What Purchase Curriculum Do You Use?

[StarBriteLearning]

It looks great but at $100 a month for 6 kids I don't think I can swing that.

45-60 take home projects a month is amazing, though.

If you order online and use Coupon code 2045 you can receive 30% off your order!!! Or you can use coupon code 2253 each month to receive $5 off!....Half priced previous month programs are also available

[Cat Herder]

If you order online and use Coupon code 2045 you can receive 30% off your order!!! Or you can use coupon code 2253 each month to receive $5 off!....Half priced previous month programs are also available

Awesome!!! I just went over and peeked again..

I am going to grab one of the previous months kits.

What a great option for those of us who only have 6 kids, total, to cover costs!!

Thanks!!

[Abigail]

If you save the curriculum books I have used them again before because each child gets somehting new out of it each time it is repeated since they are older the second time around. You just have to purchase the supplies yourself but the layout of the daily curriculum book is easy enough to repeat year after year.
I have also used Reach for the Stars curriculum where you purchase the CD and just print off what you need. Each day is laid out for you much like the Funshine Expres stuff...look into it and let me know what you think http://www.reachforthe-stars.com/rft...hoolthemes.htm

http://www.rftstoddler.info/

...I have Toddler and Preschool curriculums in all three series.

I'm going to do the same thing you did, save the curriculum for next year!

I have used Funshine Express for years. They are on a three year rotation with very little change from year to year. For the first 6 years I kept all the curriculum books and a master of each of the projects; I note in the curriculum books the consumables that each project used (ie: pom poms, stickers, google eyes, whatever). I also keep one master copy of the letter, number, concept worksheets. Now I make my own copies from the masters and replenish the consumables as necessary. I also laminated the color/letter/number/calendar items and use the same ones from year to year. I use magazine files for each month to store them on a bookcase in my office; as each month rolls around I grab the file and start planning the month.

Over the years, as I run across other ideas I like, books that are theme specific, The Mailbox or Family Fun magazine (tons of great ideas in these!), etc. I file them with the curriculum. That way there are always fresh ideas from year to year without too much effort on my part.

For larger theme specific items, like plastic dinosaurs, fire prevention, holiday items, the butterfly hut, etc. I store those in clear Rubbermaid containers that are labeled by holiday or theme and store those stacked on a shelf.

It has taken some time to compile and organize it all (I've done this for 22 years!) but now curriculum planning take little or no time at all since it is right at my finger tips.

I hope some of these ideas help

Thanks for sharing everything you did to keep costs low and be creative! Do you have pictures of how you organize your totes? That sounds like you're very prepared.






I was on the Funshine Express site looking into the fireflies for preschool and buttercups for toddlers and the Christian Teaching Kits a few weeks ago and came across the 50% outdated months. 2 weeks ago it went back as far as JUNE, umm it was the end of NOVEMBER so it was 6 months worth of kits. I went over to see my friend's November kit (she bought a clearance one a year ago and hasn't used it, ) and I was impressed with how organized it was. I logged on tonight as I'm trying to find good deals online for daycare things and thought I would look into the Funshine Express again.

Now they're 75% OFF! OK so I couldn't pass up and really want to do the months Sept-May (June ends the letter Z so I might do June too) and just have free summer with general crafts and learning experiences being outside more.

Even though I don't have ANY kids enrolled, I order September, October, November, and December for Fireflies for 12 kids....this will last two years without getting extra supplies. I ordered the FALL 2011 Buttercups which ties in with the Fireflies themes for September-November also for 12 kids. I ordered the 3 kits for the Christian Based Teaching also for 12 kids. Then added Fall Coloring pages....I can't print 96 pages that are all theme related for September-November for only $1.25!

So I got three months for 12 toddlers, four months for 12 preschoolers, 3 (months I'm guessing) for the Christian based teaching for 12 kids, and a set of fall themed coloring pages. Shipping was $16.99 for all of this and tax was $7.52 making my ENTIRE ORDER $157.99

NOW I normally wanted to create a curriculum by myself, but this I felt was a good price at 75% off and I've been too stressed lately trying to get my daycare up and running that I don't want to worry about the cost of a curriculum next year if I can't come up with something myself. I plan on ordering January-May come late summer next year when they go on clearance so I'll have the entire year. I just hope they don't go lower than 75% or else that is just that much more I could have saved.

Oh well, I thought I better be safe than sorry. I really want something to start September with and now I feel better prepared! The cost now seems overwhelming, but when you break it down it was only $1.82 PER CHILD PER MONTH for fireflies! Only 76 CENTS PER CHILD PER MONTH for buttercups! Only 49 CENTS PER CHILD PER MONTH for the Christian Based Kits.

[Sunchimes]

When do you guys start this stuff? My kids are 15/16 months old. I'm not doing anything organized. We look at books. They don't sit long enough for a whole story, but we look at pictures and talk about them. They can point to objects when asked, they are terrific at showing me how cows moo and dogs bark, etc. They can bring me some things when asked (the yellow pretty baby block, the ball, etc).

I really hadn't planned to do anything organized for at least 6 more months. Is that wrong? I never promised anything remotely related to a curriculum. We play, and I watch for teachable moments. But, since coming here, I'm realizing that I'm out of date and maybe parents expect 2 year olds that know the alphabet?

[permanentvacation]

I use Home Preschool Program at www.homepreschool.com. It's a 'cookie cutter' program, but it's simple and easy for me - everything that you will need is in the box - except sissors, glue and crayons! Each month has a major theme and minor theme. They teach a couple of colors, shapes, letters, and numbers each month. There's a good bit of crafts for the kids. I do, however, add to the program from other curriculum books and add in my own circle time and hands on learning activities such as games, puzzles, manipulatives, etc.

[KBCsMommy]

Ive used Star brite too. The kids seemed to really like it too.

The projects they send are pretty creative too. Nothing I could ever think of!!


And I think its less expensive than Mother Goose!!

[daycare]

wow this is a really old post....

I have in the past used Mother goose time....I don't care for it..

I have written my own and I loved it, but I can't do it when I am full. It takes way too much time, planning, shopping and my husband goes nuts that I am ALWAYS spending too much time out of daycare planning and shopping for it.

I subscribe to Clifford the Big Red Dog through Scholastic and it's ok, but it's a very small amount of stuff that is really just work sheets. I won't buy it again.

I have looked into doing Preschool First, as it has a great tracking system and it encourages learning through play, which I LOVE, but again I am shopping and planning all the time.

I just ordered a sample pack for $25.00 from Funshine Express and it should be here any day. I am hoping that this will work for us. I will be full again at the first of the year and I just can't keep doing my own curriculum. Especially now that my husband is home, he wan'ts my attention..

I know that several people use funshine express. Hopefully I ordered the right one, I got the one that was listed 3-5 yrs old.. Most of my kids are 2.5 and 4

[Abigail]

Daycare, you'll have to let me know what you think of it. I ordered a LOT, but at a good deal. I need to call now to finalize my order. YAY just placed my order. They were so nice over the phone and even told me my comments about their curriculum would be forwarded to their marketing manager as I asked about ordering in bulk for something...how nice. She said it will be sent out tonight or tomorrow and that I'll get a bunch of boxes....my very own Christmas Gift! LOL

[daycare]

Daycare, you'll have to let me know what you think of it. I ordered a LOT, but at a good deal. I need to call now to finalize my order. YAY just placed my order. They were so nice over the phone and even told me my comments about their curriculum would be forwarded to their marketing manager as I asked about ordering in bulk for something...how nice. She said it will be sent out tonight or tomorrow and that I'll get a bunch of boxes....my very own Christmas Gift! LOL

oh you ordered funshine express too??

I am excited to get it too. I am so burnt out on doing it all alone...no more nights of cutting things out in front of the TV or while everyone is eating dinner.

I will for sure let you know what I think of it and how the kids respond to it. I am really hoping that its nothing like Mother goose time. That one stinks for ages 2-4. ALl of the projects are so cookie cutter, they could not do more than half of the art projects and its expensive..... ok I am done complaining....

hope we can compare notes

[Abigail]

I was too busy yesterday to come back on here, but I ordered the funshine for half the year, LOL, and the 90 pounds of boxes came the next day! I ordered them about 4 pm Thursday and they came at 2 pm Friday....I saw the UPS guy outside thinking "What the...?"

It took half hour to open 10 boxes. I like that the boxes are all the same size so they'll stack very easily. Everything comes really organized in clear bags that have the project name, what page it is from in the book, it lists the materials in the package and lists suggested materials, and how many kids it's for. I ordered for 12 kids for everything because at 75% off who could beat that?!

I could take pictures of some of the things, but I don't think they'd turn out really well. Most of the supplies included are things I can buy locally so I'm going to make sure to keep a list. In the book each day is one full page and when you turn the page it is the next day. It would take about 10 minutes to read through the page to prepare for the day. The craft projects seem to be about 2-3 per week for fireflies. I have not looked at the buttercups package yet or the Christian kits yet. Very little prep work for crafts though and I went through the month of December here and it's like cut string in half or cut paper in half and distribute to the children. They really could have had it all ready, but it's a prepackaged curriculum and it's never going to be perfect.

In the end, I love it so far! I will not be using it until September, but I will be going through it when I can and scanning things into the computer to save it. Lots of pre-cut things and some things that I will want to laminate. I'll wait on laminating since I don't have the whole year. I think I will still order the rest of the year when it goes on clearance and I can always add in a project here or there. What months did you order?

[Abigail]

I will for sure let you know what I think of it and how the kids respond to it. I am really hoping that its nothing like Mother goose time. That one stinks for ages 2-4. ALl of the projects are so cookie cutter, they could not do more than half of the art projects and its expensive..... ok I am done complaining....

hope we can compare notes

All of these projects are things the kids do themselves with very little help from me. I'm happy about that. I think it said ages 3-5 but I think a 5 year old might be bored and want to be the "teachers helper" on the projects. JMO, but I would let a 2 year old do SOME of these as long as I was about to help them.

Some of the projects (make a candle) just require half a sheet of paper, a string to hang it from the ceiling--or tree--, and something that looks like a flame to be glued on. It seems simple enough. The best part is that they're creative. They add what categories according to preschool requirements that the project meets. It gives you questions to ask the kids while doing projects. It also gives creative instructions to make it a little better than a cookie cutter craft. Ex. I would have kids color the paper and glue on the flames and roll the paper up and then I would hang it up for them. The instructions for the project tell you to water down paint and use a spoon to drip lines across the paper to decorate it while it's in a cookie sheet and let it dry.....see how one little thing would really change the project? It seems neat. Hope you like yours!

Once you have the ideas infront of you, it's easy to change some to make additonal ones. The candle project would be just as easy to drizzle watered down paint across a toilet paper roll and use tissue paper as the flame....use the same technique but different items and still open ended questions. Hmm, can I have a month off just to play with all these projects? LOL

[johnstephen1]

Brite stars and Zoo phonics

[Largemouthfrog]

Music resource for most curriculums.

Here's a music resource that will fit with most curriculums.

https://www.largemouthfrog.net

It focuses on countries and animals from around the world with music.
Here is their latest music cartoon resource.

http://youtu.be/bw2nif3jt6w