
Whether you are just starting out building a new daycare, and wondering how to attract parents to your center, or you have an established business looking for a bit of a refresh, a fantastic curriculum can be a key driver of success for you. The daycare curriculum that you choose allows you to create an environment of care and learning that reflects your core values and beliefs about learning, and sets your students up for success in the lead up to their transition to school. So how do you choose the best daycare curriculum for your center?

What is a daycare curriculum?
An early learning or daycare curriculum can and will look different between different centers. But at its most simple, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) states that “curriculum consists of the plans for the learning experiences through which children acquire knowledge, skills, abilities and understanding”.They aren’t just for older children, either! From toddler curriculums to preschool curriculums, children of all ages can benefit from a thoughtful and well-planned curriculum.
How often should you change your curriculum?
There’s no set rules or guidelines around how often you should change your daycare curriculum, or how far in advance you should plan it. Some families will appreciate the oversight that they could get from having a whole year curriculum planned in advance, and planning multiple months or a full year at once will allow you to plan activities, toy rotations and room set-up.
On the other hand, you may find that planning only a month or so in advance allows you to do more child-led learning, where you can observe the topics or activities that the children are interested in, and form your curriculum around those activities.
5 things to consider when choosing a curriculum
1. The setting
2. The age of your students
Children grow and develop rapidly over the first few years of life, and a curriculum for children of preschool age will have different learning goals and topics than one designed for younger babies or toddlers. As children in your daycare grow and learn, you can regularly assess whether the curriculum is suiting their needs, or whether they seem to have become bored or distracted. Regular assessments will allow you to create a truly unique learning experience for children of all ages in your center.