HIGH/SCOPE PHYLOSOPHY

"A Center for Early Childhood Excellence"

Based on the research of Piaget who believed that children learn through play and in sequential order.
These programs construct active learning environments. Kids of mixed ages choose from a wide selection
of materials and activities. Children are encouraged to make independent choices throughout the day.
As they pursue their choices children explore, ask questions, solve problems and interact.  Kids are
taught to plan, do and review. Teachers ask children open-ended questions rather than dictate learning.
Children learn critical thinking, language and social proficiency. 

High/Scope is an "active learning" approach to educating children from birth to young adulthood. Developed in
1962 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the High/Scope approach is now used in tens of thousands of half- and full-day
preschools, nursery schools, Head Start programs, pre-kindergarten programs, child care centers, home-based
child care programs, and programs for children with special needs in the United States and around the world.
Children and families from many racial, national, religious, and financial backgrounds participate
in High/Scope programs.

The High/Scope approach blends the knowledge of Jean Piaget with practical teaching experience in the
classroom and other educational settings. (Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who studied how infants and
children learn and develop.) Long-term studies show the High/Scope approach promotes the healthy development
of children, and provides long-lasting benefits throughout adulthood.

What are High/Scope’s goals for young children?

To learn through active involvement with people, materials, events, and ideas.
To become independent, responsible, and confident - ready for school and ready for life.
To learn to plan many of their own activities, carry them out, and talk with other children
    and their teachers about what they have done and what they have learned.
To gain knowledge and skills in important content areas including language (speaking and listening)
    and literacy (reading and writing), initiative and social relationships, creative representation
    (visual and dramatic arts), movement, music, and logical thinking (reasoning) in the areas of
    classification (sorting and matching), seriation (arranging things in a series), number,
    space (where things are in relation to other things), and time.


What are the features of the High/Scope approach to early childhood education?

Active learning – In the High/Scope approach, children are involved in direct, hands-on experiences
    with people, objects, events, and ideas. Children carry out their plans and choices by working with
    materials and interacting with other children and adults. Activities are planned and learning is
    supported by using High/Scope’s 58 key experiences in child development that strengthen children’s
    blossoming intellectual, physical, social, and emotional abilities.
Adult-child interaction – In the High/Scope classroom or center, a safe and caring setting is
    established where children can be happy and busy pursuing their interests and learning.
    Teachers observe and interact with children at their level in order to discover how they think and
    to encourage each child’s initiative and learning activities. Teachers also share control of all
    learning experiences and encourage children to solve problems with materials, turn to other children
    for help, work together, and resolve conflicts together.
Learning environment – Furniture and equipment in the High/Scope setting are arranged and labeled
    in several clearly laid out and easy-to-see interest areas, such as the block area, house area,
    or art area.  Labels are marked with symbols that are easily understood by children, for example,
    a drawing or picture of a hammer to represent the woodworking area. This room arrangement allows
    children to independently find, use, and return the materials they need to carry out their
    chosen activities. The labels and symbols form the foundation on which children can build skills in
    reading, writing, and numbers. Children also spend time outside every day experiencing all the physical
    and sensory properties (sights, sounds, smells, and textures) of the natural environment.  Taken together,
    the indoor and outdoor environments provide children with a full range of learning opportunities. 
Daily routine – Each day in a High/Scope setting follows a similar schedule of events called the daily
    routine, which provides consistency and predictability for both children and adults.  A daily
    plan-do-review process (the core of the daily routine) gives children the opportunity to decide what they
    intend to do, to follow through on their course of action, and then to reflect on their experiences with
    other children and adults.  Large and small group experiences are also part of the daily routine, along
    with the fellowship of sharing a snack or meal and the fun of being outdoors. 

Assessment – In High/Scope programs, teachers and other caregivers regularly write down factual notes about
each child’s behaviors, experiences, and interests. The High/Scope Child Observation Record is used for
ages 2 1/2 to 6, based on these notes, to measure each child’s development. Based on these careful and direct
 observations, teachers plan experiences that will encourage children’s growth and development. 
Teachers also use these notes in parent meetings to help parents better understand their children’s development
and how they can extend classroom learning at home. To guarantee the continued high quality of the program and
its management, teachers regularly evaluate themselves and their programs by using the High/Scope Program Quality
Assessment for Preschool. 

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