DCM Asking If I Was Still Doing Educational Activities

[MNMum]

A family I love dearly, who has a great little 16 mo, who just started walking....asked today if I was still doing educational activities for the kids. I was very surprised! I have done a preschool program for my 3 boys this school year, adapted to their abilities and interests (my crazy 2 yo, a precocious 3.5 yo, and a slightly behind 3.5 yo.) I'm new to daycare and thought I would be doing more with the kids. Most of my experience has been with girls. I didn't realize that my 2 hours of prep work would be uninteresting to them after 7 minutes! We continued to do a brief circle time, calendar, music, crafts about 2x/wk, some sensory activities, everyday math activities, and always storytime. My dck this summer consist of a 9 mo and this child, I wasn't planning on doing anything over the top as far as "teaching" goes. Why can't kids be kids? I have a very engaging environment.

Do you do formal teaching for the under 2.5 crowd? What does it consist of?

[jojosmommy]

Just my opinion....

She wants crafts. She wants to take home "evidence" of what you do with her little one.

There are three kinds of parents, those who don't care at all and never ask, those who think their kids are learning based on the crafts as proof, and those who get it and understand how kids really learn.

[cheerfuldom]

He is 16 months and too young for any type of official school curriculum. But like another poster said, some basic crafts could appease her. OR a list of thing that you feel he could begin at age two while reminding her that you work from the child's individual pace. Learning at this age should be about exploring and experiencing, not having a task master to get an baby reading and writing faster than any other kid out there. Now would be a good time to get together something official about your policy on education. If you want to be play based for the first two or even three years, it is better that the parents are aware of what you will and will not be doing.

Depending on his abilities though.....he might be able to start coloring or doing markers, do basic crafts with assistance, painting, making a clay model to go home with.

[SilverSabre25]

He needs to be playing
moving
exploring
engaging his whole body
using all five senses
experiencing new and different things
hearing books read aloud
learning basic skills such as jumping and running
learning that he is respected, and that respect is expected of him
getting plenty of sleep
eating plenty of yummy, healthy food
tasting a wide variety of flavors and textures
feeling a wide variety of new and different sensations

"I provide a comprehensive program that engages the child's whole body and mind according to their current and ever-changing abilities and needs. Many of these needs are met and abilities practiced through activities that do not produce a 'take-home' end product. Rest assured that even though you are not seeing products, he is learning and growing every single minute of every single day."

[MNMum]

He needs to be playing
moving
exploring
engaging his whole body
using all five senses
experiencing new and different things
hearing books read aloud
learning basic skills such as jumping and running
learning that he is respected, and that respect is expected of him
getting plenty of sleep
eating plenty of yummy, healthy food
tasting a wide variety of flavors and textures
feeling a wide variety of new and different sensations

"I provide a comprehensive program that engages the child's whole body and mind according to their current and ever-changing abilities and needs. Many of these needs are met and abilities practiced through activities that do not produce a 'take-home' end product. Rest assured that even though you are not seeing products, he is learning and growing every single minute of every single day."

Love this!

[Sugar Magnolia]

Silver, brilliantly worded! Exactly! Love it!

[DaisyMamma]

It does sound like she wants evidence. I let 18mo kids color, they can take home their scribble pages.

I post photos on my parent board weekly. This might help her curiosity.
What did you say?

[Lianne]

My response would be, "Yes, of course!"

Granted, her definition of educational activities and mine likely differ but I wouldn't be pointing that out

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Just my opinion....

She wants crafts. She wants to take home "evidence" of what you do with her little one.

There are three kinds of parents, those who don't care at all and never ask, those who think their kids are learning based on the crafts as proof, and those who get it and understand how kids really learn.

I agree.

We have a lot of experiences that can't be taken home here. I take photos as "proof."
I also do crafts/activities on paper to send home since I know most of my families need that kind of proof.

[Kiki]

He needs to be playing
moving
exploring
engaging his whole body
using all five senses
experiencing new and different things
hearing books read aloud
learning basic skills such as jumping and running
learning that he is respected, and that respect is expected of him
getting plenty of sleep
eating plenty of yummy, healthy food
tasting a wide variety of flavors and textures
feeling a wide variety of new and different sensations

"I provide a comprehensive program that engages the child's whole body and mind according to their current and ever-changing abilities and needs. Many of these needs are met and abilities practiced through activities that do not produce a 'take-home' end product. Rest assured that even though you are not seeing products, he is learning and growing every single minute of every single day."

We do things here that you can't really take home. I like flash cards with simple pictures for my smaller children, seeing their faces when they recognize something that is on them is just priceless, other than that and reading to them, I really don't do a whole teaching process for them.
I don't do take home projects that often anymore. I usually just find them in my driveway, or on the floor of a car stepped on by their feet. Now we just hang things up in the play room. Even if they are just scribble pages, or simple paintings the kids have made. We also have an art line above the window here, I took piece of yarn and attached it to each side of the window, we have pictures hung on it with clothes pins, and each week we change them out to a new theme.

I'm not sure really what kind of educational activities they are expecting for a child that young? Maybe ask them what exactly they are looking for and explain to them that while they aren't going to be writing out their letters for you each day, they surely are doing educational activities of other sorts while they are with you!

[texascare]

i LOVE what SilverSabre25 said. It was perfect. Unfortunantly I don't think people realize that you can teach with out having to make something. At 16 months my kids are still eating crayons and do not have the patience to sit and do craftas. I try to send home a color sheet several times a week but I do keep our flashcards out where parents can see them. We do our alphabet and numbers each day but even having 2 year olds sitting for too long will get them and wanting to get up and move.

[DBug]

In addition to the artwork that alot of parents enjoy seeing, I know several of my parents like hearing their little one sing the songs they've learned at daycare, count to 3 or 5, do a few signs, or act out a fingerplay (even if they can't recite it themselves). Even teaching them to recognize and point out the first letter of their name can mean alot to a parent. They feel like their child isn't "just playing" all day. And it gives them something to brag about to other parents, too .

[itlw8]

Yes I do. I plan our activites according to each childs developmental needs.

Then give examples of things you do with children at his level and what he will be able to do soon. Take pictures and post them with a brief caption of what they are learning. Let her know you read several time a day both in a group and individual lap reading.

share some of the songs and fingerplays you use so they can repeat at home.

I do not do crafts with kids that young but they paint, color, glue and create along with the others.