Family Child Care Basics: Advice, Activities, and Information to Create a Professional Program

By Jennifer Karnopp

Family child care providers of children birth to 6

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gryphon House Inc.
• Release date: Mar 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780876593776

Jennifer Karnopp

Jennifer Karnopp has been devoted to the field of early learning and care for more than 15 years. After working in the training department of a resource and referral agency where she specialized in finding and creating resources for both English and Spanish-speaking child care providers, Jennifer became a certified elementary school teacher and taught in both traditional and bilingual public schools, teaching a variety of grade levels. In 2001, Jennifer began World of Wonder, a curriculum company dedicated to providing hands-on learning experiences for young children.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Dedication

Title Page

Introduction

Activities

Language and Literacy

Story Time

Letter of the Day

In the Box, Not in the Box

I Spy

Build a Story

Story in a Picture

Our Own Special Book

A Rhyme for Me

Social and Emotianal

Go, Change, Hunt

I Am Special Necklace

Tall Towers

Picture a Memory

Handprint

Touch a Color

Circle Walk

Math Activities

Found Objects Graph

Napkin Shapes

Cereal Sorting

Biggest to Smallest

Count with Your Ears

Pretzel Shapes

Find Your Match

Calendar Time

Mirror Magic

Body Shapes

Science Activities

Shaving Cream Shapes

Take a Closer Look

Neighborhood Shapes

Cooking with Kids

Indestructible

What’s That Smell?

Color Drops

Art Activities

Shape Snacks

Shape Rubbings

Texture Collage

Build a Sculpture

Fingerpaint with a Twist

Wild Watercolors

Egg Carton Caterpillars

Stamp a Scene

Rainbow Streamer

Sound and Music

Get Together!

Musical Art

Do I Hear a…?

Quiet and Loud

Making Maracas

Shapely Instruments

Freeze Dance

King or Queen

King or Queen

Playhouse

Box City

Pretty Butterfly

Slithering Snake, Crawling Caterpillar

Kid Train

Index

Copyright Page

This book is dedicated to all of the wonderful family child care providers who shared their homes and their stories with me, and to my husband and children for their endless support, love and patience.

Bulk purchase

Gryphon House books are available for special premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising use. Special editions or book excerpts also can be created to specification. For details, contact the Director of Marketing at Gryphon House.

Disclaimer

Gryphon House, Inc. and the author cannot be held responsible for damage, mishap, or injury incurred during the use of or because of activities in this book. Appropriate and reasonable caution and adult supervision of children involved in activities, and corresponding to the age and capability of each child involved, is recommended at all times. Do not leave children unattended at any time. Observe safety and caution at all times.

Every effort has been made to locate copyright and permission information.

Introduction

Now that you have decided to open a child care business in your home, and you have researched and fulfilled the licensing requirements in your area, what comes next? Whether you are new or experienced in the field of early education and care, this book is your guide to creating a quality program.

Getting Started

The first part of this book explains how to create an effective child care environment in your home. Indoor and outdoor play areas are discussed, along with spaces you may want to consider for the business aspect of your child care. Learning how to plan your day, including how to set up a routine and plan activities, is also an important part of running a quality program. In here you will find brief summaries of current ideas about teaching and learning to help you create an effective routine and curriculum. A quick overview of child growth and development has also been included as a reference for you to use when planning activities for the children in your care. The last section of this Introduction includes basic reproducible forms. Once you know how you would like to run your program, it’s time for the activities!

Activities

The activities are divided into the following subject areas—Language and Literacy, Social/Emotional, Math, Science, Art, Sound and Music, and Dramatic Play. For each activity, the subject area is highlighted and has a corresponding icon. You will also find a suggestion about where in the room to do the activity, how long any preparation might take, how long the activity will take to do with the children, and the multiple intelligences addressed by the activity. (See page 18 for more information about multiple intelligences.) Keep in mind, the times are approximations. They will vary depending on the number of children in your program, as well as on other factors specific to the children in your care.

Helps Children Develop—Each activity begins with a description of its specific purpose to help you select the one that best suits your needs.

Materials—A list of the materials you need for each activity. Most of these are items that you will have on hand already.

What to Do—The steps take you through each activity. We recommend you read the steps through thoroughly before trying any new activity with the children.

Extenders—Some activity extenders are variations on the activity to meet the needs of children of different ages. Others provide interesting ways to build upon the activity.

DOING ACTIVITIES WITH CHILDREN

The activities in this book invite children to explore their environment. At a glance they may seem simple, but to a child just discovering a new concept, these simple activities are gateways to a deeper understanding of our world. Make the most of each activity by encouraging children’s exploration. Don’t rush children through an activity. Invite them to try the same activity several times. Young children love repetition; they discover something new each time. Take things a step further by asking open-ended questions about the activity. Even something as simple as telling a child what you are observing her do, I see you are holding the magnifying lens right over the flower, can be the beginning of a conversation or even a new discovery for that child.

Open-Ended Questions Open-ended questions are a great way to extend and expand children’s experiences. This kind of question has more than one possible answer and often begins with who, what, when, why, or how. Examples: What else do you think a spider might eat? How could we make this bigger?

Setting Up Your Environment

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Your home is now also your business. New demands will be put upon your existing space. Parents need a place where they can safely park the car and unload their children. The children you are caring for will need both indoor and outdoor play spaces. They will need access to bathrooms, an area to eat, and someplace to put their personal belongings. Young children also need a place to rest.