Lesson Plans

A lesson plan shows the specific planned activities that fit into the daily schedule. These plans ensure that children are provided daily opportunities for small and large muscle activities, outdoor play, and exposure to language and creative activities. Both lesson plans and daily schedules are required to be posted so that they can be easily referenced by staff and parents.

A licensor cannot be at your center every day to see the program you offer children. Therefore, you must have current plans (and ones from the recent past) available for the licensor to review. Written evidence of activity planning helps staff assure themselves, the director, parents, and the licensor that the program reflects the center’s philosophy and goals and meets the full range of children’s needs. In addition to the lesson plans, the licensor will look at the daily schedule, classroom materials, and the activities taking place during their visit to ensure you are providing a developmentally appropriate curriculum and program.

The form of activity lesson plans can vary. You may want to use:

• A wall chart for the week or month
• A clipboard with pages divided by times of the day or activity areas
• A large, desktop monthly calendar
• A teacher planning calendar book

Whatever form your lesson plans take, they should indicate the date and group for which the plans are written.

Note:  Adjusting the curriculum to the needs of children means not only offering the right activities at the right time, but also allowing enough time for children to do the activities. A well-planned lesson plan gives children time to settle into activities and pursue their interests fully before they clean up and go to the next activity. If an activity is new, allow extra time to set it up and introduce it to the children.

Related training:
Curriculum Development Training Package