Tweet
I think I'd like to purchase curriculum rather than spending so much time figuring it out myself.
What are your suggestions?
What are your suggestions?
-
-
supposed to be purchaseD curriculum! Sorry for the typo! -
mother goose time pre planned its ok.... not my fav
reach for the stars
brite stars
zoo phonics
free sites like the mail box .com
all kids network.com
I posted some earlier in a different thread...Comment
-
I just create my own. I pick a theme. We go to the library to get books on the theme (we do this when we go to story time on Wednesday mornings). I find a craft or 2 on the theme. The other days I pick worksheets out of the basic preschool workbooks I have (letters, numbers, matching, tracing, ect). We also do lacing cards, sorting beads, puzzles, ect. I want to add a science experiment every week too.
I also blog each week about our lessons, if anyone's interested:
Comment
-
I use the Funsteps company. www.funsteps.com. There's funsteps for 3-5 yr olds and they also have one called Twosteps for 2-3 year olds, if you need one geared for toddlers (the two can be used together so that both groups are doing basically the same theme, but have different learning activities geared for the specific age groups). It's a 3 day a week pre-planned curriculum, with pre-packaged crafts. They have no more than 1 worsksheet a day, either a number or letter, sometimes none. It's mostly hand's on learning. A couple things I've found that I'm not very thrilled with is they don't focus on the alphabet or numbers very much (you have to buy seperate alphabet and number programs through them to get more practice. The curriculum includes a little, just not much. So if you want a 5 day lesson plan this would be a good thing to get), and they don't always have the "typical" themes. Most of the time only 2 days are spent on one theme. So if you want to set up your daycare or preschool for the theme that week, you're redoing everything every two days. And a lot of them aren't typical themes, like I mentioned, so you can't really set up the learning centers to go with it.
They are decently priced, and always there to help out with anything. If your number in attendance change throughout the year, they can change your order for that number. They'll work with you however you need.Comment
-
I recommend doing your own. When I was at my former center I had Highreach Learning. The first few years were great. Then it started to get repetitive. I eventually made my own.
You can get great information online. Plus check out your local goodwill/thrift store. I can't tell you how many great school book bargains I found.
It maybe overwhelming at first. But trust me: it's really easy!Comment
-
did mother goose before. I am not crazy about it. Now we do our own again.Comment
-
I used Mother Goose also. Didn't like it one bit. I do my own and it is not overwhelming at all.
Comment
-
I don't like Mother Goose either. You can get the book....Creative Curriculum which shows you how to set up centers. You can make your environment the main curriculum by having every thing down for the kids to make choices in what they want to do that day. You will need to have a variety of materials though so they will have lots of choices.....and then rotate them in and out during the course of the year. I also have a "trash to treasures" bin for art. I don't do the copy cat art that Mother Goose provides. The kids make use their own ideas. I also do not give out color sheets. Instead the kids draw. I find that by not having a premade curriculum we are free to do and learn what we want. The kids are happier and involved in what they are doing. Hard to explain....but I've done it both ways and I prefer this....and the kids are learning more this way too. You look for teachable moments and then take advantage of them.Comment
-
i use the creative curriculum as well. we also do not do "cookie cutter" crafts, or parent pleasers. i follow the kids lead, and let them choose our themes. they have been hooked on trains and dinosaurs for the last two months!!!! i find by using a different theme each week, the kids aren't really getting anything out of it, and when they do, "bam!!!" time to change themes again. i dont really do letters or numbers "of the week". its more about learning the alphabet and numbers as a whole, through everything we do.Comment
-
I am also curious about this... I work 12hr days, I still have to cook and clean and take care of my own kids. I am exhausted at the end of the day and honestly am considering purchasing a curriculum too..
What other ones are there that you DID like?Comment
-
I'm surprised so many have said they don't like Mother Goose Time. I have done it for a few months now and love it!
I researched different curriculum for a while because I know I can't make my own. I already feel like I don't have enough time as it is, so that is not an option as I'm not willing to spend anymore time outside of my daycare day than I have to. I am creative and have good craft ideas, but I would always end up spending ridiculous amounts on little things to make one craft. So, I love that with MGT, the crafts come with everything you need (except basics like scissors, crayons, glue). Someone mentioned cookie cutter crafts, but my kids certainly like making the same thing as each other and get a kick out of it. I have tons of scrapbooking stuff that they can make their crafts "their own" with. Buttons, feathers, stickers, letters, paper shapes, etc.
I must say I haven't heard of some of these that you ladies mentioned. But I decided on MGT and I am happy with it so far.
I only order it for 2 kids, so it IS spendy, IMO. That's so far, the only drawback. It's the most spendy for 2 kids. After that, each additional kid is only about $3 each per month. I deal with the price because it's worth it to me to have go-to ideas for the day just waiting in a little yellow box. We don't do it every day. Some days, we'll do all the activities/lessons/craft for the day and other days we'll only do the craft or only sing some of the songs, or only do 1 of the activities. It's very flexible. My kids probably like the cd that comes with each month the best! I buy the infant/toddler curriculum book which has been very helpful and gives me ideas that I never would have thought of on my own. Although, I think that should be included in the price.
Everything is individually packaged for each for day. So, in the morning, I just pull out that day's package, look through it and decide what we'll do out of it that day, and get whatever materials I need ready. Usually just scissors, crayons, glue, etc. Everything else is there. Next month's theme is Nursery Rhymes and I'm pretty excited for it!
I will have to check some of these other curriculum out though. I don't have any die hard loyalty to MGT; but I have been happy with it.Comment
-
I used to use funshine express. It was affordable and easy to use because it was literally laid out every day for you and all the crafts were pre-packed and sorted out too. Each month you get teacher supplies and a book as well as all the number and alphabet color/work sheets for the weekly theme you are on. You get a moving to the msic cd every year too. They have toddler, preschool, school age and christian curriculums. http://www.funshineexpress.com/
I bought it for about 4 years but I now do my own curriculum.Comment
-
I do Funshine Express and LOVE it! I was thinking about Mother Goose because it looks awesome, so I'm surprised so many people don't like it. For me, it's just too expensive at this point. I've done my own curriculum before and it just takes too much time and I'm constantly running out to get more craft supplies, etc. The cost of Funshine is more than worth it for me (and I have the added shipping and customs cost of sending it Canada).
Not all of the parents appreciate it as much as I would hope, but I can see the progress the kids are making and I know prospective parents are very impressed by it during the interview. It also keeps our day structured and productive, which is good since I have a natural tendency to slack off
.
Comment
-
[QUOTE=Daycare_Mama;74800]I'm surprised so many have said they don't like Mother Goose Time. I have done it for a few months now and love it!
The problem I have with Mother Goose Time is that it lacks creativity on the kids part. There is basically one way to do the craft. I prefer child directed projects where they can use imagination and create what and how they want....and when as well. I worked at a program where they used MGT and after a few months the kids didn't even want to come to the table to do the craft. As far as the themes go.....they were good, but what happens when a child wants to learn about spiders and not what Mother Goose Time (or other canned curriculums) has in mind? I just find it much easier and child directed when I set the environment up in a way that gives kids many choices and we can learn what they want because that's when their interest is the highest. It's hard to explain. I know everyone has their own ways.....but this is just what works for me.Comment
Comment