Choosing Daily Curriculum/Activity

[kcnjason]

How do you choose what you are doing day to day? I normally have something scheduled for every day but lately I have not been on a schedule like I usually have in the past. I am curious if others just wing it or if you all have your days planned out and how do you plan what you are doing every day?

[Heidi]

Much to the dismay of my "stars" consultant and college instructors, I absolutely "wing it". They all admit we still do plenty, they'd just like to see more planned INTENTIONALLY (new buzz word), and documented.

I have infants and toddlers. 3 infants under a year, an 18 mo, and a 2 year old part-time. Nope, not going to write lesson plans.

[MarinaVanessa]

I plan my activities. It helps me stay organized and helps me stay focused. If I see that some of the sctivities are too difficult, not interesting etc for the children then we move on to something else. If some of the kids need more practice with something (scissor skills for example) I'll add extra options for them to work on these skills (like adding a play-dough center with no other props or supplied provided other than dough scissors, toy magazines with safety scissors/paper/glue and we could cut out our favorit toys etc.)

I plan but keep my options open and change things as needed.

[Lavender]

Sometimes I wing it, but I feel like it goes more smoothly when I plan. My kids are between 9-18 months and every day I plan either a large motor activity or an outside activity plus I plan either an art or sensory activity. The rest of our time is taken up by just the care babies require plus reading and some free play.

[Cradle2crayons]

I plan and document everything but that's just because I'm a homeschooling mom and that's what we do lol

[MsLaura529]

I've started creating a monthly curriculum "idea" on Word ... One main theme (ie. April was "Spring", what letters, numbers, and shapes we will cover, some of the main projects and how the letters, numers, shapes, and/or theme is incorporated into it, and some main circle time activities. I figure this at least gives me a good idea of where I want to go for the month, and leaves a bit of room open for adding new things in.

[AmyKidsCo]

I plan activities by the month so I can make sure we hit all the developmental areas and that I have the materials I need for certain activities. During the day I pick and choose from the activities I had planned that week. So on Monday we may do Friday's art or Thursday's cooking project.

I always adjust according to their engagement and interest, and sometimes we do something completely different because that's what they're into.

[melilley]

I do mostly play based curriculum so I usually wing it, but I do do a weekly theme, color and will do activities according to what those are. I do do a circle time and we go over all of that and do some developmental activities depending on the children that I have that day. I have two 9 mo. olds, a 20 and 22 mo. old, and 2 2.5 year olds so yeah, I mostly wing it!

[LK5kids]

Originally Posted by Heidi

Much to the dismay of my "stars" consultant and college instructors, I absolutely "wing it". They all admit we still do plenty, they'd just like to see more planned INTENTIONALLY (new buzz word), and documented.

I have infants and toddlers. 3 infants under a year, an 18 mo, and a 2 year old part-time. Nope, not going to write lesson plans.

. You are so right!!! You state you do plenty......what the Heck difference does a lesson plan make? These are very young children!

[Laurel]

Originally Posted by Heidi

Much to the dismay of my "stars" consultant and college instructors, I absolutely "wing it". They all admit we still do plenty, they'd just like to see more planned INTENTIONALLY (new buzz word), and documented.

I have infants and toddlers. 3 infants under a year, an 18 mo, and a 2 year old part-time. Nope, not going to write lesson plans.

What she said.

If you wanted to document it, you could put down what you did that day at the end of the day. Documentation done man.

Laurel

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

Yes, I plan and I wing it I generally have an idea where I am heading but not how I am getting here. That is for the kidos to decide. So, right now very thing is centered around a bunch of spring books I pulled. I go out caterpillar stuff and flowers. Tuesday painted egg carton caterpillar. Today we were going to pain butterflies but I had one out sick, sent on home that vomited. So I had two here craft age so decided to let them do scissor skills and I cut strips of construction paper, the cut into squares and we glued them onto butterflies I cut out.
A lot of child led activities. Digging worms right now is the huge hit!