Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Curriculum>Help - Starting Letter of the Day/Week
momneedscoffee 06:36 AM 08-18-2015
I have a very small fam daycare: I care for a 3 yo and a 1 yo + my own kids are 3 yo and 6 mo. I am really wanting to get into more learning activities, esp since the weather will be cooling down in a few months. I was thinking about starting by introducing a new letter each week. My son knows all his abcs, big and small and a few words for each letter, but the other 3 yo doesn't know any of that, just the abc song. So I thought that would be a good place to start? I thought I could try to spend about 30 minutes a day, since they really struggle to pay attention. I am looking for some fun, creative ideas to get started. Things that have worked for other providers, online resources, anything really!
Thanks!
Reply
rosieteddy 06:45 AM 08-18-2015
I used Carols affordable curriculum. It was reasonably priced.I used the jumping kangaroo set.I know it was lame to not be able to just make up my own but that was so easy.I chose what I wanted to do out of the lesson plan.I sometimes did up to 3 activities a day sometimes none.The beauty of it was the parents loved it.I did not have to think about it to hard.All materials ecepi crayons and glue were provided....Alittle prep on Sunday and the week was planned.There was a parent letter enclosed to.
Reply
momneedscoffee 07:15 AM 08-18-2015
Did the kids like it and learn from it? Do you feel like you got your money's worth? I'm not sure I'm ready to invest in something unless it's totally worth it!
Reply
rosieteddy 09:16 AM 08-18-2015
The kids did like it and I was one of the few providers to keep most till at least 4 yrs old.My kids left knowing abc's how to print their names and all their colors.. It was really cost effective. I bought those little plastic boxes and large crayons ,glue stick and scissors(when old enough).Each year same box new crayons.When they leave daycare they take box with them. I found it less expensive and less time consumeing than making up my own.There was science ,math and other projects.If I thought something was to hard then I put it aside. Parents felt it was more professional.They seemed to think it was like preschool not just daycare.
Reply
momneedscoffee 09:40 AM 08-18-2015
Ok thanks! I am going to look into it. It didn't seem like it was priced too bad. And I agree, I always have good intentions of creating things like that on my own but in the end it ends up being more time consuming & expensive.
Reply
Unregistered 05:33 PM 03-30-2016
30 minutes a day is really long. The NAEYC would not consider that developmentally appropriate. I didn't even do that long when I taught kindergarten! I bet our circle time was 15 minutes, but yes we did have more than one circle time a day.

My circle time for 3's have never been more that 10 minutes and is really interactive and visual with no flash cards. There is TONS of things 3's should be doing instead of lots of ABC activities.
Reply
Thriftylady 06:48 PM 03-30-2016
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
30 minutes a day is really long. The NAEYC would not consider that developmentally appropriate. I didn't even do that long when I taught kindergarten! I bet our circle time was 15 minutes, but yes we did have more than one circle time a day.

My circle time for 3's have never been more that 10 minutes and is really interactive and visual with no flash cards. There is TONS of things 3's should be doing instead of lots of ABC activities.
I love breaking up circle time into small chunks. I don't have it "scheduled" either really. When things are getting kid of wild or someone is misbehaving a lot (like they will do when bored). I pull out circle time or another learning activity. I am doing that with my 4 yr old right now. Sometimes he will just start doing things to get attention. Doing circle time or a learning activity seems to give him his positive attention boost he needs.
Reply
Tags:curriculum
Reply Up