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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Just Got My MGT Bus!! I Love It!!
SunflowerMama 10:52 AM 08-18-2010
I did Funshine the last few months of last year and could take it or leave it. Didn't dislike but wasn't head over heals in love with it.

After getting my Mother Goose stuff for September and my starter kit I'm SO excited to start school in September with the kids!

My favorite thing....the CD!! I love the circle time song and little helper one the best but also love the days of the week and the months song. I think it's great because I can't sing to save my life so I like that I can just sing along with the cd.

I also love that every day has it's own bag!!

The posters and displays are so colorful I just love it! My girls love the little Eco-Kids and were singing the songs at bedtime last night after only listening to the cd a few times.

Yeah!! Just had to give a little shout-out to MGT.
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Lilbutterflie 12:09 PM 08-18-2010
Do you have the parents help cover the cost of the curriculum, or is it included in your rates?
I'd love to start a curriculum like Mother Goose, but it just seems so expensive. I doubt my parents would kick in extra, but I guess I could always ask.
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SunflowerMama 12:34 PM 08-18-2010
Originally Posted by Lilbutterflie:
Do you have the parents help cover the cost of the curriculum, or is it included in your rates?
I'd love to start a curriculum like Mother Goose, but it just seems so expensive. I doubt my parents would kick in extra, but I guess I could always ask.
I just cover the cost. For me it's worth it because it saves so much time. I could definitely find creative activities and could build my own but with the kids here 6:30a - 6p and then taking care of my fam after that and working a 2nd job 20hrs a week I need the ease of a premade program. Also I think the price would be about equal to what I would buy in supplies each month for a self-made curriculum but that's definitely just my opinion.
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Jewels 03:09 PM 08-18-2010
I agree, I actually just ordered from funshine, I was doing carols affordable curriculum before, which is cheaper, but wanted to try fushine or MGT, I opted for funshine first, because From other threads on here it sounded like funshine was better for the smaller children the ones under three, But I cover the cost, although I am raising my rates at the beginning of the year, but not for my current parents, I made my own for the first couple months of my daycare, but spent so much time, and so much printer ink, And then buying all the supplies, My husband got crabby cause I was constantly on the computer, then I said screw it, I'd rather buy a pre-made program...I have always wanted to try MGT, and I think I will for October!!
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Preschool/daycare teacher 05:57 PM 08-18-2010
I don't use either of those curriculums, but I will be using a similiar one this fall. I just sent out a little paper talking about the curriculum, that it follows NAEYC guidelines, what their child would be doing, etc. Just information I got from the website mostly. In the same letter I told them the reimbursement cost (I pre-bought it for an early bird discount) and gave them an option of paying monthly, or all upfront. Half the parents are paying monthly, half paid me upfront. None of them complained about having to pay a curriculum cost this year when they didn't have to last year, although I was really afraid that they would, or just flat out say, "I can't afford it. I guess ______ can't do preschool with you". Only one has mentioned that, but I think she'll just pay monthly. Who can argue with $9.50 a month for preschool? Most of the parents are really excited about preschool this year, which is encouraging for me! I'm also giving them a list of supplies to get for their child this year, while I didn't last year. And they seem fine with that too! Except one parent...lol
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Jewels 06:22 PM 08-18-2010
Originally Posted by Preschool/daycare teacher:
I don't use either of those curriculums, but I will be using a similiar one this fall. I just sent out a little paper talking about the curriculum, that it follows NAEYC guidelines, what their child would be doing, etc. Just information I got from the website mostly. In the same letter I told them the reimbursement cost (I pre-bought it for an early bird discount) and gave them an option of paying monthly, or all upfront. Half the parents are paying monthly, half paid me upfront. None of them complained about having to pay a curriculum cost this year when they didn't have to last year, although I was really afraid that they would, or just flat out say, "I can't afford it. I guess ______ can't do preschool with you". Only one has mentioned that, but I think she'll just pay monthly. Who can argue with $9.50 a month for preschool? Most of the parents are really excited about preschool this year, which is encouraging for me! I'm also giving them a list of supplies to get for their child this year, while I didn't last year. And they seem fine with that too! Except one parent...lol
Do you mind saying which one you purchased?
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tenderhearts 07:45 AM 08-19-2010
When I tried them both I liked the crafts better with MGT but liked the worksheets better from Funshine.
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Preschool/daycare teacher 07:43 PM 08-19-2010
Originally Posted by Jewels:
Do you mind saying which one you purchased?
It's called Funsteps. It looks so perfect for what I need! Pre-planned lessons, each day is packaged in a seperate plastic bag, monthly parent newsletters, even monthly provider newsletters with ideas and tips for daycare providers.
I'm really relieved that I decided to purchase a pre-packaged curriculum. It follows NAEYC guidelines, which is very good since our Paths to Quality inspection for the next level is coming up. When I was making up my own, I had no idea if it was following the guidelines, developmentally appropriate, etc. And I'd be spending hours each weekend trying to come up with one week of lesson plans. Plus, since this follows those guidelines, it's easier to explain to parents why their child won't be coming home with a bunch of worksheets this year. I tried to eliminate worksheets as much as possible last year, but then parents started thinking their child wasn't getting preschool!
sorry, I started rambling...I'm just so excited about how much easier preschool will be this year!
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kpa0627 06:58 AM 08-20-2010
Show us some pics of MGT activities/posters/supplements/etc. :-) I'm debating between Funshine and MGT.
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SunflowerMama 08:55 AM 08-20-2010
Originally Posted by kpa0627:
Show us some pics of MGT activities/posters/supplements/etc. :-) I'm debating between Funshine and MGT.
Here are some of the pics. I just grabbed the first day. Topic is Me and the kids make Family Trees.











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kpa0627 10:09 AM 08-20-2010
Absolutely Adorable. So colorful and cute! Thanks for sharing pics with us :-)
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alyssyn 12:48 PM 08-20-2010
I ordered MGT last night. Got a phone call this morning it is shipping today,can't wait to get my hands on it after seeing the pics!
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countrymom 04:59 AM 08-24-2010
I'm ordering mgt today, it was a toss up between that one and funshine. Mgt seems more fun. I ordered it 2 yrs ago and still have some stuff so I can reuse over and over again and the art activities where awesome and so easy so I can gear it towards younger kids or older ones (I would add more stuff) but I love that you have everything on a board, now I need to get one of those.
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My4SunshineGirlsNY 05:27 AM 08-24-2010
That is very neat...ok, I'm going to break down and buy a curriculum....I was thinking about it in June but I knew summer would be crazy with all the school kids...I love all the colorful things they include...it looks great for the kids!!
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jenh171 07:03 AM 08-24-2010
wow. MGT looks great! i love the design/graphics. about how much did MGT cost? i went to the site but i'm too lazy to sign up for an acct. to see the price!
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Unregistered 09:22 AM 08-24-2010
Twinmama,
Can you tell me if MGT is suitable for a 26 month old. Or is it too advanced?
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SunflowerMama 10:47 AM 08-24-2010
Originally Posted by jenh171:
wow. MGT looks great! i love the design/graphics. about how much did MGT cost? i went to the site but i'm too lazy to sign up for an acct. to see the price!
I think it was right around the same price as Funshine so I think for the 5 I have it was $50/$60 for the month.
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SunflowerMama 10:48 AM 08-24-2010
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Twinmama,
Can you tell me if MGT is suitable for a 26 month old. Or is it too advanced?
It would be fine for a 2 year old.
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Abigail 11:14 AM 08-24-2010
Now that you have purchased MGT, do you plan on making copies and using it again in a year or always purchase it? If it is only $50-$60 INCLUDING shipping for five kids, then would they only charge you $10/month if you ordered for one child and made copies yourself?

I actually don't think the price is bad and I especially like the idea of putting sticks in a tube for each day of the week to remember the weather. Are those toilet paper rolls, colored popsicle sticks and a paper with a picture? I should make those! Very cute! Thank you for sharing, love your large pictures....you must use an actual camera to upload as mine are always from my phone as just thumbnails. ha ha
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My4SunshineGirlsNY 11:31 AM 08-24-2010
Can I get the website to MGT? I typed MGT in google and can't find it anywhere, thanks.
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DCMomOf3 12:00 PM 08-24-2010
Originally Posted by My4SunshineGirlsNY:
Can I get the website to MGT? I typed MGT in google and can't find it anywhere, thanks.
http://www.mothergoosetime.com/
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My4SunshineGirlsNY 12:17 PM 08-24-2010
Originally Posted by Quincy:
http://www.mothergoosetime.com/
Thanks! I figured it out when I was browsing curriculums...realized what the abbreviations were when I found the Mother Goose site...I actually got something in the mail from this place and was looking at it last night...Didn't even realize it was the same one until I looked at the site and it lookes familiar to the card I got in the mail.
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Jewels 04:43 AM 08-25-2010
So I decided to return my buttercups and fireflies, and I ordered mother goose, The thing I didnt like about funshine, is that there buttercups and fireflies, dont follow the same projects, I dont want to have to do seperate things for the two groups, I could see the older kids wanting to do the project that the younger ones are doing instead of their own, And then having to do two seperate ones and seperate activities just seemed like to much, and I dont like that you can only do buttercups by the quarter but fireflies by the month, it is cheaper though, So it was a harder decision. But I'm excited to get mother goose, originally I have been doing Carols affordable Curriculum.
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Tags:funshine express, mother goose time
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