Own a Daycare Blog » effective http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:32:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 How to create an effective preschool classroom http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-preschool-classroom http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-preschool-classroom#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:27:43 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=739 Related posts:]]> In a preschool facility, one of the most important tasks to consider at the beginning of the school year is the appearance and layout of the classroom. A preschool or day-care classroom is normally a child’s first taste of school, and so, it must be a place where a can enjoy learning. It should also be an environment where a child feels secure, optimistic, and nurtured.

When thinking of a preschool centre’s layout, one must also bear in mind that while it should be a place that’s suitable for learning and other activities (i.e. playing, eating, etc.), it should also be child-friendly and safe. It is not a secret that toddlers have high levels of energy, so they should be able to move freely in the classroom without any danger of being hurt.

Fun Comes in Small Sizes
There have been several theories by educational experts on what should be a preschool classroom’s layout. One of the most popular theories was formulated by Maria Montessori. For Montessori, the size of all the furniture in a preschool classroom, including chairs, tables, and shelves, should be proportional to the size of the students.

If you are in the processes of building your own day-care or simply aiming to improve your existing classroom, try to put yourself in the shoes of a child. Kneel down while viewing the area so that you will more or less get the child’s eye view. It is also advisable to divide the room into different sections such as: art, blocks, dramatic play, music, library, and science. You can have more depending on the curriculum that you have and your teaching style. Some preschool teachers set-up a writing area near the bookshelves or library, or if the area allows it, an indoor play area is also included.

Keep in mind that some sections need to be bigger than the others. For instance, areas like blocks and dramatic play need more space and tend to be noisy most of the time. As such, it is advisable to group these sections in one part of the room. On the other hand, areas for more activities that need silence (i.e. reading, writing, art, etc.) should be placed at the opposite side of the room. You may divide the room using shelves or duct tape.

Ideally, the storytelling and show and tell area should be situated at the center of the room. Just make sure to that this area does not have obstructions and huge objects, so that your students can comfortably form a group whenever necessary. Meanwhile, the walls of the room should be filled with artistic and colourful decorations such as artwork, weather chart, photos of the birthday celebrants, and more.

Put a Label On It!
Although very few preschoolers already have the ability to read, everything in the room should be properly labelled. This will promote awareness of printed letters and words among the students and teach them basic vocabulary. By the end of the school year probably would be able to recognize the letters in the labels and even read them on their own.

The different sections of the room should also have corresponding labels. These labels can be hanged above the ceiling or posted on the walls. To help children recognize the areas that these labels pertain to, you can add pictures related to the activities done in each area. For instance, draw or cut-out pictures of crayons, pencil, and paint brush with the Art Center sign.

See: How to start a cleaning business

Related posts:

]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-preschool-classroom/feed 0 The Effective Way to Keep your Kids Healthy http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/the-effective-way-to-keep-your-kids-healthy http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/the-effective-way-to-keep-your-kids-healthy#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 00:38:21 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=557 Related posts:]]> Once you opt to leave your kids at a childcare center, there are still a number of concerns you have to consider. Childcare centers are business oriented facilities and thus, some of them overlook the value of cleanliness and hygiene. But still, there are ways to make sure your kids are healthy and protected.

In most childcare centers, the children share toys, restrooms and have lots of interaction with each other. You have to make sure that your child is free from infections and other communicable diseases. The simplest yet effective way to avoid such infections is by teaching your kids how to wash their hands. Washing of hands as often as possible will greatly decreased the threat of infection and diseases to your children. Make it easy for them to remember to watch their hands by teaching them a song that goes with it. In this way, they will have fun and stay protected as well. Giving them handkerchief to close their mouth while sneezing, is also another way of minimizing germs. The use of hand sanitizers and alcohol are also ways to make sure they are always protected.

You also have to check the guidelines and policies of the daycare center. Ask the capacity of the place and make sure that they are not overpopulated. Inquire about how they impose proper hygiene to the children in the center. It is best if they have encourage proper hygiene of the children by monitoring their cleanliness and reminding them to wash their after every activity. See to it that the cleanliness of the place is maintained and sanitized throughout the day. If all these requirements are followed then you can be assured that your kids are protected from germs and infections.

Aside from proper hygiene, proper diet also helps your children to be immune from infections. Food that contains phytonutrients such as fruits and vegetables help to fight germs. Thus, you have to check the kind of foods that are served in the childcare center. Make sure that they give your kids a healthy and balanced diet that strengthens their immune systems.

Make it also a habit that your children will have regular check-ups to their physicians. This will help in monitoring your child to make sure that they are healthy all the time. It is also a must that your kids are vaccinated to keep them protected from certain diseases.

Enough sleep and exercise is another way to keep your kids healthy. This will keep their immune system active and thus will keep them protected. Intake of plenty of water is also an effective way to keep healthy. This will keep you hydrated and healthy.

There are sure lots of ways to keep your children away from infections and always in good health. Whether they are in a childcare center or not, you should make sure that they follow the tips above. For sure, they will enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle ahead of them.

See: How to start a daycare center

Related posts:

]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/the-effective-way-to-keep-your-kids-healthy/feed 0 How To Become An Effective Daycare Assistant http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-to-become-an-effective-daycare-assistant http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-to-become-an-effective-daycare-assistant#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:19:38 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=385 Related posts:]]> Even if you only ever occupied care of your own kids or younger siblings, you unquestionably realize that taking care of little children requires a vast amount of attempt. Of course, when you have a roomful of these kids, the work is exaggerated beyond belief. So perhaps it ought to come as no shock that several pre-school and daycare amenities hire many daycare assistants to assist their daily process run more smoothly.

Job Description. When you labour as a daycare helper, you will be concerned in many different features of child care. If the service you work for accepts infants and toddlers, you may be accountable for altering diapers, as well as bathing and feeding. If you are functioning with older kids, you may need to be on hand to assist them walk, as well as attempt to engage them in creative playtime activities. You may be accountable for administering nibble time, caring for ill children or managing the administrative responsibilities involved in managing a day care service.

Educational Requirements. As with many previous pre-school jobs, you’ll require at least a high school certificate to find job in the field. Typically, once you begin working, you’ll also want to follow additional teaching that will allow you to be relevant for other positions. For instance, if you decide to go to college, you may take lessons on child psychology, early babyhood development, and education methods. For the most fraction, you’ll need to earn extra certifications in order to direct higher salary and earn promotions at your service.

Personal Background. Today, many parents are cynical about entrusting their kids to strangers. In a comparable way, the last thing a daycare center wants to do is innocently employ a paedophile. Therefore, before you’re hired as a daycare helper, your boss will conduct a careful background check to make sure that you have no previous criminal convictions. You may also have to submit to accidental drug testing while you’re employed as a daycare helper, in order to make certain the safety of the children you work with.

Career Opportunities. Many fresh high school grads use daycare helper positions as a facilitator for learning more about early youth education and the many diverse child care professions available. You may discover that you’re involved in becoming a special teaching teacher, or a teacher’s assistant. Depending on your ability, you may also think of becoming a classroom teacher. As a result, you may require leaving the field provisionally in order to follow a full-time teaching.’

On the other hand, if you decide to remain in the field, you may ultimately be promoted to director or supervisor of your daycare service. You may also come to a decision to branch out and open your own daycare center. Depending on where you live, you may require obtaining a state permit, as well as taking exams to show you are able of running this type of facility. While initializing this type of commerce may take a great agreement of work, you’re bound to enjoy the liberty and financial plunder that come with owning your own service.

See: How to start a daycare business

Related posts:

]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-to-become-an-effective-daycare-assistant/feed 0 Effective Daycare Management http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/effective-daycare-management-2 http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/effective-daycare-management-2#comments Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:37:13 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=30 Related posts:]]> Operating a day care business entails a lot of work and sacrifice. The long list of things to be done never seem to end. Aside from the business planning, area designing and marketing to obtain clients, management of the business is also an essential factor in the daily tasks for the business. Here are some ways to effectively manage one’s day care business.

1) For the child. The area within one’s home or office has been designated for the business of the day care. In this designated area, a play area has been designed and created for use by the children. To effectively manage the business, one needs to allot a small area for work on running the business. It is in this area that one manages the tax payments, paperwork for the personnel, regulatory matters and marketing. This serves as your business nerve center.

2) Separate life. Since this is a home based business, one needs to make a separate calendar for personal and professional business. If one mixes up things, then the result would be being unable to address issues as a business person rather than a private person. Another option is opening a separate bank account for business income and expenses. This would ensure that there would be no commingling of funds. Separation must also include telephone and PC usage so that there would be no mix up in the expenditures and usage of items.

3) Time manage. Being unable to properly manage one’s time would result in time being wasted. One needs to be disciplined about the time spent and one must keep watch over how time is spent. Scheduling activities for the day care and seeking out assistance from other family members would help make life a little easier. Also important is one needs to allot time for the management of the business and for rest and recreation. One needs to recharge every so often if one looks after several bundles of joy.

4) Personal time. The misconception that if one works from home one is readily accessible for visits from family and friends. This can clearly affect the scheduled timetable one has for the business. Thus one needs to inform these loved ones that even if one is at home, one is still at work and only the venue changes. Make them realize that as a business professional, one needs the time to handle the business and avoid further distractions. Once this happens, have them leave a message and a promise that one will get back to them when one is free from work.

Effective management of the daycare business can be done if one has the desire for it. Having a space for children and for work, making a separate life between business and personal matters, proper time management and having personal time would be the factors to consider to make this happen. This personal development, together with cooperation would make one an effective manager of one’s own day care center.

See: How to start a daycare

Related posts:

]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/effective-daycare-management-2/feed 0