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NoMoreJuice! 05:27 AM 04-08-2014
So in a previous post, I mentioned that I am struggling with understanding why a parent needs to pull their child out of my awesome program for a preschool that teaches them the same or less things I teach them. I found a solution that all the parents are super happy with: a pre-packaged preschool curriculum.

I found www.MotherGooseTime.com and showed it to the parents, and they LOVED it. We do a structured lesson every day, but this is more like traditional school, which they all agreed they would prefer. So they're getting a small rate increase to pay for it, and we're starting May 1st.

I've already posted about our crazy life change that happened yesterday (DH starting to work at DC with me!) and I think it would be great for him to take toddlers downstairs while I have preschool upstairs for an hour or two a day.

How many others would try something like this? Am I nuts? Time will tell I suppose!
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EntropyControlSpecialist 05:54 AM 04-08-2014
I have found that structured preschool activities broken up throughout the day works much better for little attention spans and energetic children. Lots of ways to do a curriculum, though, and you will get lots of varying answers.

Preschool activity (ex: writing/fine motor practice, learning phonics, etc.) then active activity (center time, recess, etc.) ... then preschool activity then active activity.
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jenboo 06:00 AM 04-08-2014
Ugh the whole preschool things always gets under my skin. I have worked in "preschools" before that were play based, not traditional, and I do just about the exact same thing with the kids now in my mixed age home daycare. It's so annoying that parents think they need to go to some fancy preschool to learn.
Sorry rant over.
If this is what your parents want and you are ok doing it, then I would go for it!
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MissAnn 06:05 AM 04-08-2014
Originally Posted by NoMoreJuice!:
So in a previous post, I mentioned that I am struggling with understanding why a parent needs to pull their child out of my awesome program for a preschool that teaches them the same or less things I teach them. I found a solution that all the parents are super happy with: a pre-packaged preschool curriculum.

I found www.MotherGooseTime.com and showed it to the parents, and they LOVED it. We do a structured lesson every day, but this is more like traditional school, which they all agreed they would prefer. So they're getting a small rate increase to pay for it, and we're starting May 1st.

I've already posted about our crazy life change that happened yesterday (DH starting to work at DC with me!) and I think it would be great for him to take toddlers downstairs while I have preschool upstairs for an hour or two a day.

How many others would try something like this? Am I nuts? Time will tell I suppose!
I do preschool...but I don't really bond with the cookie cutter crafts of Mother Goose. I just google or look at pinterest for craft ideas. Most of mine are child created. I just have a lot of materials out and available at all times. For curriculum I use handwriting without tears and zoo phonics. For math and science I look for ideas on the internet, and read a lot of books. Math is easy to do throughout the day...counting, adding, subtracting are a part of our everyday life.

Oh....and kids have been leaving the local preschool to come here. Parents need to learn that a brick building doesn't necessarily mean better quality or even a better learning environment.

Not saying my way is best.....there is more than one right way to do preschool. You just need to find what you are comfortable with.
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Blackcat31 06:12 AM 04-08-2014
Originally Posted by NoMoreJuice!:
So in a previous post, I mentioned that I am struggling with understanding why a parent needs to pull their child out of my awesome program for a preschool that teaches them the same or less things I teach them. I found a solution that all the parents are super happy with: a pre-packaged preschool curriculum.

I found www.MotherGooseTime.com and showed it to the parents, and they LOVED it. We do a structured lesson every day, but this is more like traditional school, which they all agreed they would prefer. So they're getting a small rate increase to pay for it, and we're starting May 1st.

I've already posted about our crazy life change that happened yesterday (DH starting to work at DC with me!) and I think it would be great for him to take toddlers downstairs while I have preschool upstairs for an hour or two a day.

How many others would try something like this? Am I nuts? Time will tell I suppose!
There are a lot of providers on the board that use a boxed or cookie cutter style curriculum.

It works fantastic for some...both for them and from the parent's perspective.

I used to use Funshine Express but no longer do.

Since my state adopted the QRIS program, we must use a state approved curriculum and none of the boxed or cookie cutter type curriculums meet that requirement.

I think that if your daycare parents are thrilled about MGT, and are rethinking their need to move their child to preschool...then you just solved your problem and that is fantastic!!!!

We have tons of other threads about both MGT and Funshine Express as well as curriculums such as Hand Writing Without Tears, Carole's Affordable Curriculum and a couple others I can't remember off hand. Here are a few:

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...her+goose+time
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...nshine+express
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ble+curriculum
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...=cookie+cutter
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NoMoreJuice! 06:39 AM 04-08-2014
Thanks for all the links BC! I found some great feedback on MGT. The price is crazy, but the parents are willing to pitch in, so I'm happy. I think it will be so much easier than the curriculum I created. I was spending hours every weekend planning activities and printing worksheets and buying materials.
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Blackcat31 06:49 AM 04-08-2014
Originally Posted by NoMoreJuice!:
Thanks for all the links BC! I found some great feedback on MGT. The price is crazy, but the parents are willing to pitch in, so I'm happy. I think it will be so much easier than the curriculum I created. I was spending hours every weekend planning activities and printing worksheets and buying materials.
Glad I could help!

Keep in mind that one of the biggest complaints about the box style curriculums is that they aren't really age appropriate and a lot of the crafts that are meant for ages 3-5 are something they need one on one assistance to do so that means a lot of time on YOUR part to complete them.

Those same hours you spent planning activities and printing them out will now be spent creating and finishing the craft items.

I know your parents are happy with this program and I think it's fantastic that you found something that will help you work with them but I can't help but mention that using worksheets is not at all developmentally appropriate and is actually the least recommended method of teaching.

If it works for you,.....then great! I do NOT mean to rain in your parade... I truly don't but maybe instead of pacifying your daycare families by buying and using an expensive boxed curriculum you could instead find articles and resources to give your parents about the importance of play and how effective paly based curriculum really is.

Maybe once they really understand how boring and non-effective worksheets are they will be much more open to allowing and supporting their child's natural curiosity to explore and learn about the world around them using ALL their senses and really being able to immerse themselves in something they are truly interested in.
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NoMoreJuice! 06:58 AM 04-08-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Glad I could help!
Maybe once they really understand how boring and non-effective worksheets are they will be much more open to allowing and supporting their child's natural curiosity to explore and learn about the world around them using ALL their senses and really being able to immerse themselves in something they are truly interested in.
I totally agree, but I find myself pandering to the parents so they won't take their business elsewhere. I have some very competitive parents who are always asking me if their child is ahead of the others, or how we can get them ready for Harvard. Just kidding about that, but it feels like that's what they're asking. I let them know that their kids get exposed to tons of awesome things (we sat outside and watch chipmunks digging up nuts and eating them for half an hour yesterday) that they wouldn't in a classroom. But I do need to keep them happy, and they all requested "homework" in the form of worksheets.
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Crazy8 07:01 AM 04-08-2014
when I was a little more structured and did more preschool activities I used to just take the ideas from all those boxed curriculums and then create my own. Once you create 12 months worth you can just repeat them each year.

Unfortunately I found parents still leaving when a child reaches 3.5-4 years old to go to a preschool for the "school environment" - no matter what I offer I can only have 5 kids and usually only 2-3 of them are preschool age - so I dropped all the curriculum stuff and just keep my daycare play based and expect kids to age out at 3 now instead of 5!
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My3cents 12:05 PM 04-08-2014
Originally Posted by NoMoreJuice!:
So in a previous post, I mentioned that I am struggling with understanding why a parent needs to pull their child out of my awesome program for a preschool that teaches them the same or less things I teach them. I found a solution that all the parents are super happy with: a pre-packaged preschool curriculum.

I found www.MotherGooseTime.com and showed it to the parents, and they LOVED it. We do a structured lesson every day, but this is more like traditional school, which they all agreed they would prefer. So they're getting a small rate increase to pay for it, and we're starting May 1st.

I've already posted about our crazy life change that happened yesterday (DH starting to work at DC with me!) and I think it would be great for him to take toddlers downstairs while I have preschool upstairs for an hour or two a day.

How many others would try something like this? Am I nuts? Time will tell I suppose!
I private messaged you-
Reply
Country Kids 12:57 PM 04-09-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
There are a lot of providers on the board that use a boxed or cookie cutter style curriculum.

It works fantastic for some...both for them and from the parent's perspective.

I used to use Funshine Express but no longer do.

Since my state adopted the QRIS program, we must use a state approved curriculum and none of the boxed or cookie cutter type curriculums meet that requirement.

I think that if your daycare parents are thrilled about MGT, and are rethinking their need to move their child to preschool...then you just solved your problem and that is fantastic!!!!

We have tons of other threads about both MGT and Funshine Express as well as curriculums such as Hand Writing Without Tears, Carole's Affordable Curriculum and a couple others I can't remember off hand. Here are a few:

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...her+goose+time
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...nshine+express
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ble+curriculum
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...=cookie+cutter


Wasn't sure if you knew but MGT does meet Minnesota's state standards. Just finished my portfolio and had to prove this for my state. In the states approved was Minnesota. They have a whole section of the states that are appproved to use them for the STARs and I believe Head Start.

Maybe it was updated since you last looked.
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Blackcat31 01:03 PM 04-09-2014
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
Wasn't sure if you knew but MGT does meet Minnesota's state standards. Just finished my portfolio and had to prove this for my state. In the states approved was Minnesota. They have a whole section of the states that are appproved to use them for the STARs and I believe Head Start.

Maybe it was updated since you last looked.
I just completed my rating process and MGT is NOT approved curricula for MN At least not according to my assessor.

It doesn't matter either way as I personally would not use it. NOTHING against MGT, just not what I like or want to work with.

http://parentawareratings.org/files/...urricula_0.pdf

Teaching and tracking tools are an important part of the Parent Aware rating. Certain curriculum tools are aligned with the Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress and are approved for use.

Aligned preschool curricula:
Aligned infant/toddler curricula:

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Country Kids 01:10 PM 04-09-2014
Here is the most current link:

http://www.mothergoosetime.com/all_a..._alignment.php


Just thought I would throw this out there since others from Minnesota might want to use it.

We had people saying also we couldn't do it, but I think they didn't think we could prove that they were approved. Haven't heard to much more about it since more and more people have proved it-
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Blackcat31 01:16 PM 04-09-2014
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
Here is the most current link:

http://www.mothergoosetime.com/all_a..._alignment.php


Just thought I would throw this out there since others from Minnesota might want to use it.

We had people saying also we couldn't do it, but I think they didn't think we could prove that they were approved. Haven't heard to much more about it since more and more people have proved it-
That link for my state (MN) says MGT meets the state's 2005 Early Learning Standards but the Early Learning Standards are NOT what our QRIS goes by.

Our QRIS program is called Parent Aware and they are the ones that approve or not approve the curriculum used to meet the QRIS standards.

I know it's confusing but MGT does NOT meet MN Parent Aware approved curricula

BUT....

MGT DOES meet the state's Early Learning Standards.

I have to go by what my assessor from PA says not what MGT says.
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mema 01:43 PM 04-09-2014
I do a "preschool" curriculum also. I bought Funshine a few years ago and use it now for ideas and some of the games and such. I do have one that will be attending a preschool part time in the fall and honestly am ok with it. He can be a challenging child, so to not have him here a few hours a day is ok with me.
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Tags:curriculum, preschool curriculum
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