Developing Lesson Plans in Daycare Centers

Whether you have your own in-home daycare or you work at a daycare center, you are probably familiar with the term "lesson plan." Developing an effective lesson plan is important for each child's growth and development. Here are some ideas on how you can make your lesson plans effective and fun too.

I'm most familiar with lesson plans that are already written up for me, so I really don't have to do much work besides implementing the lesson into my daily schedule. Most lesson plans have a theme. If the lesson plan is for 1 month, then that entire month will revolve around that specific theme. For example, my February lesson plan theme is food. My activities and learning experiences all have something to do with foods. In art, I like to plan projects such as "apple printing" and "food collages". When you walk into my classroom, you should be able to tell that my lesson plan is about food this month. That should be one of your goals, to make sure your theme is noticeable to parents, and other people who would be walking through your room. There are many themes to use for lesson plans, such as transportation, animals, family, and more. There are various activities and projects for all of those themes.

Next, you'll need to decide what activities you are going to do with the kids. It's easiest to plan week by week. Try to be a week ahead, so that you are not rushing to plan activities for the same day. It's nice to be well organized and prepared; it looks good to your director, and parents too. Have a folder or binder, with your plans for the week. Now you'll need to gather the materials you need for each activity. For example, if one of your activities involves sand play in the sensory table, you would want to gather sand (if your center allows it), shovels, buckets and funnels. For art projects, you should pre-cut papers and patterns before you actually do the project. It doesn't look good when you are sitting there cutting stuff out on the day you planned on doing the art project. Instead, prepare yourself and your room.

Besides projects, you may want to add enrichments to your learning areas. For a food theme, you could add plastic play food to your dramatic play area. For an animal theme, cut out pictures of familiar animals and hang them on the wall for the kids to look at. There are so many possibilities; use your imagination and creative mind. You're a teacher, remember?

Finally, implement your lesson plan activities. Set aside a certain time of the day to do your activities. I like to do my art projects right before lunch time. When to do your activities all depends on you and your children's individual needs. If you work at a daycare center, you should already have a daily schedule posted in your room to follow. It's good to have a routine that the kids can get familiar with. Having art at the same time every morning or story time every afternoon at 2:00 is a good way for the kids to learn what to expect next.

Overall, have fun with your lesson plan. Be creative and add your own ideas to the curriculum. If you are doing your own plan from scratch, then the ideas and plans are all up to you. Remember that these lesson plans are made to teach the kids about new things and get better at things they already know.