Am I doing enough?

[AcornsFalling]

I also have all 2s and under and I think that age group is good with mostly free play. I bring out art supplies for exploration and they are learning how to do stickers and stamps. We also do a circle time with mostly action songs and finger plays, and story time. The rest of the time is free play indoors or outdoors. I engage with all of them regularly to talk about what they are doing, teach vocabulary, how to use words to solve problems, and practice following instructions. It sounds to me like you are doing the same so I think you are doing great!
Also a huge and important part of what you are doing is teaching the children how to behave in a group environment, which should not be discounted as it is a very big adjustment for many children when they are first away from home.

[playfelt]

There is actually a push away from a more formal program and more freeplay anyways where activities are made available and the children choose to do them or not to do them rather than where the whole group is made to do the same things. In family care this sort of happens normally because each age group has their own agenda of learning they need to do.

[5 Little Monkeys]

There is actually a push away from a more formal program and more freeplay anyways where activities are made available and the children choose to do them or not to do them rather than where the whole group is made to do the same things. In family care this sort of happens normally because each age group has their own agenda of learning they need to do.

I agree. This push has been happening for about the last 7 years or so. I am curious to those who have done both...which do you prefer? I personally like a combination of both. I feel that structured play has a place and teaches things like patience, how to follow directions, attention span, following rules and IMO the biggest one, sometimes we have to do things we don't necessarily want to do!(huge life lesson lol) I have been involved with childcare for the last 10 years and it is astounding to me to see the difference in the children and especially the parenting/ child behaviours. I sometimes wonder if this push for more free play and "doing what you want when you want how you want" (I know it's not quite like this but often I see this as the result) is the reason for some of the changes I have seen.

**just as a note, some of the things I mean by change in kids are....kids used to respect the teachers/dcp's, they had manners, they had attention spans, they wanted to do group activities and socialize(not just play one on one with their electronics), they knew the difference between right and wrong, they knew the rules and they followed them etc.

[playfelt]

I like a mixture too but I also like the freedom to let things slide on days the children have their own agenda and are learning their own way as in not a curriculum we have to get through. I do most of my teaching through games and what looks like play but it is planned play. We do stories and a short time with me that is compulsory - no wandering off during circletime because learning to do what someone else wants to do and not always being self centred is a big part of being a friend.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I agree big time with you playfelt!! The only time I allow wandering off during circle time is if they are under 18 months and even that is rare. If the circle time goes longer because of the older ones than I do let the 2 younger ones go do their own thing but only after they have sat for the beginning of it.

Near the end of my time in centres, it drove me crazy!! Most of the staff quit doing circle time all together because we were no longer allowed to "make" them sit for it and so once one child wandered off the herd followed lol.

I do like having a relaxed plan though. If they want to build robots one day and play with dinosaurs the next, it is nice to have the freedom to do so. When I very first started daycare it was themed weekly and we stuck to that theme almost 100% which had it's pros and cons as well.