1. Talk to the moms in your neighborhood who have
    3 and 4 year old children. From those mothers you will
    form your Joy School group. You will want 3 to 7 children
    in your group. Assign one mother to the be group leader.
  2. Once your group is formed, each mother will need to register
    on-line for ValuesParenting membership and pay dues for each Joy School semester. If a mother is already a member, she won't have to pay the membership, but she will need to Enroll in the current Joy School Semester.
  3. Down Load the introductory manual first. That manual has all of the information about setting up your group and has the patterns you will need to make your weather chart, calendar, Joy School House and puppets. These items along with other supplies for the children will be placed in the box that travels from house to house. (All manuals require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the free version of Acrobat now.)
  4. Be sure to hold your mother's meetings. Each mother should bring her copy of the schedule to the meetings and the group leader should download the first part of the unit you will be starting. The first part of each manual contains information about that unit and a suggested agenda for the mother's meeting. You can work out your teaching assignments during your meetings and any other details for the group, then each mother can download the modules she will be teaching.
  5. Enjoy your Joy-ful experiences with your children.

      Note: To set up or find out about running a "commercial" Joy School, Click here.

The first mothers meeting topics to discuss:

  1. Go over the teaching schedule. Decide which week each mother will teach.
  2. Make assignments for making the Joy School house, weather chart, calendar, and puppets.
  3. Decide which supplies you will want to keep in the box. You can purchase each child his own crayons, scissors, glue stick, construction paper and paint. Divide up the cost among the mothers.
  4. Discuss how the group will handle discipline.
  5. Decide what will be done when the teaching mother is sick, has a sick child, or an emergency. It is recommended that the mother reschedule, or trade with another mother so that the group does not get in the habit of canceling Joy School.
  6. Field Trips. You will want to have enough mothers to drive so that each child has a seat belt.

Future Meetings:

  1. The group leader will read over the up coming unit so she is aware of any materials that need to be passed from one teacher to the next.
  2. The group leader will go over the Joy for the next unit with the group and hand out teaching assignments.