Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Day Care: Questions to Ask About the Program
Does the program help children develop physically by:
- providing daily outdoor activities where children use
their whole bodies?
- offering indoor movement experience set to music?
- furnishing sturdy climbing and swinging apparatus?
- balancing active, physical activities with quiet, restful
ones?
- providing ample rest and nap times?
- prohibiting play that could quickly get out of hand?
- maintaining an adequate staff/child ratio on the
playground?
- providing opportunities to use community sports
facilities?
Does the program help children develop emotionally by:
- encouraging children to express themselves?
- patiently encouraging children to solve problems on their
own?
- providing ample opportunities for children to feel good
about themselves?
- helping children deal with feelings constructively?
- providing security through a well-defined, predictable
schedule of daily activities?
- showing children how to help themselves as much as
possible?
Does the program help children develop interpersonally by:
- providing give-and-take opportunities to share toys and
equipment?
- balancing individual, small group, and large group
activities?
- allowing children to pursue some activities without being
disturbed by other youngsters?
- discouraging competitiveness by limiting the number of
children participating in a particular activity,
providing plenty of toys and materials, and overseeing
sharing and turn-taking?
Does the program help children develop creatively and
intellectually by:
- encouraging children to use art and play materials in
their own way?
- providing plenty of time for children to complete their
projects?
- fostering curiosity through opportunities to see new
things and try out new ideas?
- nurturing self-expression through art, music, drama, and
literature?
- providing plenty of "hands on" learning experiences?
- encouraging self-direction and self-pacing?
- furnishing an environment rich with science materials,
books, building equipment, musical instruments, toy and
art materials, props for dramatic play, natural materials
like sand, water, and clay?
- balancing structured and unstructured activities?
- developing a sense of satisfaction over completing a task
or thinking something through?
- designing graduated goals for each child?
- planning field trips or inviting special visitors?
- asking children themselves for ideas about programming?
- encouraging language development?
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