sample guidance program

Curriculum

The HighScope Difference:
Active Participatory Learning
Children and adults learn best through hands-on experiences with people, materials, events, and ideas. That principle — validated by decades of research — is the basis of HighScope's approach to teaching and learning.

A range of specially designed programs. HighScope's Curriculum includes components for

* Infant-toddler care and education
* Preschool education
*

► A HighScope training participant talks about the HighScope difference: "I can understand why the 40-year study revealed the long-term impact of HighScope with children at risk. HighScope is ... about teaching children to initiate, discover, experience, and learn about ideas, events, and people; it is about children creating, experimenting, problem-solving, and resolving conflicts as they learn. HighScope builds children up and changes lives." — Alice Escobar, Dallas, Texas
Early literacy
* Movement and music
* Elementary education
* Youth programs

Each individual program consists of a complete system of teaching practices, defined curriculum content areas for each topic and age group, assessment tools, and a training model. The practices and content are flexible by design, easily adapted to individual needs and institutional requirements.

Proven, research-based strategies for learning. The HighScope Curriculum emphasizes adult-child interaction, a carefully designed learning environment, and a plan-do-review process that strengthens initiative and self-reliance in children and young people. Teachers and students are active partners in shaping the educational experience.

The HighScope advantage: A balanced approach for young learners and the people who teach them. The HighScope Curriculum integrates all aspects of child and youth development. Using research-validated strategies, this approach enhances each young person's growth in the foundations of academics as well as in social-emotional, physical, and creative areas.

By adopting the HighScope Curriculum — and learning to use it effectively — thousands of educators and caregivers worldwide are making a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families.



Little boy Preschool

ADults and Children — PartNers in learning
Active learning — whether planned by adults or initiated by children — is the central element of the HighScope Preschool Curriculum. Children learn through direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. Trained adults who understand child development and how to scaffold the important areas of learning in the preschool years offer guidance and support.

The preschool component of the HighScope Curriculum includes

* A set of teaching practices for adult-child interaction, arranging the classroom and materials, and planning the daily routine.
* Curriculum content areas for 3- to 5-year-olds
* Assessment tools to measure teaching behaviors and child progress
* A training model to help teachers implement the curriculum effectively.

TEACHING PRACTICES In the HighScope Preschool Curriculum
Adult-child interaction. In the HighScope approach teachers and children are active partners in the learning process. This balanced approach to adult-child interaction — also called "intentional teaching" — is critical to the effectiveness of the program. It includes techniques for encouraging learning in specific content areas as well as strategies for helping children resolve conflict.

► An Ideal Choice for Pre-K Programs
As a comprehensive, research-based system — one that includes child instruction, staff development, and accountability assessment — HighScope meets the needs of states and school districts seeking a proven Pre-Kindergarten model. (For details, see our Pre-K Prospectus HighScope is compatible with state standards for program implementation and early childhood learning as well as with Head Start Performance Standards and Child Outcomes.

Classroom arrangement, materials, and equipment. The space and materials in a HighScope setting are carefully arranged to promote active learning. The center is divided into interest areas organized around specific kinds of play; for example, block area, house area, small toy area, book area, sand-and-water area, and art area.

Daily routine. HighScope teachers give preschoolers a sense of control over the events of the day by planning a consistent daily routine that enables the children to anticipate what happens next. Central elements of the preschool daily routine include the plan-do-review sequence, small- and large-group times, greeting time, and outside time.

Curriculum Content
Key developmental indicators. The curriculum is built around teacher- and child-initiated learning activities in five main curriculum content areas: approaches to learning; language, literacy, & communication; social and emotional development; physical development, health, and well-being; and arts and sciences. Within these areas are 58 key developmental indicators (formerly called "key experiences") — observable early childhood milestones that guide teachers as they plan learning experiences and interact with children.

ASSESSMENT
Developmentally oriented instruments for assessing child progress and program quality. The Preschool COR (Child Observation Record) is used to evaluate child progress in HighScope Preschool Programs. In addition, HighScope's Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) offers a powerful tool for evaluating program quality in seven key areas: learning environment, daily routine, adult-child interaction, curriculum planning and assessment, parent involvement and family services, staff qualifications and staff development, and program management. Use the links at left or above to visit our assessment section and learn more about these instruments.