PreK Circullum

[Donna G.]

Greetings Everyone,
I have one parent of a 4 yr old wanting me to start a PreK readiness curriculum. I'm not a trained teacher and I don't want to pay almost $100 per child to do a formal curriculum. A complicating issue is that this child needs a nap daily since she arrives at 6am, almost 2 hours before anyone else and by lunch she is very tired. I don't really want to be beholden to one parent for a prek program....How do you handle this sort of thing?

[spedmommy4]

Greetings Everyone,
I have one parent of a 4 yr old wanting me to start a PreK readiness curriculum. I'm not a trained teacher and I don't want to pay almost $100 per child to do a formal curriculum. A complicating issue is that this child needs a nap daily since she arrives at 6am, almost 2 hours before anyone else and by lunch she is very tired. I don't really want to be beholden to one parent for a prek program....How do you handle this sort of thing?

What do you want to do? All the current research supports that children learn best through play based activities. My "pre-k" program is play based and I wouldn't change my business model or philosophy to meet the needs of one family. If you like your program the way it is, let the parent know that it may be time to look into other options if they feel your program isn't working for them.

[Josiegirl]

What do you want to do? All the current research supports that children learn best through play based activities. My "pre-k" program is play based and I wouldn't change my business model or philosophy to meet the needs of one family. If you like your program the way it is, let the parent know that it may be time to look into other options if they feel your program isn't working for them.

Or make a list of the activities that you do and what they're teaching him. Blocks- look at all the math, shapes and sizes, counting, colors, estimation, balance, along with sharing, interaction, creativity. Create several ways they can practice letters, in sand with their fingers or sticks, magnets on fridge......on and on and on. Sometimes when a dcp wants prek, I think what they want is proof that what they're doing is learning and how that is happening.
As PP said, if you don't want to change your program, then talk it up and show dcfs how they are learning by simply playing.

[spedmommy4]

Or make a list of the activities that you do and what they're teaching him. Blocks- look at all the math, shapes and sizes, counting, colors, estimation, balance, along with sharing, interaction, creativity. Create several ways they can practice letters, in sand with their fingers or sticks, magnets on fridge......on and on and on. Sometimes when a dcp wants prek, I think what they want is proof that what they're doing is learning and how that is happening.
As PP said, if you don't want to change your program, then talk it up and show dcfs how they are learning by simply playing.

This is the website on play/learning I share with parents. NAEYC are the group of experts for our field.

http://www.naeyc.org/play

[Thriftylady]

I agree that if you don't want to offer a service, then don't! I do offer some "light" pre K. We work on letters, numbers, how to spell our names. But I don't pay for anything. I have been putting together things/ideas from places like here and other places online. Quite frankly if the parent wants more than that, they can do it at home! It seems many times the parents who most want us to do these things are not working with the child at home at all. I have one of those parents right now. Doesn't work with the child at all at home, but takes all the credit for teaching the child upper and lowercase letters, numbers and writing name. Grr.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I believe ABC Jesus Loves Me (free from what I recall) has an assessment type of area for 2's, 3's, and pre-k kids that you could print off to keep track of what your daycare child already knows and perhaps needs to know. Pre-k standards vary from state to state so you might type into google "Your state's name pre-k standards" to see what comes up and browse them. Then you can make note of what you already do and add captions to photos you take of that child playing about what they're learning.

Josiegirl is right. Parents just want PROOF that their child is learning. I get it...I get it...you're rolling your eyes saying kids are always learning. Or, maybe that's just me. It is a weird obsession our society has now for children under 5 to be constantly learning in an academic way.

I am a preschool program because that's what my community wants. However, I do not do worksheets here so I have to use photos and briefly discuss WHAT they're learning (via text message or on the business Facebook page) so parents have "proof."

[Stephnrich]

Or make a list of the activities that you do and what they're teaching him. Blocks- look at all the math, shapes and sizes, counting, colors, estimation, balance, along with sharing, interaction, creativity. Create several ways they can practice letters, in sand with their fingers or sticks, magnets on fridge......on and on and on. Sometimes when a dcp wants prek, I think what they want is proof that what they're doing is learning and how that is happening.
As PP said, if you don't want to change your program, then talk it up and show dcfs how they are learning by simply playing.

Very well said. Although I do order from Mother Goose Time and offer a preschool program, I think that children learn so much from playing. One of the best aspects of family childcare, in my opinion, is the learning opportunities children get from playing with different age groups as well.