Charging for Preschool Curriculum?

I don't think you should change the cost once the school year has started. Even though it's still very early in the year, you still have an established agreement with them and it might be awkward to change it now.

For next year, you can either increase the amount you charge each week, or ask for an annual supply fee at the beginning of the year (max $100/child, in my opinion).

You can also ask parents for donations once or twice a year. At my son's school, they just post a notice on the door or send an email out with a list of things they would like for the classroom.

Right now, a lot of the office supply stores are having major back to school sales. I got crayons for 5 cents per box, 4-packs of glue sticks for 25 cents, etc. Today I got two reams of copy paper for $1 each. Try to find some good deals now and stock up for the year.

K.
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Is this a daily preschool and what are the hours? My son attends twice weekly preschool from 9-1 and I only pay $165 a month. You are currently getting $480+ per month per child so I would say that amount should more than cover your overhead expenses while giving you a decent paycheck. You could put up a classroom wish list with supplies and see if the parents are willing to donate items but I would not increase the cost unless you have these children all day long everyday.

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I would not raise the price "after the fact". Plan on making a rate change next year.

& as a head's up, I create my own curriculum by using free online printables. It is amazing what's out there....& the time you spend searching & creating your curriculum also applies to your time/expense for tax deductions. It's a win-win situation: free curriculum, ink/paper supplies you can deduct as an expense, & your time as a deduction, too!

I stock up at the beginning of the school year for basic supplies. I buy a cute 3 ring binder for making an ABC Book for each child. I begin teaching the alphabet by teaching each child's name. The kids then learn each others' names at the same time....it's awesome how this process works! We do a daily project for the letter we're working on + a practice page for the letters + an art project to tie it all together. All of this goes into the binder, & we refer back to it daily.....building new words/themes upon what we've already learned. I do not teach the ABCs in sequence.
EDIT: I use plastic protector sheets to load the papers into the binder.

I began a new session last week. The name we're working on has a "J" & "O" in it. This week we're working on "Ff", because the lower case "f" is similar to the "J", just flipped upside-down. To tie in with the "F", we are also doing #4 & 5. We're using fish, flowers, & feathers for the art projects & the tie-ins. So far, we've completed:
**the practice worksheet for "Ff"
**we've practiced writing & counting 4 & 5
**cut out squares numbered 1-5. Used them as a pattern, & then we made our own squares & #d them 1-5. Next came sequencing by gluing the cut-outs in #d order.
**drew & colored the appropriate # of fish to designate 4 & 5
**did 24pc puzzles
**played an ABC matching game
**read our fav books
......& that's just on Monday & Tuesday!

For the rest of the week, we will be doing art projects incorporating the letters "J,O, & F". The "J" will be the handle on an umbrella, the "O" will be circles stacked in piles of 4 & 5, & the "F" will be made using feathers/fish for the theme. Thru it all, I will reference each of the letters & #s again & again.....& the kids will never, ever realize it! Learning can be fun if it's simply presented!

Next week will be the letter "L".....we're working towards the word "fall" - which is our theme for the next 2 months!

I apologize for the long post....love what's happening in my daycare right now! The days fly by & we're learning all day long.....Oh, & the binders will go home next Mother's Day!

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You can always ask for a donation for upcoming projects. I am sure parents wouldn't mind. Provide them a list of needs and a sign up sheet.

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I would not mind paying the addition amount but that is just me personally. $12 a month is not a big deal. Maybe you could just bring it up and just put the feelers out there. When my daughter was in preschool and even now in kindergarten the teachers had a wish list of things that they needed and if you could contribute it was great, if not it was not a requirement. Maybe you could just make a wish list and see if anyone contributes to the cause, but don't make it a requirement. Good luck

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$480 a month for full day pre-K is a steal. I pay $400 for 3 hours every morning, plus a $50 supply fee each semester. I love the school we are at, but if I had a home-based preschool such as yours near me, I would be more than happy to pay the $12 if I needed fulltime care for my child. Good luck, it sounds like you are a blessing to the kids you teach!

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I would be upset. I would (and did) choose a school in no small part based off of their tuition, and would assume that their business overhead would be included IN the tuition. for $480-$600 a month I would not be happy at all about "surprise" fees being added on, regardless of how the teacher was spending them.

As long as it was in the paperwork for the upcoming year, I can make an informed decision.

For my son's preschool there was a $30 supply fee at the beginning of the year, we brought our own food (lunch box style), and the tuition was a flat rate for the 10mo year, divided equally. For 4 hours a day 4 days a week it worked out to apx $700 per month. Breaks were clearly outlined in the yearly schedule (a week in the fall, 3 weeks in the winter, and a week in the spring, plus a couple teacher work days. Also, of course, either 2 months of summer or 2 weeks of summer depending on wether the summer session was chosen. Weather closures followed the public school closure list. Summer session was 6 weeks and was an "extra"). The school periodically ordered new supplies/curricula/materials. Just as part of their operating costs. All told, the room probably had about 30k worth of materials (from having priced montessori materials later on myself). They didn't pass that onto me, that was part and parcel of the school itself. ((The school was a "single room... about 1500 feet of space indoors, plus playground outdoors... and had a max of 15 kids. On average there were rarely more than 10 kids there on any given slot. They had am and pm or both together slots.))

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I paid in a daycare for art supplies for my son. I don't remember how much it cost as that was some time ago. I guess you need to look at if the parents will be inclined to move their child to a different location or how they will react? I don't think $12 is that bad and I agree with what Bug said about perhaps providing a breakdown of how the money is being spent. People are always happier about sending money when they know where it's going. I paid for the supplies for my son as I appreciated in a daycare setting that he was getting to do activities and I knew he wasn't parked in front of the TV the whole time.

I do have to say that if you have to eat some expenses to be a good educator that is unfortunately part of the job. Many teachers face low budgets and end up paying out of pocket for educational needs to keep their classroom going. Teachers are poorly paid and they do it b/c of their love for the education.

I also like the idea of asking parents to donate specific supplies rather than cash. I think that I would be much more willing to send my kid to school with a bunch of markers, glue, etc than a $20. Maybe you could ask the parents to send supplies and each kid could have their own pencil box with their own supplies in it. I think a parent wouldn't find it at all odd that a teacher was requesting school supplies.

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I can only answer for myself. I would not mind paying the extra money per month, if my child was experiencing many enriching activities, and loves the preschool. I would prefer a written breakdown of what the money was going toward, however. It could be a simple breakdown of the things you described.

Depends, was the curriculm included with the care you provide and therefore presumed to be included in the cost? Or is the curriculm newly added? If it was something specified as part of your care, I don't see how you can charge extra for it (unless you just do a rate increase). If it is newly added (like maybe you were doing it on a trial basis to see if you liked it) then you can charge as a new cost...however, would they be able to opt out if they didn't want it? I don't know why they would but some people are funny like that and their funds may be tighter. I personally think that charge is perfectly reasonable and more than worth it.

My daycare charges a supply fee for summer session, and then for fall/winter they send a supply list . The supply list included crayons, scissors, glue, construction paper, pencil box, etc.

I wasnt crazy to pay the supply fee for the summer, because it was $125/child, and one of my children was just one. BUT they did have a special program where a science lady came in and did science activities once a week, bringing animals and doing experiments, so it ended up being worth it.

I dont think it would be off putting if you charged a reasonable extra fee or asked them to bring supplies.

Also, pearson is offering a free 45 day trial for the Words Their Way curriculum, which is wonderful. The Emergent and Letter Name level would be great for four year olds. http://pdtoolkit.pearson.com/ You can download most of the activities, and use them after the trial expires.

An in home center my son went to that did a pre k type lesson there was a monthly restocking option or an annual as well as a donations list - you bring in the recipt and it was decucted from the "annual supply fees" I think it was about 100/yr or something like that.

I suggest if you look online you will find a lot of free things for preschool learning. On the cost of glitter & paper check ot Walmart/ Sams Club and dollar store or even flea markets..i've gotten my kids crayons for 25 cents for a 24 pack of crayons at Walmart.

I would put up some kind of donation tree or something and the parents can donate the supplies