Are you new to Mother Goose Time?
If so, welcome.
This post is a tour of what’s in store this year with Mother Goose Time.
Our family has been blessed to be chosen as a Mother Goose Time blog, which is an awesome incentive for me to make sure I share pictures and memories of all the fun we have with this play based, thematic, preschool curriculum right here on the blog!
I also share a ton of pictures on Instagram and supplemental materials that fit the current theme on Facebook, so be sure to follow along!
Mother Goose Time is a theme based curriculum with a new and exciting box arriving every month. Included are twenty days worth of activities (even more if you try to do them all) and a celebration kit focused on a holiday or event. The themes for this year can be found here.
Getting Started
The Getting Started Kit will make sure you begin your Mother Goose Time adventure as easily as possible.
- Getting Started Pamphlet – all the information you need to setup the enclosed displays.
- Family Information Guides – a quick overview of the many benefits of using this curriculum and how to involve family members.
- I’m a Little Helper – quick start tips to get kids working together to get chores done.
- Circle Time CD – a collection of music useful for getting the day started, transitions, and learning calendar months, etc.
- Alphabet Display – one of many display items that can be used to enhance learning.
Circle Time
As homeschoolers we have the challenge of choosing what materials we want to display on our walls to aide our children in their learning without overwhelming them or our home!
Mother Goose Time provides some great displays to
- reinforce letter, number, shape, and color recognition,
- generate interest in world geography,
- and encourage curiosity about calendars and the weather.
Some choose to display their circle time materials on a billboard and only pull it out during circle time. This works well for me when I have a mobile toddler that can reach the lower parts of the wall and pull things down.
Right now I have two preschoolers and one who can’t yet walk, so, my materials are going up on the wall surrounding our kitchen table where we do most of our inside Mother Goose Time.
Here are a couple close ups of the suggested circle display, and the calendar and weather display components.
Investigation Stations
You can also choose to put up signs as shown in the image above designating areas to be used for different activities such as a story corner or a science center. The signs are in English on one side and Spanish on the other. As a home schooler, I tend to use these signs to label bins that have these different activities in them. Mother Goose Time uses investigation stations to allow for extended and free play with materials that fit the given theme. This works perfectly for me with bins. I just open one on days we need a little bit more activity or when I need them to keep busy while I make dinner or attempt to use the bathroom alone 🙂
Learning Documentation
I’m blessed to live in a state that doesn’t require that I report my home school activities until my child turns six. For those of you who need to document your child’s progress, Mother Goose Time has you covered. The poster in the above picture tracks all the skills associated with specific activities.
AND new this year – they are including child portfolios! I’m even excited about this. I love the idea of being able to show my child her own progress during the course of the year. How encouraging for her to see how much progress she has made with her fine motor skills and creative efforts.
Activities that allow you to record a new skill are designated with a star and activities that should you record with a camera have a photo icon next to them. The photograph below shows a little peak at how these will look. The booklet, “How to Create a Child Portfolio” will guide you through the process. Awesome!
Open House
Most home school families don’t host an open house, but there is no reason not to have a party to celebrate the beginning of the school year. I encourage you to consider inviting family, neighbors, and any friends. Try to include (public, private, church, and/or home schooled) kids. It’s a fabulous way for our kids to share with those they care about what they are learning about this upcoming year.
Monthly Features
Letter manipulatives, stamps, etc.
Every month you will focus on a new collection of letters, numbers, a new shape, color, and character trait. The focus will be reinforced by carefully chosen manipulatives such as those featured in the above picture.
Calendar that fits the theme and encourages pattern recognition
Thematic manipulatives such as these stamps and magnets for September’s theme of Me and My Family.
Monthly Planning
Guides and Planning
Each month your box will arrive with a
- Planning Journal
- Teacher Guide
- and Gathering List.
Little Goose is an optional toddler supplement with fantastic ideas for including your younger ones in the day’s activities.
Thematic Web
A thematic web like the one pictured below for September’s theme (Me and My Family) is also included. I hang this on the wall to keep the whole family updated with where we are in the curriculum. A simple check mark next to each section let’s us know we have completed that set of activities.
Optional Add-Ons
In addition to the Toddler Supplement, Little Goose, our family also enjoys the Christian supplement, “Experience God,” and the dance and fitness program, “Dance ‘n Beats.”
Experience God – Booklet and Scripture Card
Experience God comes with a booklet with tons of activities that are perfect for reinforcing information gained in the monthly curriculum and introducing the strength and power of God’s love. Here are a few of our past favorites:
- Daniel in the Lion’s Den
- Self Regulation Through Prayer – Toddler Activity
- How To Explain Faith to a Preschooler – A Simple Activity
- God Created Me – 3 Self Identity Preschool Activities
- 3 Activities to Promote Kindness Among Preschoolers
Truth Tunes is an optional CD that I strongly encourage you to purchase. My kids love singing along and there is nothing quite as sweet as listening to your littles singing the word of God in the morning.
There is also a scripture card for posting and reviewing during the month.
Experience God – Story Cards
I LOVE these story cards. You get a different bible story each month. The words are on the back and the pictures are on the front. I read them over breakfast and don’t have to break my neck trying to read the words and show them the pictures at the same time. Prompts are included to more fully involve your kids in the reading (motions, noises, etc.) or to give you some hints as to how to make the story more interesting.
Experience God – Activity Packs
Each experience God also comes with an activity pack with all the materials (minus glue or crayons) that you would need to complete the activities. At $5 per child it’s fabulous to have these items ready to go. There are also coloring pages and family activities that the kids have historically loved. Highly recommended!
Dance n’Beats
Dance n’Beats will have you moving and grooving in no time. Although there is a DVD included to show you the moves, you don’t need to be glued to the TV to do the program. The songs are the same as on the circle time CD and the choreography for each song is shown in the booklet. Sheet music and activities for props can also be found in the booklet. We’ve made maracas, elephant feet, and changed from caterpillars to butterflies. It’s a ton of fun and even Grandma routinely joins in the dancing!
I hope you’ll be joining us this year for fun and adventure with Mother Goose Time!
Our family loves hearing from our readers and I’m happy to help anyone who has questions or concerns about Mother Goose Time or home schooling preschool!
My favorite places to connect are:
- Facebook – If you blog, feel free to share preschool posts and pictures!
- Instagram – If you’d like some support on Instagram, there’s a fabulous home school community!
- Email me at prayspecies@gmail.com with any questions or requests!
Hoping you have a wonderful year!!!
