Adding Kindergarten?

[ksmith]

I was curious if anyone that owns their own center has offered kindergarten? I'm wondering what the process is. I'm sure it probably varies state to state, but just to get an idea of what I might face when the time came.

[Cradle2crayons]

Here in MS, the mandatory school attendance age is 6 years old. However, our home schooling laws are VERY VERY easy. Basically all parents have to do is go to the school district and sign a half a piece of paper saying they are homeschooled. Doesn't matter the grade. There's a place on the form that is optional if you WANT to tell them what curriculum you are using. Other than that, there is no mandatory testing, no portfolio requirement, nothing else required by the state.

I've never officially taught any child other than my own any grade above kindergarten, but this is how I do preschool and kindergarten and I guess I would do any grade the same.
That being said, I don't have to be licensed or certified or anything else in order to do kindergarten here. Basically the parent would either pay me for just kindergarten or grade appropriate schooling. I homeschool Monday through Thursday from 815 am until 1230 pm. I require parents to feed breakfast before dropping off and to send a morning snack and lunch. They eat lunch with my regular daycare at noon and have to be picked up promptly at 1230.

One Friday a month we do field trips with the daycare on Fridays. Those days are optional and are just a few hours on Friday morning and care for that day is included except if there is a cost related to the actual field trip.

As far as the school part itself, they are sent home with homework Monday through Wednesday nights as well as school work sent home on Thursday night which is basically a review for Friday through Sunday.

Prior to school starting I perform a one on one assessment of the child so I know what the best level of curriculum they need and I tailor the entire curriculum around that specific child. If I were offering schooling for more than one child at a time, I would choose the same basic curriculum in the level for each specific child. I pick that curriculum MYSELF, without any input from the parents and they are required to oay for every single bit of school supplies. They pay for the curriculum itself, all additional extra stuff, etc. for their school supplies, parents pay a $50 supply fee and I go and get the stuff myself. They are also required to oay an additional $100 other supply fee for science materials and any additional materials at I need to purchase.

Which means I charge $X amount of registration fee at the time they sign up ($150 for preschool or kindergarten)...... $X amount for supply fee for the year up front ($50 currently) for general school supplies that I purchase .... $X amount for a general supply fee for the year for science materials etc ($100 currently).... As well as first months tuition up front at the time they sign their contract and the last months of tuition as well. Currently my preschool tuition is $150 a week for Monday through Thursday from 815 until 1230 pm. Tuition is due 10 months a year from August 1st through May 1st. Which basically means they pay for the entire month at a time. School usually starts around the second week of August and ends around the second week of May. So yes, they pay for e whole month of August and the whole month of May up front.

I follow the local school districts holiday schedule including the days for teacher enrichment meetings etc.

I do not offer after school care for the kids I homeschool as that would mess with my ratios. Al of the other rules they follow same as the daycare kids including the illness policies, late fees etc. Except they are required to pay by the first of the month, every month, no exceptions.

It works out well for me, because my two kids go to school and one daycare kid goes, leaving me several open spots but only until school gets out in the afternoon.

[Scout]

Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons

Here in MS, the mandatory school attendance age is 6 years old. However, our home schooling laws are VERY VERY easy. Basically all parents have to do is go to the school district and sign a half a piece of paper saying they are homeschooled. Doesn't matter the grade. There's a place on the form that is optional if you WANT to tell them what curriculum you are using. Other than that, there is no mandatory testing, no portfolio requirement, nothing else required by the state.

I've never officially taught any child other than my own any grade above kindergarten, but this is how I do preschool and kindergarten and I guess I would do any grade the same.
That being said, I don't have to be licensed or certified or anything else in order to do kindergarten here. Basically the parent would either pay me for just kindergarten or grade appropriate schooling. I homeschool Monday through Thursday from 815 am until 1230 pm. I require parents to feed breakfast before dropping off and to send a morning snack and lunch. They eat lunch with my regular daycare at noon and have to be picked up promptly at 1230.

One Friday a month we do field trips with the daycare on Fridays. Those days are optional and are just a few hours on Friday morning and care for that day is included except if there is a cost related to the actual field trip.

As far as the school part itself, they are sent home with homework Monday through Wednesday nights as well as school work sent home on Thursday night which is basically a review for Friday through Sunday.

Prior to school starting I perform a one on one assessment of the child so I know what the best level of curriculum they need and I tailor the entire curriculum around that specific child. If I were offering schooling for more than one child at a time, I would choose the same basic curriculum in the level for each specific child. I pick that curriculum MYSELF, without any input from the parents and they are required to oay for every single bit of school supplies. They pay for the curriculum itself, all additional extra stuff, etc. for their school supplies, parents pay a $50 supply fee and I go and get the stuff myself. They are also required to oay an additional $100 other supply fee for science materials and any additional materials at I need to purchase.

Which means I charge $X amount of registration fee at the time they sign up ($150 for preschool or kindergarten)...... $X amount for supply fee for the year up front ($50 currently) for general school supplies that I purchase .... $X amount for a general supply fee for the year for science materials etc ($100 currently).... As well as first months tuition up front at the time they sign their contract and the last months of tuition as well. Currently my preschool tuition is $150 a week for Monday through Thursday from 815 until 1230 pm. Tuition is due 10 months a year from August 1st through May 1st. Which basically means they pay for the entire month at a time. School usually starts around the second week of August and ends around the second week of May. So yes, they pay for e whole month of August and the whole month of May up front.

I follow the local school districts holiday schedule including the days for teacher enrichment meetings etc.

I do not offer after school care for the kids I homeschool as that would mess with my ratios. Al of the other rules they follow same as the daycare kids including the illness policies, late fees etc. Except they are required to pay by the first of the month, every month, no exceptions.

It works out well for me, because my two kids go to school and one daycare kid goes, leaving me several open spots but only until school gets out in the afternoon.

Wow! Kudos to you! Do you have an assistant to come in and help with the dck's while you do this?

[Cradle2crayons]

Originally Posted by Scout

Wow! Kudos to you! Do you have an assistant to come in and help with the dck's while you do this?

No. No assistant. While I'm doing school work they are doing preschool stuff, or coloring. Or playing play dough etc.

This coming year I've already got my preschool spot filled starting August. But y daycare kids currently don't show up until after the morning school and lunch is over. I used to have daytime kids but now all my kids show up generally around 300

[Blackcat31]

In some states, having someone else homeschool your children would be considered a "private school." And there are laws governing how that may be operated.

I would make sure you specifically check with your state's rules.


I don't know if the laws in my state have changed or not since I last checked into them years ago, but here in order for a child to be homeschooled, the teaching had to be done by a legal guardian or parent. Anyone else must have an active teacher's license.


If I remember correctly kids here aren't required to be enrolled in school (public, private and/or homeschool until age 7.

Like I said, things very well may have changed since I last looked into this stuff years ago, so checking your state's specific rules would be where I'd start.

[AcornMama]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

In some states, having someone else homeschool your children would be considered a "private school." And there are laws governing how that may be operated.

I would make sure you specifically check with your state's rules.

This is absolutely true. I homeschool my kids, but in my state, I could only legally homeschool the children of one other family, and then only if that other family also filed a notice of intent to homeschool with the state. If I wanted to teach kids from more than one family, I'd have to be a school and comply with the private school regulations, like building and fire code regulations.

My hope is to offer private Kindergarten someday, but that would be way in the future, after my daycare has moved out of my home and into a "center" of some sort. That way I can meet all the school regulations. But right now I'm just working on getting set up and licensed for in-home care so that I can get started small and see how it goes.

[Angelsj]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

In some states, having someone else homeschool your children would be considered a "private school." And there are laws governing how that may be operated.

I would make sure you specifically check with your state's rules.

If I remember correctly kids here aren't required to be enrolled in school (public, private and/or homeschool until age 7.

Like I said, things very well may have changed since I last looked into this stuff years ago, so checking your state's specific rules would be where I'd start.

Yes, it is 7 here, and I have done the "kindergarten" year for several kids. It really isn't too difficult. I usually gather a list of what a child needs to know to enter first grade. (These are available nearly everywhere) We focus on getting the child (individually) from point A, to as close to point B as we can on each skill. I find with individual attention, it is very rare that a child does not reach each skill point and often beyond.
I have had several kiddos leave "K" here and already be reading at a second grade level or beyond.
For curriculum, I use what works for the individual child, based on their learning styles, starting place, and attention spans.

[Cradle2crayons]

Originally Posted by AcornMama

This is absolutely true. I homeschool my kids, but in my state, I could only legally homeschool the children of one other family, and then only if that other family also filed a notice of intent to homeschool with the state. If I wanted to teach kids from more than one family, I'd have to be a school and comply with the private school regulations, like building and fire code regulations.

My hope is to offer private Kindergarten someday, but that would be way in the future, after my daycare has moved out of my home and into a "center" of some sort. That way I can meet all the school regulations. But right now I'm just working on getting set up and licensed for in-home care so that I can get started small and see how it goes.

Yes it's great I can do it here. The homeschooling associations have lots of co ops with parents who teach different things. Usually lots of kids in the classes and the parents have no teaching degrees but they have a specialty.

Such as my sister plays the piano and she teaches a piano class at the local homeschool co op. the parents pay x amount to her per child per class and e class runs x weeks.

They have lots of co ops like home economics, different science classes, special history classes, foreign languages etc.

Basically just the parents of the kids run the co op and its a chance for the kids to get special classes their parents don't or won't teach while those that teach make a little extra money and then part of the money goes to the co op fund for supplies.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Angelsj

Yes, it is 7 here, and I have done the "kindergarten" year for several kids. It really isn't too difficult. I usually gather a list of what a child needs to know to enter first grade. (These are available nearly everywhere) We focus on getting the child (individually) from point A, to as close to point B as we can on each skill. I find with individual attention, it is very rare that a child does not reach each skill point and often beyond.
I have had several kiddos leave "K" here and already be reading at a second grade level or beyond.
For curriculum, I use what works for the individual child, based on their learning styles, starting place, and attention spans.

Are there any rules or guidelines about homeschooling someone else's child in our state? How about multiple family's kids? Beyond Kindy?

Just curious

[Angelsj]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Are there any rules or guidelines about homeschooling someone else's child in our state? How about multiple family's kids? Beyond Kindy?

Just curious

After 7, you are only allowed to home school your own children. However, I have also been in a situation where the mom "home schools" the kids (supervises while doing their homework type stuff) and I "tutored" the kids. There are a lot of ways to get around things, but over the years, I have found that the parents that want this way out really don't want to home school, so I quit tutoring altogether.

The law says every child must be in school @ age 7, and you may only home educate your own children. Before age 7, you can school as many as you want, even from multiple families. THIS situation I have done many times, and am completely comfortable with it.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I am hoping to add another kindergarten-aged child by next year when my daughter officially begins homeschooling. Here, you must homeschool your own child, but I figure parents can "homeschool" and I can "provide child care while they work." I'll provide lots of documentation of what we're doing, and parents can use that as part of their child's homeschooling portfolio. Eager to hear how others are doing it...

[Angelsj]

Originally Posted by nothingwithoutjoy

I am hoping to add another kindergarten-aged child by next year when my daughter officially begins homeschooling. Here, you must homeschool your own child, but I figure parents can "homeschool" and I can "provide child care while they work." I'll provide lots of documentation of what we're doing, and parents can use that as part of their child's homeschooling portfolio. Eager to hear how others are doing it...

Check your state's mandatory age requirements for entering school, and for the times allowed to school kids. Some states are very flexible, allowing both parents to work. Other states are inflexible in hours, or in having both parents have a full time job.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

Originally Posted by Angelsj

Check your state's mandatory age requirements for entering school, and for the times allowed to school kids. Some states are very flexible, allowing both parents to work. Other states are inflexible in hours, or in having both parents have a full time job.

Thanks. Kindergarten is not yet mandatory here, so I'm certain I can get away with it next year, but will have to study the laws more carefully in following years! I don't plan to take a home schooled child full-time. I assume/hope that if parents are choosing to home school, they want to be with their child, as I do. Right now, I'm holding a three-day/week spot for this theoretical homeschooler I'm hoping to find.

[Angelsj]

Originally Posted by nothingwithoutjoy

Thanks. Kindergarten is not yet mandatory here, so I'm certain I can get away with it next year, but will have to study the laws more carefully in following years! I don't plan to take a home schooled child full-time. I assume/hope that if parents are choosing to home school, they want to be with their child, as I do. Right now, I'm holding a three-day/week spot for this theoretical homeschooler I'm hoping to find.

If you are looking for other children for your child to "attend" school with, many associations also offer Coops or you could run a coop. This is a small group of children, often, say, 1st-3rd grade or 4th-6th...etc, that get together to do some work. It is a wonderful way to get some social time with other kids, and take some of the pressure off of you to teach some things.
A parent who loves math might teach math to all the kids, while a parent who enjoys science might teach science. As long as these are just small groups and not the entire education of a child, most states are ok with this.