Family Child Care Basics

Jennifer Karnopp

• Publisher: Gryphon House Inc.
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780876593615
• eBook ISBN: 9780876593776
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Early Childhood Education

Beginning a new business venture can be a daunting task, and setting up an in-home child care program can be especially challenging. After the licenses have been applied for and acquired, what comes next? Now an expert on the subject provides advice, tips, information, and activities for setting up a child care program and running it smoothly. From creating a healthy, safe environment for children to engaging activities that can be used to develop daily plans, Family Child Care Basics is the companion every family child care business needs to be successful. In simple language, Jennifer Karnopp explains how to plan and implement a program where children will learn, play, and thrive. This guide also offers reproducible forms and a selection of more than fifty activities to get the fun and learning started. Building a successful in-home child care program is not simple, but with Family Child Care Basics, there is an essential companion to help!

Activities

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Language and Literacy

Story Time

Language and Literacy
Large Group/Small Group/Individual
Intelligence: Linguistic

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Activity time: 10 minutes, or longer, as desired

Helps Children Develop

A love of books Knowledge of different literary forms Vocabulary

Materials

any age-appropriate book

What to Do

1. Invite the children to sit with you.

2. Introduce the book by telling the children the title and the author’s name. Then show the children the book.

3. Tell the children what the story is about. If there is something in particular you would like them to listen for or pay attention to as you read the book, mention it now.

4. Read the story aloud. Sit so you can show the children illustrations as you read.

Extenders

Ask the children open-ended questions during the story. For example, after reading a few pages of a book, pause and ask, “What do you think will happen next?”

If the story you have chosen has repetitive text or includes obvious rhymes, encourage the children to “read” along with you.

Invite conversation after the story by asking more open-ended questions, for example: “Does this book remind you of an experience you have had? Does it remind you of another book you’ve read? Did anything in the story surprise you?”

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General Tips for Reading to Children

What Is It All About?

Always pre-read any story you plan on reading with the children. Think about what aspect of the book you would like to focus on (for example, introducing the children to a theme, a particular character, a setting or a situation). Explain what the story is about and ask the children what they know about that topic. Have a brief discussion to encourage conversation and focus the children’s attention on the aspect of the story you feel is most important.

Intelligence: Linguistic

Guess What Comes Next

As you are reading a story, invite the children to think about what might happen next. What clues can children use to make their guesses? After reading a book, engage the children in a discussion about elements of the story that surprised them. Intelligences: Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical

Tell Me About It

After you read with the children, invite them to retell the story or talk about the book. Intelligences: Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical

Making Connections

After reading a story, invite the children to link the story to their own lives. Ask questions such as, “Has anything like that ever happened to you?” “If you were ______ what would you do?” or “Can you think of a time when you felt the same way as the character in this story?” Intelligences: Linguistic, Intrapersonal

Take a Closer Look

Look carefully at the illustrations. Point out and talk about the details, people, and objects pictured. Introduce new vocabulary when necessary. Intelligences: Linguistic, Spatial

Focus on Text

Help the children realize that the words you are saying come from the printed tex...

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Title Page
• Introduction
• Activities
• Index
• Copyright Page