In this project, teacher-action research was conducted by writing a daily journal over a period of four months, reflecting on the experiences as the owner and operator of a homebased early childhood education program. The journal entries were analyzed and eight themes were discovered. These themes included the subjects of behavior issues, behavior management strategies, environment, curriculum, schedule/transitions, parent relationships, stress, sick children, and miscellaneous topics. It was found through the analysis of the journal entries that the themes of behavior issues and behavior management strategies came up the most frequently, which signaled the importance of addressing these themes within a manual for other childcare providers as well. By utilizing the reflective process to identify these themes, and also by drawing on multiple research studies, a manual was created to offer ideas and insights for others wanting to start a home daycare.
