a,a baby, baby b,b,b" etc.

4) I teach sign language (some anyway). Currently am taking classes myself. However, Signing Time video series is wonderful. Hate TV and screen time, so if they are going to get it....it will always be educational in nature SuperWhy, Sid the Science Kid, Backyardigans (singing and dancing) etc. I do this right before lunch so I can prep and feed the baby in relative peace when they are all getting crabby and tired anyway.

5) Kids learn best when having fun. If we all have a piece of paper and trace the letter "a" in 5 of our favorite colors (rainbow style) then perhaps we set out books all over and they have to bring back 3 books that have a letter "a" on the cover. Simple.

6) I use Tupperware cups for my kids and they keep the same cup all day. Each morning I put a piece of painter's tape on them with the first letter of each child's name. Even my 2 year olds know that "H" is for Hannah. they can identify many letters quickly. (can change this up once in a while and make it a game. perhaps write the entire last name, initials, draw a picture of something that begins with their letter etc....keeps them guessing.) My big SA kids now do that job.

7) Make use of the bathroom. The kids spend so much time in there....I use the walls for learning things. Animal pics cut out from a calendar, new signs, days of the week, song lyrics, maps, abcs, colors. When I change a babies diaper....they lay on the changing table and that is where we ask lots of questions and talk all about what they see etc.

8) I have a large calendar that is hanging on my kitchen door. The kind where you move the numbers around for each month. I have started marking days with a certain color when some of my part time kids come, another color when my kindergarteners go to school (every other day) etc. We have daily discussions with all ages about who is coming each day, how many days until Christmas vacation, where the number is for how old they are etc. Part of daily discussion....not work. Usually while at the breakfast table or while walking by to the bathroom.

Essentially, I work the "curriculum" into the day so they hardly know they are learning things. I don't like the idea of a formal curriculum for kids....they need to learn to play with depth and without screen for entertainment. If they leave my home for kindergarten, they will know abc's, counting, and be excited to learn or try new things. They will know that while I have rules, that I always care about them and an interested in them. That is having succeeded in my job. Stability, consistancy, love and fun.

Hope this helps.

[karen]

Just thought I would share....
Some might not agree with me but I am completely structured...
Here is a copy of my schedule....
Karen’s Family Childcare
Daily Schedule
6:00-8:00 Arrival/Free Play/ Quiet Activities
8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-8:45 Fine motor activity
Using our small muscles eye hand coordination….
Ex….Puzzles, Knex, Scissors and Gears
8:45-9:00 Science Activity
9:00-9:45 Outside
9:45-10:00 Story Time
10:00-10:15 Gross Motor Activity
Using our large muscles
Ex…. Exercising, Mazes, Move like animals
10:15-10:30 Circle Time
Songs, Calendar, Weather, Job Chart and
Flashcards
10:30-10:45 Letter of the week
10:45-11:00 Music
11:00-11:15 Art project goes with our weekly theme
11:15-11:30 Math concepts
11:30-3:00 Books, Getting ready for lunch, lunch Nap time and
Afternoon snack
3:00-3:15 Fine motor activity
3:15-3:45 Outside
3:45-4:00 Art
4:00-4:15 Gross motor activity
4:15-4:30 Stories and Flashcards
4:30-4:45 Games
4:45-5:00 Fine motor activity
5:00 Kids are getting ready for home

I wrote my curriculum using weekly themes.
Once I have my weekly themes done I use the themes and break it down into the subject areas
For example this weeks theme is winter
Tuesday looks like this.....
Art- I do two art projects one in the morning and one in the afternoon
Paint Snowflakes
Make Snowflakes with glitter and glue
Math-Snowflake match
Language-We are on the letter O....So we look in our dictionary for words that start with that letter We color that letter with a picture of a word that starts with Letter O my older kids write that letter on a worksheet
Gross Motor-We played freeze to music
Fine motor-build with k-nex
Music-Learning the Snowman song
Science-Discovery bin added cotton Balls
Literature-Books about winter
Everyday I change activities. I hope this gives you another idea.
If you can't go outside I would plan on gross motor activities instead.

[melissa ann]

I started using Little Acorn Learning Curriculum. It's more hands-on and nature based. The kids really enjoy the stories and our activities.
We also do preschool work. Sometimes for the letters/numbers I will write it out and they put little pcs of paper to trace it. We also have plenty of write n wipe preschool books where they practice writing letters, numbers, mazes, matching games,etc.
7:00-8:00: arriving, breakfast, free play
8:00-8:20: walk to bus stop
8:20-9:00: dcg arrives, free play
9:00-11:30: welcome song, circle time, week's poem/song, story, actvitity, snack, craft, preschool activities.
11:30-12:15: lunch
12:15-2:30: nap
2:30-2:45: snack
2:45-3:30: free play
3:30-3:50: bus stop
3:50-4:00 snack SA
4:00-5:00: homework (SA), free play, movie
kids departing
When the kids choose free play, it's mostly coloring, drawing, puzzles,etc. They do also "play" with the toys. They enjoy playing games like chutes n ladders and candyland

[Countrygal]

Thanks soooooo much everyone! I'm loving all these wonderful ideas!

[athomemommy]

Country gal...we are much alike. I taught elem. school for 7 years before starting a childcare in my home. After so much research of others online....what I learned from people over and over is that you have to do what works for you. (That idea annoyed me and didn't seem helpful to me at all for my first couple years...now I don't fight it. You really do need to do things based on what keeps you sane.) I live in MN...and have 3 babies under 2 years old...making everything more challenging.

Here are a couple ideas of how I have come to do things:

1) Story time. If I try to read a book to the kids it has to be a) while they are all seated at the table in high chairs etc cuz they can't go away...or b) after lunch, they all clear their spots, potty, wash and get their "rest spots" ready. Once that is done, they choose books and can read with a friend, to a baby, stuffed animal, or with a SA if they are home for the day. That give all ages lots of 1 on 1 time and I can clean up and diaper kids.

Every other time I have tried story time....the 3 year olds are interested but fidgit a lot, the 2 yr old and 9 month old fight over who can sit on my lap and be held, the 18 month old wants to eat the book and turn the pages constantly. It is a circus and noone hears anyting. Drove me nuts.

2) I have required "table time" for the preschool age kids when the babes take their morning nap. I have one 3yr old who would prefer never to pick up a pencil or do anything that isn't sword play. However, table time is a required time to sit at the table. I have a simple activity, craft, scissor cutting practice, dry erase boards, playdoh, game, etc to do with me. Then they can choose anything else they would like to do for the rest of the time. The only rule being they have to stay at the table and no toys are allowed. Eventually, my hope is that he will participate due to boredom or through osmosis or something.

3) I play a wonderful singing tape at rest time. It is mellow but all learning songs..which we mimic throughout the day. One song is all the sounds of the alphabet "Apple, apple a,a,a baby, baby b,b,b" etc.

4) I teach sign language (some anyway). Currently am taking classes myself. However, Signing Time video series is wonderful. Hate TV and screen time, so if they are going to get it....it will always be educational in nature SuperWhy, Sid the Science Kid, Backyardigans (singing and dancing) etc. I do this right before lunch so I can prep and feed the baby in relative peace when they are all getting crabby and tired anyway.

5) Kids learn best when having fun. If we all have a piece of paper and trace the letter "a" in 5 of our favorite colors (rainbow style) then perhaps we set out books all over and they have to bring back 3 books that have a letter "a" on the cover. Simple.

6) I use Tupperware cups for my kids and they keep the same cup all day. Each morning I put a piece of painter's tape on them with the first letter of each child's name. Even my 2 year olds know that "H" is for Hannah. they can identify many letters quickly. (can change this up once in a while and make it a game. perhaps write the entire last name, initials, draw a picture of something that begins with their letter etc....keeps them guessing.) My big SA kids now do that job.

7) Make use of the bathroom. The kids spend so much time in there....I use the walls for learning things. Animal pics cut out from a calendar, new signs, days of the week, song lyrics, maps, abcs, colors. When I change a babies diaper....they lay on the changing table and that is where we ask lots of questions and talk all about what they see etc.

8) I have a large calendar that is hanging on my kitchen door. The kind where you move the numbers around for each month. I have started marking days with a certain color when some of my part time kids come, another color when my kindergarteners go to school (every other day) etc. We have daily discussions with all ages about who is coming each day, how many days until Christmas vacation, where the number is for how old they are etc. Part of daily discussion....not work. Usually while at the breakfast table or while walking by to the bathroom.

Essentially, I work the "curriculum" into the day so they hardly know they are learning things. I don't like the idea of a formal curriculum for kids....they need to learn to play with depth and without screen for entertainment. If they leave my home for kindergarten, they will know abc's, counting, and be excited to learn or try new things. They will know that while I have rules, that I always care about them and an interested in them. That is having succeeded in my job. Stability, consistancy, love and fun.

Hope this helps.

I have fought the have to have circle time for a while. Like the idea of having in another spot. I have a big calendar on the fridge from flylady.com. I am going to it there.

https://www.everydayonpurpose.blogspt.com

[Countrygal]

One of my New Year's "Resolutions" is to get started back with Fly Lady. I loved her site and her program, but never got it going when I was working. Now that I'm home with Day Care, I can see it happening and helping!

[Crazy In Mo]

One of my New Year's "Resolutions" is to get started back with Fly Lady. I loved her site and her program, but never got it going when I was working. Now that I'm home with Day Care, I can see it happening and helping!

What is Fly Lady?

[MamaBearCanada]

Here is a link to flylady

http://www.flylady.net/

I love it. She gives you great ideas on how to be organized, schedule your time, break up cleaning into bite size pieces, it's motivational and much more. I really like her focus on taking care of yourself and that a little cleaning is better than none. I am getting more done in all areas of my life.

For my day I found a schedule worked best when I planned meals, naps, and outdoor time. Then I planned other activities around that.

[LK5kids]

I have also been an elementary teacher, and while there are state standards and benchmarks to address all teachers bring their own style and interests to the classroom...
Same with how we all run our FCC homes.

I am play-based with structure. If that makes sense! I have to have a balance of both.

Here is what works for me....
7:00-8:00 Arrival

8:00-8:30 Breakfast

8:30-9:30 Free play- I offer creative art activities during this time. While I have a theme and our creative time reflects the theme I offer 95% open- ended process art over product art. Children choose if they want to participate or not.
One or two ( because I have a young group) at a time come over to the art area.

9:40 circle time with stories, flannel board stories, flannel board math poems, prop stories, music, other educational activities all with visual aids and props. I have always had good luck with circle time. I have had kids 18 mo. Stay in circle time and listen well even though they are not required to participate. I think it's all the visuals and props I use. If they would not sit for story time I would do it at snack time.

When I read a book it has only one sentence per page. These are the type of books that work for me with the younger crowd.
Circle is only 5 - 7 minutes because they are young.

10:00 am Snack

10:20 outside time or second free play during inclement weather with music fun added in- Greg and Steve, Dr. Jean, Hap Palmer, Jack Hartman, C.D.s etc. or other rhythm activities like dancing with Mylar streamers, etc.

12:00-Lunch

12:30-2:30-Nap

3:00-pm Snack-outside spring, summer, fall

3:30-4:30 outside time-spring, summer, fall. Free time- winter till 5:30

If something comes up that seems like a good idea, I switch things around.
This schedule is not written in stone.

Also, our public school offers 5 day a week J-k for 4/5's so my kids are all younger than that age. I don't really do alphabet instruction but we will talk about the letters in their name, I have name cards I put out at snack time, participate in alphabet songs like Greg and Steve's ABC Rock, Melissa & Doug alphabet puzzle, etc.