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Choosing The Right Curriculum For Your Preschool! Part 3 of a 4 Part Series.

6/30/2015

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When the school bus box arrives at your door and the children SQUEAL, you know you've got a winner!  From the garden themed number display, to the flower pot site words and color flowers, the the "character" bird feathers, to the abc flip cards.  There is NO lack of imagination and HANDS ON learning with Mother Goose Time!  

Each day's circle time activities are full color displays that resemble magazines for tiny hands.  I LOVE the world map and the curriculum web that maps out how houses, chores, nests, and termite hills all collide for a month filled with unique topics.  

They sent boats, bubbles, puppets, music c.d.'s, paint sponges, games, manipulatives, and TONS of math and science.  Some curriculum are heavy on literature, which I LOVE, but are weaker when it comes to math, science, and social studies (which I don't love); leaving the teacher to fill in those gaps, not Mother Goose Time!  I would have to say this one is very conscious of little ones need to experience with his/her whole body.  

If you have a group of little learners that enjoy floating and making boats, discovering ant hills, spider webs, crave painting with more than a brush, singing and dancing to snappy pop rhythms this is for YOU! 


If you are a teacher that needs a well organized curriculum that keeps the children away from the chairs and tables and allows active bodies to learn through play...this is for YOU!!!


Here are the items included in their June curriculum box... (see below).

As you can see this is the "out of the box" state, prior to use.  Even though the month of June is about "Houses," they have done a SUPER job of having something exciting and new everyday.  It moves from the different types of homes (castles included!), to the rooms of our home and what we do and find there, to animal homes (a SUPER lead to from our Funshine Express "Baby Animals" theme we studied prior!!), to helping out around the house with chores, pets, welcoming friends...

Though there are printables, this is a very PLAY BASED curriculum.  I am in L.O.V.E.!!!

Check out our previous reviews here:

http://www.woolseyacademy.com/blog/choosing-the-right-curriculum-for-your-preschool-part-2-of-a-4-part-series


and here:

http://www.woolseyacademy.com/blog/choosing-the-right-curriculum-for-your-preschool-part-1-of-a-4-part-series
Center Markers Mother Goose Time
Alphabet flip cards. LOVE!! Mother Goose Time
The letter A. I laminated these. So many games I can think of to play!!!
The inside of the letter A flip card. Full color, bright displays.
Circle Time Display, garden theme, world map, number line, clothes line for shapes, site word and color flowers.
A closer view of the clothes line display and number grid. Love the little blackbird!
World map! Not many curriculum take a world view :)
Flower pot site words and color recognition.
I can help responsibility choice card. To be used with clothes pins with child's name.
Alphabet house display.
Calendar
House Theme.
Welcome letter and how to set up class observations.
Teacher Tool Bag and curriculum web.
Planning Journal! LOVE THIS!! Great places for observations and notes.
Inside the Planning Journal.
Teacher Guide. Month At A Glance.
Teacher Guide. Well organized, lots of extension activities and something new and different each day to discuss.
Teacher Guide. Day at a glance.
Teacher Calendar.
Music C.D.'s for daily lessons and circle times. Free download code for MORE!
Curriculum connection guide. What does the child learn each day? Math? Science? Social/Emotional?
Up close!
Dancing Beats! An ENTIRE music curriculum enhancement!
Daily lessons - Houses
What are the different types of houses we live in?
The different types of houses we live in!
An entire month of Mother Goose Time!
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I have taken a lot of heat from preschool teachers for reviewing "Out Of The Box" ready made curriculum.

Check out the comments here:
  • Although the concept is understandable, I think it takes away from the program with respect to individually, creativity, experience and the individual allowance for children
  • Then research Creative Curr. The screening assists Teachers in planning for each child and shows the progress. We gave in and started using this many years ago. It meets Ohio's Early Learning.
  • II have tried both approaches, and yes it does save time and money. But using an emergent curriculum that plans around the children's interests and assesses the children and decides where they are developmentally and designs specific activities in response to that is far more effective and ethical, in my opinion....(etc.)

www.linkedin.com/ladonnawoolsey  (connect with me here too and let's encourage one another!)

The assumption seemed to be that a prepared curriculum was rigid, didn't consider a child's interests, didn't allow for spontaneous or emergent play, and was...therefore...inferior.  I also believe that none of these comments were from "in-home" providers, but rather those that were center or school based.  

The life of an in-home provider is far different than that of a "for hire" teacher.  I do not doubt the passion of either, the level of commitment, and am not saying one is better.  It is simply very different.  The in-home provider works a minimum of 12 hours in the direct care of children.  This doesn't include grocery shopping, cleaning, meal planning, curriculum planning, party planning, web and social media business strategies, and certainly doesn't include time spent with his/her own family (who needs sleep???)  The in-home provider seldom gets sick days and very few, if any vacation days.  This makes for a VERY committed provider! 

The three curriculum I have reviewed so far; Mother Goose Time, The Learning Box Preschool, and FunShine Express have all done an amazing job of valuing the child's interests, level of attention, differing ages and personalities, time of the provider, and expense, WHILE meeting state standards and providing research based Theme Web's that encompass Math, Literature, Science, Social/Emotional, Social Studies, Language and Literacy, and Creative Arts; AND being F.U.N. for ALL!!!

I am THRILLED to have been able to review these amazing curriculum and would be more than happy to provide any one of them with my preschool/childcare daily routines.

I Have So Much More To Show YOU!  

When my boat is small it sinks fast and can't hold very much!
How about just a big sheet of aluminum foil! That will hold a TON!!!
I can hold LOTS on my boat!!!
When my boat is bigger it floats better and holds more object!
Don't Sink The Boat! Mother Goose Time

Science almost daily!

This was just one of the science lessons from Mother Goose Time called, "Don't Sink The Boat!"  There is a beautiful cardboard science display for the teacher and children to refer too that gives ideas for making aluminum foil boats and object they can utilize to try and sink their boat.  We opted for materials in our play yard.  Our littles discovered that if their boat was wide and long, it took more items to sink it.  If their boat was small or wadded up like a ball, it didn't take very much at all!  
Mother Goose Time gets a GIANT kid approved high five for engaging play that promotes thinking, creativity and learning for the whole child and whole class regardless of age!  

I hope these reviews are helping you in your search for a high quality curriculum for your little learners!

I wish you well and I hope you get to play today!

-L
Cards like this come with every experiment to give image seekers like me step by step directions!
They even send the bubbles!
Just mix and play!
and dump.....
A babe's dream...playing with straws to make bubbles! No milk required! HA!!!
I was loving all the quiet! (mouths were all busy!)
Messy Creative Arts FUN!!!
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    "There isn't anything more full of hope, joy and peace than a child's smile... It captures the mundane and makes it extraordinary." - LaDonna Woolsey

    I am a Mother Goose Time Blogger. I decided to become one after trying their products because I they are comprehensive and serve my mixed age group well.  I do receive products to review from Mother Goose Time and do so with my own honest and thorough opinions.  For more information, please contact me at Ladonna@woolseyacademy.com

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My husband and I both work full time and during the year 2011 we needed a child care provider for our five year old daughter and our 20 month old son. I am a Special Education Teacher for the Willard RII district in Missouri. I found LaDonna Woolsey on the internet while searching for a child care provider.  I had called numerous places and never felt comfortable with any of them to even make an appointment to meet them in person. I called LaDonna, and almost immediately after the conversation started, I felt a sense of relief and made an appointment to check out her daycare in person, the following day.  When I saw her facility I was absolutely amazed. LaDonna answered all of my nervous mom questions and watching her interact with the children made me realize I had found the perfect person to watch my children during the day. She started providing Child Care services for my children immediately... - Lisa Lassley - Special Education Teacher for the Willard RII 

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