About High/Scope®

General Information | Infant/Toddler Programs | Preschool Programs

Preschool Programs

1. What do teachers and other adults do in a High/Scope Preschool program?
2. What is active participatory learning in a High/Scope Preschool program?
3. What are the building blocks of preschool development?
4. What does a High/Scope learning environment look like?
5. What happens each day in a High/Scope classroom?

1. What do teachers and other adults do in a High/Scope Preschool program?
   In High/Scope programs, adults are as active in the learning process as children. A mutual give-and-take relationship exists in which both groups participate as leaders and followers, speakers and listeners. Adults interact with children by sharing control with them, focusing on their strengths, forming genuine relationships with them, supporting their play ideas, and helping them resolve conflicts. Adults participate as partners in children’s activities rather than as supervisors or managers. They respect children and their choices, and encourage initiative, independence, and creativity.

2. What is active participatory learning in a High/Scope Preschool program?
   The High/Scope educational approach is based on the belief that young children build or "construct" their knowledge of the world – they are "active learners." Active participatory learning means that learning is not simply a process of adults giving information to children. Rather, children discover things through direct experience with people, objects, events, and ideas. The adults thoughtfully provide materials, plan activities, and talk with the children in ways that both support and challenge what children are experiencing and thinking.
   
   Active learning has five ingredients that must be present:
         * Materials
         * Manipulation
         * Choice
         * Child language and thought
         * Adult scaffolding

3. What are the building blocks of preschool development?
   The educational content of High/Scope’s preschool programs is built around 58 "key developmental indicators" (KDIs) in five curriculum content areas. The KDIs are early childhood milestones that guide teachers as they plan and assess learning experiences and interact with children to support learning. The KDIs were formerly called "key experiences". Although the 58 KDIs match the preschool key experiences, the list is now organized in new categories to align more closely with learning standards.

4. What does a High/Scope learning environment look like?
   The learning environment has the following characteristics:
         * Is welcoming to children
         * Provides enough materials for all the children
         * Allows children to find, use, and return materials independently
         * Encourages different types of play
         * Allows the children to see and easily move through all the areas of the classroom
         * Is flexible so children can extend their play by bringing materials from one area to another
         * Provides materials reflecting the diversity of children’s family lives
   
   The space and materials in a High/Scope setting are carefully chosen and arranged to promote active learning. The learning environment is divided into interest areas stocked with a stimulating range of materials designed for specific types of play, for example, house area, art area, sand and water area, block area, small toy, reading and writing area. Materials are arranged in consistent places and the shelves are tagged with child-friendly labels so that children can get out and put away materials themselves.
   
   Teachers consider it especially important to have plenty of real items that reflect children’s lives, for example, cooking tools, small appliances that no longer work, dress-up clothes, and other objects and tools from children’s houses. These items allow children to imitate adults. Because these materials are familiar to children and reflect their home cultures, they help children feel comfortable in the classroom.
   
   The outdoor play area is considered part of the learning environment and is arranged and equipped to support all areas of child development, including cognitive, social and physical abilities.

5. What happens each day in a High/Scope classroom?
   High/Scope classrooms follow a predictable sequence of events known as the daily routine. This provides a structure within which children make choices, follow their own interests, and develop their abilities in each content area.
   
   While each High/Scope program decides on the routine that works best for its setting, schedule, and population, the following segments are always included during the program day:
         * Plan-do-review time
         * Small group time
         * Large group time
         * Outside time
         * Transition times
         * Eating and resting times