I think I was the one that posted about my frustration with parents pulling their kids out of my daycare to go to a "real preschool". I'm still frustrated (and saddened) that that seems to be the course that most parents feel is best for their child. But I've been doing childcare for over twenty years now, and over the last 5-8 years, it's a rare family that doesn't think their child will be left behind their peers if they don't attend a real preK before entering kindergarten - and the couple of years - parents seem to feel that their kids need 3yo PreK as well as 4yo PreK.


So my goal now is not to "teach" preK, but to get the kids "ready" for preK.


So rather than continuing to frustrate myself, I've decided NOT to include **formal** PreK curriculum in my childcare. In the past, I've purchased boxed curriculum, made my own weekly/daily theme based curriculum, tried to keep to a scheduled day - no more. My kids now play, play, play - we read lots of books, sing lots of songs and fingerplays, make great art masterpieces, cook in the kitchen, build tremendous block towers, play dress-up, explore nature, have no tv ever. But as we're playing, the kids are learning. I currently have 4 kids all under 2 (all turn two between March and July) who can all count to 20 that they learned from being the seeker from hours of playing hide-and-seek. They all have in their repertoires about 30 songs that they know all the motions/fingerplays - and can sing them all unprompted, including their ABCs.

I now emphasize what I call our *7 core values* at daycare: Responsibility, Honesty, Trustworthiness, Patience, Cooperation, Kindness and Respect. It's long been my belief that if children learn and practice these core values, then they'll be ready for school and will go far in life. So these values are now my "curriculum". Our days are spent "playing" and I no longer knock myself out spending hours and hours planning-out a curriculum. And I personally feel better about the start that I'm giving these little children. I feel better personally that the children ARE learning, without me spending hours and hours and hours and dollars researching, preparing and purchasing components for a preK curriculum experience.

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