Childcare/Daycare schedule and advice?

Question

I have a childcare center and have just recently added a new room for 3 and 4 year olds. I need advice on a daily schedule. What centers do you have for the kids and what are in the centers? Also, when doing these centers, do you expect these children to visit them in groups or do they just run around playing wherever they want?THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE!!!

Answer 1

I work at a daycare in the three and four year old room. The centers we have are:

art (coloring, stamps, stencil)

science (animals, magnifing glasses, magnets)

math (numbers, shapes)

puzzles (they love puzzles!)

kitchen

legos (big blocks with animals and cars!)

floor (they have cars, animals, things to build with, trains)

table toys (blocks, anything small enough to play on tables)

computers

reading center

the way my room works is there is a certain number of children allowed in each center so they have tags.  The tags have a picture of the center and they can play in there.  Once they are finished they know they have to clean up their center before they are allowed to get a new tag.  This works wonderful!

Answer 2

I run my classroom much the same as Bittersw. The children are allowed in any area as long as there is room at that center. If not and many want to play there we use a timer to trade. Most of my classrooms are either fours or threes or pre-k. But all centers can be age appropriate and even if it is the same for each age they find different ideas at their level.

Answer 3

Pre-school group of 3-4 year olds:

Routine-

Open Time-hang coats up, say goodbye, 5 minutes play.

Register time once everyone is in-done as a group.

Circle Time-show and tell -toys they have bought from home.

Free Play-indoors and out for hour and a half, (during this time with have a snack bar-supervised by adult).

Group Time such as story, instruments etc.

Home Time

Once a week we have PE, music and movements or parachute games as a group during free play.

The children have solo time and griup times then but to proimote social skills we ensure that there are two chairs at computer, space at play tables for more than one child, large open area for free choice games etc.

We have lots of tubs and containers so kids can choose own toys-promotes independence and stops them getting bored. We have tubs of lego, sticklebricks, play figures, dinosaurs etc etc.

I split room into areas: messy play, quiet area, role play, writing area, sensory (playdough, clay etc), table top games, carpet and free play (free choice)...outdoors is similar we make sure theres a blanket and tent as a quiet area, a creative area etc.

Answer 4

the centers in my room are as follows:

pretend and learn (dress up, housekeeping, can change to a doctor's office, kindergarten classroom, depending on children's interest)

math and science (has manipulatives, sand table, water table)

abc center

writing center

library and listening

creation station (arts and crafts)

construction (blocks, etc...)

computer

every day, my children make a "plan" for what they are going to do. they might plan to work in blocks with jacob to build a road. then, they sign into that area by writing their name on the sign in sheet. when they are finished in that area, they clean up and go to a teacher to make a new plan. then they sign into the new area.

at one point, i was limiting the number of children in a very popular area. the education director of our program (our program covers 2 counties and has over 30 classrooms) strongly advises NOT to limit the number of children in the areas. i thought she was crazy. but it's part of the High Scope Curriculum which is what we follow, so i went with it. the reasoning is that children need to learn to self-regulate, share, compromise, problem solve, etc...

surprisingly, our children adjusted fine to not having limits to the number of children in each area. at some points, an area might look especially crowded, but they adjust and work it out themselves! their problem solving skills have gone up SO much since they have had to figure out how to work in the areas without limitations. a child might come up to me and say, "there aren't any more trains left!" i tell them, "well, what do you think you can do to work that out?" it's such an important skill and i'm glad we made the adjustment!

other things to make sure you have in your day:

circle time with songs, finger plays, etc...

literacy circle

gross motor time

outside time

and what we call "small group"-we split into two groups (one with each teacher), read a story in each group and do an activity that correlates with a specific skill/theme such as patterning, sorting, writing , drawing self portraits, making and building things, etc...

Answer 5

Children should be in centers for at least 1/3 of the day.

Centers should be free choice, but you still need structure. A visual center managment system is best. Use pictures and words to name the centers and put number limits on each one.

For example:

Dramatic Play - 3

Blocks - 3

Math & Manipulatives - 4

Art - 2

Writing - 2

Reading - 2

Science - 2

Teacher Table - 4

Allow children to choose their centers and have them stay in those centers until they hear a certain sound (a bell; the clean up song, etc). They need to stay in that center for at least 20 minutes. Teachers who do small groups (Teacher Table) usually keep them in centers until they've finished with one group and are ready for another.

Once they hear the sound, they clean up and join the teacher on the rug again. She can do a short activity (book, finger play, song, poem, etc) and let them choose again.

Answer 6

Bare minimum Centers are: Blocks, Dramatic Play, Reading and Writing, Manipulative's, Art and Sand/Water. The Reading and Writing Area should have a soft cozy place to read and lots of books along with a desk or table and lots of writing materials. Math can be its own area or the Math materials could be in with the manipulative's. A Science Area and a Construction Area with a Workbench are nice. Children should be allowed to move from center to Center at will during a nice long Free Play but they should not " run around" at will. Limit the number allowed in each Center for safety reasons and have something like name tags that they hang on hooks by each area. No more empty hooks-no more room. It's most important that kids learn to make their own choices, and that kids who are really engaged in constructive play not have to stop before they are ready.