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Preschool Teacher

Introduction to the
HighScope Curriculum
Published by

HighScope® PRESS
A division of the
HighScope® Educational Research Foundation
600 North River Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198

734/485-2000, FAX 734/485-0704

Copyright ©2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The name “HighScope” and its corporate logos
are registered trademarks and service marks of the HighScope Foundation.

Printed in the United States of America

The HighScope® Educational Research Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization formally established in
1970 by Dr. David P. Weikart. HighScope is internationally known as a center for research, curriculum
development, professional training, public advocacy, and publishing. HighScope’s work centers on the learning and
development of children from infancy through adolescence with a special emphasis on the early childhood years.
INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

I. INTRODUCTION

THE HighScope CURRICULUM

The National Association of Elementary Principals is drafting a report

that will call for a new design for the schooling of 4- to 8-year-olds. The
document will stress a theme sounded by more and more national groups
in recent months: that young children should be allowed to learn at their
own pace through exploration and play. . . . Programs should include
active learning rather than passive activities and provide concrete
encounters with the world through play and language development.

— The New York Times, April 26, 1989

— Eager to Learn, National Research Council, 2000, p. 6

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

2
HighScope Preschool Curriculum
Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs)

1. Initiative: Children demonstrate initiative as they explore 31. Number words and symbols: Children recognize and use
A. Approaches to Learning E. Mathematics
their world. number words and symbols.
2. Planning: Children make plans and follow through on their 32. Counting: Children count things.
intentions. 33. Part-whole relationships: Children combine and separate
3. Engagement: Children focus on activities that interest them. quantities of objects.
4. Problem solving: Children solve problems encountered in 34. Shapes: Children identify, name, and describe shapes.
play. 35. Spatial awareness: Children recognize spatial relationships
5. Use of resources: Children gather information and formulate among people and objects.
ideas about their world. 36. Measuring: Children measure to describe, compare, and
6. Reflection: Children reflect on their experiences. order things.
37. Unit: Children understand and use the concept of unit.
38. Patterns: Children identify, describe, copy, complete, and
7. Self-identity: Children have a positive self-identity.
B. Social and Emotional Development
create patterns.
8. Sense of competence: Children feel they are competent.
39. Data analysis: Children use information about quantity to
9. Emotions: Children recognize, label, and regulate their draw conclusions, make decisions, and solve problems.
feelings.
10. Empathy: Children demonstrate empathy toward others.
40. Art: Children express and represent what they observe, think,
F. Creative Arts
11. Community: Children participate in the community of the
classroom. imagine, and feel through two- and three-dimensional art.
12. Building relationships: Children build relationships with 41. Music: Children express and represent what they observe,
other children and adults. think, imagine, and feel through music.
13. Cooperative play: Children engage in cooperative play. 42. Movement: Children express and represent what they observe,
14. Moral development: Children develop an internal sense of think, imagine, and feel through movement.
right and wrong. 43. Pretend play: Children express and represent what they
15. Conflict resolution: Children resolve social conflicts. observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play.
44. Appreciating the arts: Children appreciate the creative arts.

16. Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility,

C. Physical Development and Health
45. Observing: Children observe the materials and processes
G. Science and Technology
balance, and timing in using their large muscles.
17. Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and hand- in their environment.
eye coordination in using their small muscles. 46. Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people,
18. Body awareness: Children know about their bodies and how and events.
to navigate them in space. 47. Experimenting: Children experiment to test their ideas.
19. Personal care: Children carry out personal care routines on 48. Predicting: Children predict what they expect will happen.
their own. 49. Drawing conclusions: Children draw conclusions based on
20. Healthy behavior: Children engage in healthy practices. their experiences and observations.
50. Communicating ideas: Children communicate their ideas
about the characteristics of things and how they work.
21. Comprehension: Children understand language.
D. Language, Literacy, and Communication1
51. Natural and physical world: Children gather knowledge about
22. Speaking: Children express themselves using language. the natural and physical world.
23. Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words 52. Tools and technology: Children explore and use tools and
and phrases. technology.
24. Phonological awareness: Children identify distinct sounds
in spoken language.
53. Diversity: Children understand that people have diverse char-
H. Social Studies
25. Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and
their sounds. acteristics, interests, and abilities.
26. Reading: Children read for pleasure and information. 54. Community roles: Children recognize that people have differ-
ent roles and functions in the community.
27. Concepts about print: Children demonstrate knowledge about
environmental print. 55. Decision making: Children participate in making classroom
decisions.
28. Book knowledge: Children demonstrate knowledge about
books. 56. Geography: Children recognize and interpret features and
locations in their environment.
29. Writing: Children write for many different purposes.
57. History: Children understand past, present, and future.
30. ELL/Dual Language Acquisition: (If applicable) Children use
English and their home language(s) (including sign language). 58. Ecology: Children understand the importance of taking care
of their environment.
1
Language, Literacy, and Communication KDIs #1–9 may be used for the child’s home 3
language(s) as well as English. KDI #10 refers specifically to ELL/Dual Language Acquisition.
INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

HighScope Perry Preschool Study

Lifetime Effects: The HighScope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40 (2005)
This study — perhaps the most well-known of all HighScope research efforts — examines the
lives of 123 African Americans born in poverty and at high risk of failing in school.
From 1962–1967, at ages 3 and 4, the subjects were randomly divided into a program group
that received a high-quality preschool program based on HighScope's participatory learning
approach and a comparison group who received no preschool program. In the study's most
recent phase, 97% of the study participants still living were interviewed at age 40. Additional
data were gathered from the subjects' school, social services, and arrest records.
The study found that adults at age 40 who had the preschool program had higher earnings,
were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have
graduated from high school than adults who did not have preschool.

A cost-benefit analysis (comparison of the costs of a particular investment with the advantages it
is likely to offer) shows society saves more than $17 (based on constant 200 dollars, discounted
at 3%) for every dollar invested in this high quality program.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Constructing the Preschool “Wheel of Learning”

Draw the diagram that you see on the overhead. With a partner, fill in the blank spaces of the
Preschool “Wheel of Learning” using the terms listed below. Organize the terms under the
appropriate segments of the “wheel.” When you have entered all the terms, turn to page 2 of this
guide to compare your “wheel” with the HighScope Preschool “Wheel of Learning.”

Terms

Encouragement
Areas
Plan-Do-Review
Daily Planning
Materials
Key Developmental Indicators
Small Group Time
Child Assessment
Program Assessment
Initiative
Storage
Problem-Solving Approach to Conflict
Teamwork
Large Group Time
Daily Anecdotal Notes
Interaction Strategies

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

The HighScope Preschool “Wheel of Learning”

ASSESSMENT ADULT-CHILD
INTERACTIONS

ACTIVE
LEARNING

DAILY ROUTINE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

The Elements of High-Quality Programs

Communities, program administrators, teachers, and parents all have an important stake in
improving or maintaining the quality of programs they provide for young children. The first step
in improving your program is knowing what a high-quality program is. Based on various studies
of the effectiveness of curriculum models, HighScope researchers have identified seven basic
elements of high-quality programs:

1. A child development curriculum (An educational model that recognizes the value of child-
initiated, developmentally appropriate, and open-ended learning activities is most important)

2. Low enrollment limits, with caregiving teams assigned to small groups of children
(for 3- to 5-year-olds, classes of 16–20 children with 2 adults)

3. Staff trained in early childhood development

4. Supervisory support and inservice training for the child development curriculum

5. Involvement of parents as partners with program staff

6. Sensitivity to the noneducational needs of children

7. Developmentally appropriate evaluation procedures

These elements are important to all programs for young children. They correspond closely to the
accreditation criteria of the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs of NAEYC, and
they are further supported by numerous studies, including effective schools research, the
HighScope Perry Preschool Project research, and the Consortium of Longitudinal Studies
evaluation of high-quality programs. Research also tells us that these elements of quality can be
developed in any setting that has adequate resources and qualified staff.

For more information on high-quality programs:

Schweinhart, L. (2004). A School Administrator’s Guide to Early Childhood Programs. Ypsilanti, MI:
HighScope Press.
The Consortium for Longitudinal Studies. (1983). As the Twig is Bent . . . Lasting Effects of Preschool
Programs. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Notes

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

II. ACTIVE PARTICIPATORY LEARNING

Knowledge arises neither from objects nor the child, but from interactions
between the child and those objects.

— Jean Piaget

Through active participatory learning–having direct and immediate

experiences and deriving meaning from them through reflection–young
children construct knowledge that helps them make sense of their world.

— Mary Hohmann, David P. Weikart & Ann Epstein

Brain research supports active learning. “Neuroscientists stress the fact that
interaction with the environment is not simply an interesting feature of brain
development; it is an absolute requirement...Early experiences have a decisive impact
on the architecture of the brain, and on the nature and extent of adult capacities.
They directly affect the way the brain is ‘wired.’”

— Rima Shore

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

What Is Active Participatory Learning?

Active participatory learning is the principle element of the HighScope Curriculum. There are
five ingredients:

1. Materials. A variety of interesting materials are readily accessible to children.

2. Manipulation. Children are free to move, handle, explore, and work with the materials.

3. Choice. Children have opportunities to set their own goals and select materials, activities,
and play partners.

4. Child language and thought. Children communicate, verbally and nonverbally, what they
are doing and understanding.

5. Adult Scaffolding. Adults support children’s current level of thinking and challenge them to
advance to the next stage by talking with them about what they are doing, by joining in their
play, and by helping them learn to solve problems that arise.

Many teachers believe that as long as children are handling materials, they are engaged in active
learning. Manipulation of materials is essential, of course, but by itself does not constitute active
learning. Active participatory learning occurs when all five of the ingredients are present.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Why Active Participatory Learning Works

Active learners become engaged in play and problem solving because they themselves choose to
do so. Motivation theorists suggest that children choose to become engaged in activities and
interactions that are enjoyable, related to their current interests, and that allow them to
experience feelings of control, success, and competence. Therefore, adults in active learning
settings can consider these factors as they plan experiences for children, conduct large- and
small-group activities, and interact in adult-child partnerships.

Factors of Intrinsic Motivation

The following five factors are central to intrinsic motivation:

Ë Enjoyment
Ë Control
Ë Interest
Ë Probability of success
Ë Feelings of competence and self-confidence

We have found that children are most likely to become engaged in learning and achieve higher
levels of social, cognitive, and language functioning when they are in settings in which adults
form partnerships with children. Adults who are partners as they talk and play with children are
responsive and interactive rather than directive and controlling.

In an active learning setting, adults understand the power of intrinsic motivation — the desire to
acquire knowledge because one is genuinely interested in it or to pursue a goal that comes from
within. Therefore, they provide many opportunities for children to make choices, take initiative,
and lead activities. At the same time, they avoid praise and rewards because these external
motivators tend to lose their effectiveness and do not carry over into similar situations where
rewards are lacking. Adults are aware that praise can actually backfire — discouraging
children’s efforts, increasing children’s dependence on adults, and making children anxious and
defensive.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Essential Ingredients of Active Participatory Learning:

A Summary
Materials: There are abundant, age appropriate materials that children can use in many
ways.
__ Children use a variety of materials.
__ Practical everyday objects
__ Natural and found materials
__ Tools
__ Messy, sticky, gooey, drippy, squishy materials
__ Heavy, large materials
__ Easy-to-handle materials
__ Children have space to use materials.
__ Children have time to use materials.

Manipulation: The child had opportunities to explore, manipulate, combine, and transform
the materials chosen.
__ Children explore actively with all their senses.
__ Children discover relationships through direct experience.
__ Children transform and combine materials.
__ Children use age-appropriate tools and equipment.
__ Children use their large muscles.

Choice: The child chooses what to do.

__ Children initiate activities that grow from personal interests and intentions.
__ Children choose materials.
__ Children decide what to do with materials.

Child language and thought: The child communicates verbally and nonverbally, describing
what he or she is thinking and doing.
__ Children talk about their experiences.
__ Children talk about what they are doing in their own words.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Adult scaffolding: Adults recognize and encourage children’s intentions, reflections,

problem solving, and creativity.
__ Adults form partnerships with children.
__ Put themselves on children’s physical level.
__ Follow children’s ideas and interests.
__ Converse in a give-and-take style.

__ Adults seek out children’s intentions.

__ Acknowledge children’s choices and actions.
__ Use materials in the same way children are using them.
__ Watch what children do with materials.
__ Ask children about their intentions.

__ Adults listen for and encourage children’s thinking.

__ Listen to children as they work and play.
__ Converse with children about what they are doing and thinking.
__ Focus on children’s actions.
__ Make comments that repeat, restate, amplify, and build on what the child says.
__ Pause frequently to give children time to think and gather their thoughts into words.
__ Accept children’s answers and explanations even when they are “wrong.”

__ Adults encourage children to do things for themselves.

__ Stand by patiently and wait while children take care of things independently.
__ Show understanding of children’s mishaps.
__ Refer children to one another for ideas, assistance, and conversation.
__ Encourage children to ask and answer their own questions.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Notes

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Mrs. Turner’s Small-Group-Time Activity

Mrs. Turner’s small group is making Christmas trees. Mrs. Turner gives each child a
shoe box containing scissors, string, pre-cut green and brown construction paper, some
pre-cut red circles from construction paper, a silver star and some paste. “Now,” Mrs.
Turner begins, “I want each of you to choose something from your box that is brown.
Good, Clarice, you got the brown paper. Good, Timmy. No, Denise, the scissors are not
brown, they are silver. Put them back and find something brown.” After each child has
removed the brown paper, Mrs. Turner tells them, “Choose something long and pointy.”
Once each child has found the scissors, Mrs. Turner shows everyone how to cut out the
brown trunk, where to put the green paper for the tree, where to put the red circles for
ornaments, where to paste the star and how to attach a string to hang the Christmas tree
up. “Good!” says Mrs. Turner, praising the children, “Your Christmas trees all have a
trunk, red ornaments, and a silver star on top.”

1. Assess this small-group time using the active participatory learning checklist on pages 16-17.

2. Is active learning occurring in Mrs. Turner’s small-group activity? Explain why or why not.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

The Active Learning Alternative

to Mrs. Turner’s Small-Group Time

In the small-group-time activity described on page 19, Mrs. Turner had the children make
Christmas trees using pre-cut pieces. Mrs. Turner believes that as long as children are handling
materials they are engaged in active learning. But supplying materials for children to touch and
use is just one of the elements of active participatory learning. Here are all the ingredients:

Ë Materials. There are abundant materials that children can use in a variety of ways.
Ë Manipulation. The child had opportunities to explore, manipulate, combine, and transform
the materials chosen.
Ë Choice. The child chooses what to do.
Ë Child language and thought. The child communicates verbally and nonverbally.
Ë Adult scaffolding. Adults and peers recognize and encourage the child’s problem solving
and creativity.

Let’s use these ingredients to transform Mrs. Turner’s activity into a truly active particpatory
learning experience!

Materials. Mrs. Turner provided the children with shoe boxes that contained identical materials.
It would have been better to provide a range of different materials from which the children could
make choices. Open-ended materials, which can be used in a variety of ways, promote more
learning than materials that are designed for a particular use, such as pre-cut shapes. Mrs. Turner
could have said, “So, you are going to make a Christmas tree. What can you use to make a
Christmas tree?” The child might have answered, “I want to use paper, crayons, and cotton.” To
which Mrs. Turner could have replied, “Okay, where can you get those things? Yes, over on the
art area shelf is a good place to look.”

Manipulation. Though the Christmas tree-making “lesson” was a hands-on activity, Mrs. Turner
limited what children could learn by telling them exactly what to do. Preschoolers can learn a lot
by working with their hands: they can discover the properties of materials (heavy, bouncy,
sticky, smooth); they can learn useful skills (cutting, pasting, folding); and perhaps most
important, they can discover basic concepts and relationships (rough/smooth, above/below,
same/different). But children can’t make these kinds of discoveries unless they are given the
freedom to explore and experiment. Instead of providing a rigid set of instructions, Mrs. Turner
could have made comments and asked questions that encouraged children to manipulate
materials more actively, for example, “I see you are using all the blue circle sequins for
ornaments, Kobe and Rayanne is choosing the pink and yellow square sequins. I wonder if
everyone is using sequins? Amaia is coloring different ornaments on her tree. What kinds of
ornaments do you have at home on your tree?”

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Choice. Mrs. Turner gave the children very few choices. Instead, she decided what they would
make, the materials they would use, and the procedures they would follow. The children
followed her instructions. For active particpatory learning, the children should be allowed to
make many of the decisions, to solve problems, to communicate with their teachers and peers,
and to be creative. Mrs. Turner should have encouraged the children to decide what kind of
Christmas tree they would make, what materials they would use, and how they would go about
the task.

Child language and thought. Mrs. Turner did most of the talking in her small-group activity.
The children said very little and instead had to concentrate on following her instructions. Some
of the children found that doing it “right” was too difficult a task, and they became distracted and
impatient, while others quickly made their trees without saying a word to anyone. If Mrs. Turner
had allowed the children to make choices about their trees, they would have had ample reason to
communicate, both with her and with the other children. They would have been very much
involved in the activity, and she could easily have asked such open-ended questions as, “How
did you make that? That’s one way. Are there any others?” Or, “What can you tell me about it?”
This style of communication encourages children to think about their responses, to choose their
own words. This is quite a contrast to the closed or convergent questions that Mrs. Turner asked.

Adult scaffolding. Mrs. Turner was not so much supporting the children’s efforts as she was
instructing and testing them. She should have given them freedom to discover things on their
own; she could have been a “partner” with them in their self-chosen pursuits. “Partner language”
(“You’re squeezing the glue container, putting the glue on the paper”) is different from
“instructor language” (“Glue on the ornaments like this”). When adults use partner language they
give children a natural lead to continue talking about what they are doing. Mrs. Turner could
also have repeated what a child had just told her: “It’s a tree with lots of lights and bulbs?” By
repeating, Mrs. Turner would have acknowledged what the child had said and would have shown
that she was interested in hearing more. Another supportive strategy would have been to
encourage children to help each other (rather than the adult doing it all the time). For example,
Mrs. Turner could have directed one child to another by saying something like “Mary, Timmy
would like to know where we keep the brown paper. Can you show him?”

It’s clear that active participatory learning is much, much more than children handling materials.
It’s an approach to early childhood education that allows children to make full use of their
emerging skills and abilities. Also, teachers can learn more about each child in an active learning
situation; in activities that are totally teacher-directed, all adults learn about children is how well
they follow instructions.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

III. THINKING AND REASONING

Wally: People don’t feel the same as grown-ups.

Teacher: Do you mean “Children don’t”?
Wally: Because grown-ups don’t remember when they were little.
They’re already an old person. Only if you have a picture of
you doing that. Then you could remember.
Eddie: But not thinking.
Wally: You never can take a picture of thinking. Of course not.

A wide variety of thinking emerges, as morality, science, and society share

the stage with fantasy. If magical thinking seems most conspicuous, it is
because it is the common footpath from which new trails are explored. I
have learned not to resist this magic but to seek it out as a legitimate part
of “real” school.

— Vivian Gussin Paley, Wally’s Stories, Harvard University Press, Cambridge,

MA: 1981

“I’m beside myself with excitement!” exclaims Mrs. Cantu.

“How you do that? James asks, looking at her curiously.
“Do what?” Mrs. Cantu asks.
“You...be...be...beside you. How you do it?”

Young children base the meaning of words on their own experiences. To James,
“beside” means “next to.” He is trying to figure out how Mrs. Cantu can be next to
herself.

— Educating Young Children, Third Edition, 2008

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Constructing Knowledge

This puzzle shows a piece of cake. Imagine that you must cut the cake into five pieces of
identical size and shape. You may use only four cuts. How would the pieces look?

What does Piaget mean by these terms? How do these terms apply to cutting the cake?
Disequilibrium:

Assimilation:

Accommodation:

Equilibrium:

How Preschoolers’ Thinking Differs

From Adult Thinking

1. Egocentrism (self-centered thinking): Young children see the world from one point of view
— their own. The little girl who answers “a bunny or a doll” when asked what she thinks her
mother would like for her birthday, is showing her inability to take another person’s
perspective. So is the child who can’t see the back of his block building from where he is
sitting and therefore is certain that his friend can’t see it either — even though his friend is
sitting on the other side of the structure.

2. “It’s alive!” (animism): The distinction between living and non-living things, while clearly
apparent to adults, is not at all obvious to young children. Basically, they reason, if
something moves (like water or bubbling soup or clothes flapping in the breeze) or if it
somehow looks alive (like the headlights of a car at night), it must be alive. That’s what is
going on when Erin says, “Look, the water is running to get my shoes!” as the water trickles
down the hill toward her feet.

3. Concrete definitions (literalness): “I was so happy I was beside myself with joy,” Mrs.
Cantu said to three-year-old James. James asked, “How do you do that?” “How do I do
what?” Mrs. Cantu responded. “You know, get you beside you,” James said. Young children
are learning to put their observations, thoughts and feelings into words. This is a serious
business and for them, words have very concrete, literal meanings related to actions or things
they have directly experienced. For James, therefore, “beside” means “next to.” To make
sense out of Mrs. Cantu’s statement, he is trying to figure out how she can be next to herself.

4. One thing at a time (pre-class-inclusion thinking): Most preschoolers can sort things by
category but cannot grasp the idea that something can belong to two categories
simultaneously. For example, a child may call apples and oranges by their names, but cannot
understand that they can also be called “fruit.” The child does not understand that an apple
can be called an “apple” and also belong to a larger class called “fruit.” Another example of
this is when a child says she lives in a house, but not in a town.

5. Judging by appearances (pre-conservation thinking): Most preschoolers tend to base

judgments about number and amount completely on appearance. For example, Alicia and
Monica both took the same size cracker from the basket, but Alicia broke hers into two
pieces and Monica broke hers into many smaller ones. Alicia is upset because Monica has

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

“more crackers.” Alicia can’t understand that they have the same number of crackers even
though their crackers now look different. This type of confusion demonstrates the child’s
inability to conserve number. Similarly, when a child takes a tall, narrow glass of water and
pours it into a wide glass, he believes there is less water because the water line does not
come as high on the wide glass as it does on the narrow one. The child’s confusion here is an
example of his inability to conserve quantity.

6. Focus on the here and now (pre-reversibility thinking): Preschoolers’ thinking processes
are not yet organized into systems of mental transformations. They cannot see the
relationship between the previous state and the transformation. A child may watch a
neighbor, whom she knows well, put on a scary mask. The child then shows fear of the
“monster” because she cannot make a connection between the neighbor and the “monster.”
The child focuses on only one state at a time; she can’t play the “videotape” in her mind in
reverse.

7. Blending intuitive and scientific thought (incorporating newly-learned scientific

information with the child’s own perceptions): For example, Melanie’s mother wakes her up,
saying “It’s morning.” Melanie replies, “No, it’s dark, it’s night.” She goes to the window
and pulls open the curtain. “Now it’s light and I made it morning.” Similarly, Billy is playing
with magnets and notices that the “silver” objects, like nails, “stick” to the magnet. He says,
“The silver stuff sticks to the magnet cause they got the power. But this wood stuff don’t
stick cause it don’t got the power.”

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Nora’s Use of Scissors

Nora is almost five years old and has not yet mastered using scissors. When she needs to cut
something, she consistently tries to tear it.

You are Nora’s teacher and you want her to learn how to use scissors. How will you accomplish
this?

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Vertical Versus Horizontal Approaches to Education

Nora, on page 26, cannot yet use scissors to cut paper. She is more interested in tearing paper.
The most common approach to helping Nora can be described as the vertical approach. The
teacher discovers what children cannot do and gives them lots of practice until they can do it.

The horizontal approach is based on the developmental principle of identifying what children
can do and using that as the starting point for teaching. The teacher provides many experiences
in which the child can use and build on recently acquired skills as well as the opportunity to
move to a new skill level when ready.

Vertical Approach Horizontal Approach

1. The teacher uses child development 1. The teacher uses child development
information to tell her what children information to help her understand the
should be doing at each age/stage. sequence of development.
2. Nora’s teacher recognizes that she 2. Nora’s teacher recognizes that tearing comes
should be using scissors by now. Nora is before using scissors.
almost 5 years old but is tearing paper 3. In order to help facilitate Nora’s
like a child of 2 or 3 years. development, the teacher will support and
3. Nora’s teacher will “pull up” Nora by build upon Nora’s current abilities by giving
giving her scissors at every opportunity. her many tearing opportunities. She will
The teacher will focus on what Nora focus on what Nora can do. In this context
cannot do. she will also extend Nora’s tearing by
introducing scissors at the appropriate time.

What Nora can do — the starting point for teaching.

What the teacher

wants Nora to do

What Nora can do

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Active Participatory Learning and Thinking and Reasoning

Implementation Plan

1. What concepts and strategies captured your interest the most?

2. What would you like to begin working on in your classroom with your children?

3. What will you need to do to begin implementing these concepts and strategies?

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

IV. ADULT-CHILD INTERACTIONS

The developmental appropriateness of an early childhood program is most apparent in the

interaction between adults and children.

— The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

The biggest enemy to learning is the talking teacher.

— John Holt

The best toy for a young child is the

invested, caring adult -
someone to pay attention,
to engage and to play with the child
using words, song, touch, and smile

— Dr. Bruce Perry, Lea Hogan, and Sarah Marlin (Brain Research)

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Contrasting Climates for Children

Laissez-Faire Climate Supportive Climate Directive Climate

• Children are in control • Children and adults have • Adults are in control.
most of the time, with control.
adults as bystanders who
provide supervision.
• Adults intervene to • Adults observe children’s • Adults give directions and
respond to requests, offer strengths, form authentic information.
information, restore order. partner-ships with children,
support children’s
intentional play.
• Curriculum content comes • Curriculum content comes • Curriculum content comes
from children’s play. from children’s initiatives from learning objectives
and KDIs for child set by adults.
development.
• Adults highly value • Adults highly value • Adults highly value
children’s play. children’s active learning. drill and practice
for children.
• Adults use various • Adults take a problem- • Adults use correction and
approaches to child solving approach to social separation as predominant
management. conflict. child management
strategies.
Advantages: Advantages: Advantages:

Disadvantages: Disadvantages: Disadvantages:

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Experiencing the Elements of Support

With a partner, make a ball using the newspaper and tape provided. Use this ball in the activities
described below. (Do parts a and b of each activity, and then discuss the questions in part c
before moving onto the next game.)

1. “Keep Away” vs. “Toss and Catch”

a. For a few minutes, play a game of “Keep Away.” One person’s goal is to try to get the
ball away from the other person, whose goal it is to maintain possession of it.
b. Now switch to “Toss and Catch.” Play for a while.
c. How did these two games affect you? In which game did you share control of the ball?

2. Target Practice
a. Locate a fairly challenging target to hit or toss your ball into. As you take turns trying to
hit the target, tell the person who is throwing the ball what she is doing wrong and how to
correct her errors.
b. Continue with the target practice, but this time take turns giving the person who is
throwing the ball support and encouragement.
c. How did these two versions of target practice affect you? In which one were you focusing
on each other’s strengths?

3. Sharing Information About Balls

a. Take turns giving each other a lecture about balls.
b. Now talk together about ball games you have played in your past.
c. How did these two information exchanges affect you? Which one was more enjoyable?
Which one was more authentic? Why?

4. Rolling Balls
a. With a piece of paper or something else in the room, make an inclined plane. As one
person holds up the paper, the other person rolls the ball down the plane.
b. Sit opposite each other on the floor or at the table. Roll the ball back and forth between you.
c. How did these two ball-rolling experiences affect you? Which one was more playful? Why?

5. Fixing the Ball

a. One person sits and/or stands on the ball, flattening it. The other person scolds and
shames you and tells you that since you have ruined the ball you won’t be able to play
with it any more.
b. One person sits on the ball. Together, figure out a way to repair it. After repairing it,
make up a new ball game and play it together.
c. How did these two approaches to ball-flattening affect you? Which one focused on
problem solving?

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

The Key Elements of Support

Ë Sharing of control between adults and children

Ë Focusing on children’s strengths

Ë Forming authentic relationships with children

Ë Supporting children’s play

Ë Using encouragement instead of praise

Ë Adopting a problem-solving approach to social conflict

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Interaction Strategies That Encourage Active Learning

Ë Offer children comfort and contact.

__ Look for children in need of comfort and contact.

Children who are expressing anxiety or discomfort, watching others play, moving rapidly
from one material to another, asking frequently for adult acknowledgment, or needing
ongoing assistance in starting and continuing their plan are often in need of this type of
interaction.

__ Offer reassuring physical contact.

Children sometimes need a hand to hold, a lap to curl up in, reassuring arms around them,
or just an adult’s calm presence nearby.

__ Offer simple acknowledgment.

Occasionally all that is needed is an acknowledgment of children’s efforts — a simple
nod and a smile, or a comment such as “I see” that shows you notice their efforts.

Ë Participate as a partner in children’s play.

__ Look for natural play openings.

Generally, it is more natural and less disruptive to join children’s exploratory play,
pretend play, or games, rather than their constructive play.

__ Join children’s play on the child’s level.

This may mean squatting, kneeling, sitting, and occasionally even lying on the floor. This
way, children are not “looking up” to you, and you are not “looking down” on children.

__ Play in parallel with children.

This strategy can be effective during exploratory play, as the adult plays near the child
using the same materials in the same or a similar manner.

__ Play as a partner with children.

This works well with children involved in pretend play or games, with adults functioning
as equals and followers.

__ Refer one player to another.

This enables children to recognize each other’s strengths, regard each other as valuable
resources, use their abilities for the benefit of others, and play cooperatively.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

__ Suggest new ideas within ongoing play situations.

Adults may also wish to challenge young children’s thinking and reasoning to expand the
breadth of their play and, consequently, their understanding.

__ Offer suggestions within the play theme.

__ Address the role person rather than the child.
__ Respect the child’s reaction to your idea.

Ë Converse with children.

__ Look for natural opportunities for conversation.

__ Join children at their level for conversation.

__ Respond to children’s conversational leads.

When adults are silent yet attentive, and listen patiently and with interest to ongoing
conversations, children will likely address them directly or make the first move toward
involving them in conversation.

__ Converse as a partner with children.

Pass conversational control back to children at every opportunity:
Ë Stick to the topic the child raises.
Ë Make comments that allow the conversation to continue without pressuring the child
for a response.
Ë Wait for the child to respond before taking another turn.
Ë Keep comments fairly brief.

__ Ask questions responsively:

__ Ask questions sparingly.

Too many adult questions can dampen conversation with young children, by keeping
the adult in control of the conversation and forcing the child to respond to the adult’s
agenda. However, the right kind of adult questions — those that are responsive to
children’s play interests — can sometimes stimulate a rich dialogue with children, if
they are used sparingly.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

__ Relate questions directly to what the child is doing.

Questions that discourage conversation tend to be questions about facts the questioner
already knows (What color is that? Which board is longer? Is that a house?), or
questions unrelated to the situation at hand (Child is coloring. Adult asks, “How is
your new baby brother?”). On the other hand, when questions are asked out of
genuine curiosity and relate directly to what the child is doing, they may stimulate
discussion.

__ Ask questions about the child’s thought process.

Among the best kinds of questions are those that encourage children to describe their
thinking — for example, How can you tell? How do you know that? What do you
think made that happen? How did you get the ball to ...? What do you think would
happen if ...?

Ë Encourage children’s problem solving.

__ Look for children involved in problem situations.

__ Allow children to deal with problems and conflicting viewpoints.

Practice restraint — avoid interfering prematurely!

__ Sit down with children.

This gives children more time to work things out on their own.

__ Give children time to use their own problem-solving skills.

Wait until children ask for assistance, or until they have made an attempt at a solution
and seem about to abandon the effort.

__ Refer one child to another.

Whenever possible, refer children to other children who have the skills to help them.

__ Listen to conflicting viewpoints.

Rather than keeping children from arguing, encourage children to elaborate on their
views.

__ Interact with rather than manage children.

Adults who manage (pass out instructions and warnings) rather than interact (play and
converse as partners) prevent children from confronting and working with child-sized
problems.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

__ Assist matter-of-factly with unresolved conflicts.

When intervention is necessary, adults should be patient, respectful, and nonjudgmental.
Follow the 6 steps to resolving conflicts with young children.

__ Approach calmly, stopping any hurtful actions.

__ Acknowledge children’s feelings.
__ Gather information.
__ Restate the problem.
__ Ask for solutions and choose one together.
__ Give follow-up support as needed.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

What Does Research Say About Adult-Child Interaction?

In many educational settings, adults use directive adult-child interaction styles and teaching
strategies. Adults choose what, if any, materials children will use, how they will use the
materials, and what the learning objectives or outcomes will be. They present information, ask
questions, and praise correct responses.

We know that this directive approach is inconsistent with developmentally appropriate practices
and our understanding of the importance of active learning, intrinsic motivation, and engagement
for young children. Unfortunately, moving away from directive teaching is difficult because of
our own experiences as students in directive settings. It is difficult to teach in a manner we have
not experienced ourselves.

One of the first steps is to help teachers, caregivers, administrators, and parents see the value of
active learning and the developmental approach. What follows is a summary of research that
demonstrates the benefits of active learning and the dangers of directive teaching.

1. Studies of adult-child interaction indicate that when adults are responsive to and supportive
of children’s interests, children learn that their behavior is accepted and valued. This results
in feelings of confidence and high self-esteem on the part of the child.
Clarke-Stewart, A. (1973). Interactions between mothers and their young children: Characteristics and
consequences. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 38 (Serial No. 153).

2. Children perform best on measures of social, cognitive, and language development in child
care environments in which caregivers are characterized as warm and responsive and the
children are encouraged to engage in self-initiated activity.
Fagot, B. I. (1973). Influence of teacher behavior in the preschool. Developmental Psychology, 9(2),
198–206.

3. Long-term studies of young people who were enrolled in HighScope preschool programs
indicate that these children have performed better in school, have needed special education
less often, have had a stronger commitment to schooling, and have had less involvement in
delinquent acts than children with no preschool or those who participated in a direct
instruction model program.
Schweinhart, L. J., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W. S., Belfield, C. R., & Nores, M. (2005).
Lifetime effects: The HighScope Perry Preschool study through age 40. (Monographs of the
HighScope Educational Research Foundation, 14). Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press.

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4. In the Planned Variation Head Start Study the HighScope model increased the Stanford-
Binet scores of preschool graduates by an estimated 12–15 points, prompting the report
writers to comment, “One model clearly stands out as more effective than the others. . . .”
Smith, M. S. (1975). Evaluation findings in Head Start Planned Variation models. In A. M. Rivlin & P. M.
Timpane (Eds.), Planned variation in education. Washington DC: The Brookings Institution, 101–111.

5. Characteristics of adult interaction style that are negatively correlated with children’s social,
cognitive, and language development are directiveness, restrictiveness, negativity, and
intrusiveness.
Ainsworth, M. & Bell, S. (1973). Mother-infant interaction and the development of competence. In C.
Connolly & J. Bruner (Eds.), The growth of competence. New York: Academic Press.

6. When adults make a large number of requests and offer frequent assistance to children in the
form of directive comments, children in turn become passive, unresponsive, and less engaged
in interactions. Skills taught in the behavioral manner rarely generalize to novel situations.
Stipek, D. J. & Sanborn, M. E. (1985). Teachers’ task-related interactions with handicapped and non-
handicapped preschool children. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 31(3), 285–300.

7. The behaviors that adults have with children are directly related to their outcomes later on in
school. The international HighScope IEA Preprimary Project showed the following
longitudinal findings:
a. In countries where adults used more child-centered teaching (e.g., giving choices,
encouraging an activity, asking children about their own thoughts and ideas, asking open-
ended questions) and very little group response (children response in unison), children’s
language skills increased and there were more adult-child interactions. In countries where
adults used more adult-centered teaching (e.g., asking a close-ended question, giving a
lesson on a topic, or demonstrating how to do something) and more group response,
children’s language skills decreased and there were less adult-child interactions.
b. In those countries where there were more free choice activities, children’s cognitive skills
increased and there were more adult-child interactions. In those countries where there
were few opportunities for children to be involved in free choice activities, children’s
cognitive skills decreased and there were less adult-child interactions.
c. Across all countries, as the level of teacher education increased, children’s age-7
language performance improved.

D.P. Weikart, P.P. Olmsted and J. Montie (Eds.). 2003. A World of Preschool Experience: Observations in
15 Countries. Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press.
J. Monite, Z. Xiang, and L. Schweinhart (Eds.). 2007 The Role of Preschool Experience in Children’s
Development: Longitudinal Findings From 10 Countries. Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press.

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Notes

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Interaction Style Checklist

Adults support children’s active learning most effectively through a child-oriented interaction
style. This checklist can provide a framework for assessing the interaction style of adults in your
early childhood program. Each item describes something that can be observed when adults
interact responsively with children. Think about each item and discuss it with people in your
group. To what extent do these statements describe your interactions with children?

Criterion Rating Comments

Not Partially Fully
Met Met Met
0 1 2
1. Adults play and communicate with G G G
children on their physical level. For
example, they sit on the floor with
children and communicate with
children face to face.
2. Adults enter children’s play by being G G G
silent, observing, under-standing, and
listening (SOUL).
3. Adults use the same toys and materials G G G
the same way that children do.
4. Adults match the pace of their activity G G G
or speech to the child’s pace.

5. Adults take turns with children in G G G

contributing to play or conversation.
6. Adults follow the child’s lead in G G G
conversation by waiting for the child
to initiate conversation and by
listening and responding to children’s
conversational topics.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Criterion Rating Comments

Not Partially Fully
Met Met Met
0 1 2
7. Adults sometimes use comments or G G G
personal observations as
conversational openers.
8. Adults acknowledge what children say G G G
to clarify meaning and encourage the
child to continue the conversation.
9. Adults encourage children to extend G G G
their actions and communications by
offering personal comments, new
ideas, and suggestions related to the
child’s chosen activity or
conversational topic.
10. Adults accept children’s explanations. G G G
11. Adults use questions sparingly and G G G
relate them to children’s ongoing
activities.

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Encouragement Strategies
Alternatives to Praise

Instead of praising children, here are some things you can do:

Ë Participate in children’s play. Work side-by-side with children using the same materials in a
similar fashion. Become a “partner” by taking turns with them during play, matching the
level of complexity of their play, and generally following their lead.

Ë Encourage children to describe their efforts, ideas and products. Our goal is to have children,
not adults, evaluate children’s work. We want the children to develop self-esteem; to feel
good about their work and ideas. One way to facilitate this is to ask children open-ended,
divergent questions like:

“What can you tell me about your picture?”

“How did you build this hospital?”

“I notice that you have put many buttons on top of the wood. What will you do next?”

Ë Acknowledge children’s work and ideas by making specific comments. You can encourage
children to classify and describe their work and ideas by making specific, objective
comments about children’s work as you talk with them. These kinds of comments also serve
as nonjudgmental responses when children want adult acknowledgment. Some examples:

“I see that you have painted a picture that has lots of blue paint on the bottom, and red
paint along the side.”

“Okay, I will wear the big blue hat with the gold band around the middle.”

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In Praise of Praising Less

“I like the way Molly is sitting. . . . I can tell she is ready for circle time!”
“Oh, Joseph, what a beautiful picture you’ve made today!”
“Good job, Darren; you’re really getting it!”

Do you frequently make comments to children like “Good job,” “Way to go,” “Nice work,” “Beautiful,”
or “I like the way Molly is sitting. . . .”? If so, you are like most adults who work with young children.
Most of us have probably made statements like these for years. We may have even received training in
how to praise.

Many adults praise children liberally because they believe this is an effective way to help children feel
good about themselves and their work. Praise is also thought of as a management tool — a way to get
children “settled” or ready to start an activity.

The Drawbacks of Praise

Despite the widespread use and acceptance of praise in early childhood settings, however, researchers and
early childhood practitioners have identified many drawbacks to praising children. In her review of the
literature on praise, Kamii (1984) concluded that praise leads to dependence on adults because it
encourages children to rely on authority figures to solve problems for them and to evaluate what is right,
wrong, good, or bad. In another literature review, Chandler (1981) stated that praise can discourage
children’s efforts, have a negative effect on self-image, and can place students on the defensive. As Hitz
and Driscoll (1988) stated in paraphrasing the conclusions of Ginott (1972), “Praise is not conducive to
self-reliance, self-direction, or self-control. If the authority figure, in this case the teachers, can judge
positively, they can also judge negatively. To judge at all implies superiority and takes away from the
children’s power to judge their own work” (page 8). Praise, well-intentioned as it might be, has thus been
shown through research and practice to invite comparison and competition and to increase the child’s
dependence on adults. Too much praise can make children anxious about their abilities, reluctant to take
risks and try new things, and unsure of how to evaluate their own efforts.

Alternatives to Praise

All of these drawbacks have led adults working with young children to begin to reconsider their use of
praise. Three HighScope strategies that are alternatives to praise are (1) participating in children’s play,
(2) encouraging children to describe their efforts, and (3) acknowledging children’s work by making
specific comments.

When using these strategies, adults working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-age students,
and children with special needs discover that they can rely much less on praise. By creating an

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

environment in which children can make mistakes and learn from them without being evaluated or
judged, these adults are helping children learn how to value themselves and their work and to be
self-reliant.

1. Participating as a partner in children’s play. Making a greater effort to get involved in what
children are doing is a good place for adults to start if they want to reduce their use of praise. Consider
this recent example from the HighScope Demonstration Preschool. Becki, one of the teachers, noticed
that Allison, Graham, and Chelsea were “making pizzas” in the block area. As a way of entering their
play, Becki went to the house area and called the pizza store on the telephone, asking if she could have a
pizza delivered to her. This led to many other children calling the pizza store and asking for pizza. Becki
soon found herself in the pizza store pretending to take orders and help make pizzas while some of the
other children delivered them. The next day the teachers built on the children’s interest in pizza by having
the children make mini-pizzas out of English muffins, cheese, and different toppings at snack time.

Clearly, Becki’s actions greatly enhanced the play experiences of Allison, Graham, and Chelsea.
However, another adult might have handled the same situation less effectively, by using praise to convey
her interest in the children’s activities. Upon noticing the pizza-making play, this hypothetical adult might
have commented on how “nice” or “terrific” the pizza was.

Compared to Becki’s direct involvement in the children’s activities, using praise in this way would have
been a half-way gesture. Becki told children by her actions that what they were doing was valued and
accepted. She was responding to their interests and abilities in the most direct way possible. Her active
involvement in the children’s play conveyed a more powerful, concrete, and meaningful message to
children than any number of praise statements she could have made. In addition, by taking part in their
game, Becki not only showed children she valued their activities but also encouraged them to expand on
and develop the pizza-making theme. This opened up many possibilities for further learning —
opportunities to use developing abilities in representation, number, language, and beginning literacy.
Becki’s involvement in the activity was a catalyst for children as they continued to build on their
interests.

2. Encouraging children to describe their efforts and products. In one of the opening examples, a
teacher tells Joseph his painting is “beautiful.” There are several potential problems with the teacher’s
statement. First, what does beautiful mean to Joseph? For many children, similar words like terrific, good
job, and super are not specific enough to be meaningful. A second issue is that this statement, however
positive, is still an adult judgment that sets the teacher up as an authority. And what about the child on the
other side of the easel from Joseph, who is also painting a picture? Praising Joseph could lead the other
child to seek the same kind of praise. In this case, the teacher’s well-intentioned comment results in
children comparing their efforts and competing with one another, and puts the teacher in the position of
judging and comparing their efforts.

The alternative is to encourage Joseph himself to describe what he is doing, how he is doing it, and
anything else he finds important. A good way to elicit such comments is for the adult to ask an
open-ended question: for example, “Would you like to tell me about your painting?” Joseph might then

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

answer, “It’s a green bowl with lots of soup in it, and I worked on the painting real hard.” Once the child
has begun the process of discussing the painting, the adult can extend the conversation in various ways.
For example, she might repeat back in general terms what Joseph has said to show him that she is
listening carefully: “So you made a green bowl with lots of soup in it. . . .”

With these kinds of open-ended questions and comments, the adult initiates a dialogue in which Joseph is
the expert on his own work. Encouraging children to describe their activities stimulates the process of
reflective thinking that is central to the HighScope approach. When sensitively used, open-ended
questions can help children contemplate and describe what they’ve made and done. Children recall the
high and low points of their experiences and the problems encountered and solved. They become more
aware of their own thinking and problem solving and more able to appreciate and evaluate their own
experiences and achievements.

3. Acknowledging children’s work or ideas by making specific comments. The previous section
discusses ways to encourage the children themselves to talk about their activities as an alternative to adult
praise or evaluation. Often, though, the adult finds it appropriate to make a direct comment on a child’s
work, either as part of an ongoing conversation or because the child seems to be asking for an
acknowledgment of his or her efforts. In these cases, we recommend that instead of subjective comments
like “Beautiful,” “Nice work,” and “Good job,” adults make a specific reference to the details of the
child’s product or the process the child has used. For example, instead of “How pretty,” you might say,
“On the top of your paper you have blue stripes, and on the bottom you have red stripes.” Instead of
“Good job,” you could say, “That is the first time I’ve seen you put that puzzle together, Donnie. You
worked on it for a long time.” Such specific comments have the added advantage of being conversation-
starters. Praise statements, on the other hand, often dampen conversation. A statement like “Good work,
Lisa!” can communicate the message that the conversation is ended and the child is dismissed.

Source: Tompkins, Mark. (September 1991). HighScope Extensions. Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press.
Additional Source: www.alfiekohn.org

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Personal Conflict Styles

The Turtle The Shark

The Owl

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INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Sources of Preschool Conflicts

There are two categories of conflicts generally seen in the classroom: conflicts that grow out of
issues originating in the classroom and conflicts resulting from issues or feelings brought in from
outside the classroom.

1. Typical Preschool Classroom Conflict Sources

Ë Objects — Children are in conflict because they both want to use a particular object at
the same time.
Ë Space — Children are in conflict because they both want to use the same space at the
same time.
Ë Privilege — A conflict occurs because children want a certain privilege, for example, to
be the first to do something, to be the one to perform a favored task or role, to continue
an activity when it’s time to move on to another activity.
Ë Social — A conflict occurs as a result of a social need or interaction, such as two
children excluding another child from play or a child misunderstanding something
another child has said or done.

2. Non-Classroom Conflict Sources

Conflicts sometimes occur in the classroom as a result of unresolved experiences a child has had
before getting to school. The aftermath of these unresolved situations may result in the child’s
expressing anger, anxiety, or sadness that is not related to any specific incident, or is easily
triggered by a classroom incident. Examples:

Ë A child argues with a sibling on the way to school, becomes angry, but is unable to
express the anger or resolve the issue before arriving at school.
Ë A child witnesses a violent act in the neighborhood, and comes to school needing to
explore and understand this violent behavior.
Ë The child is told about an impending event (a move, surgery, divorce), and comes to
school with anxiety, sadness, or anger about the event.

In these situations, adults should still use a problem-solving approach, but with the
understanding that the intensity of the feelings are not related to the situation and may be
disproportionate. It is very important in these situations to acknowledge feelings, reflecting the
intensity of the child’s feelings and staying within the context of the child’s expression. For
example, the adult may know that a child’s anger has its primary source in difficulties at home,
but the child is currently very upset because she is not able to be first in line. The adult: “I can
see that you’re very upset. You’re so upset that [repeating the child’s words] you don’t ever want
to come back to school. You really want to be first in line. You feel like you never get to be first
in line.” This acknowledgment will help the child “empty out” her feelings. When the child is
calmer, a discussion about when the child can be first in line can happen.

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Steps for Solving Problems and Resolving Conflicts

1. Approach calmly: Observe as you approach, prepare yourself for a positive outcome. Be
aware of your body language; it says a lot about your intentions and feelings. It is important
to be neutral in order to respect all the points of view. If you do not feel able to stay neutral,
use an “I” statement (“I’m so angry because hitting hurts people”) and delay the problem-
solving process until you are able to
be neutral.
2. Acknowledge feelings: Give recognition to the feelings the children are expressing, by using
simple, descriptive words (“You seem angry/sad/upset”). Use words that also reflect the
intensity of their emotions (“You are very, very upset”). This will ultimately help the child
“let go” of the feelings, although the feelings may briefly increase in intensity before they
subside. This “emptying out” is an important step that must occur before children can think
clearly about solutions. Once children have “let go” of their feelings, let them know that you
think they can figure out a
way to solve their problem.
3. Gather information: Tell children you want to hear from each of them. Ask open-ended
questions that help them describe the details of the actions or materials that are part of the
problem (not “Why did you do this?” or “How do you think she feels?” — such questions are
too abstract). Listen carefully for the details and needs
children are describing; they are the key to finding the solution.
4. Restate the problem: Using the details and needs children have described, restate the
problem, clarifying any issues by asking for more detail, and reframing any hurtful language.
(For example, “You can’t play ’cuz I hate you” can be reframed, “You are very angry and
you want to play alone?”) Check with the children to see
if they agree that you have identified the problem.
5. Ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together: Respect and explore all of the
children’s ideas, even if they seem unrealistic, considering how each might work. Help
children think through the specifics of cause and effect so that complicated or general
solutions become concrete and possible to carry out. Children may suggest, for example,
“They can share.” A suggested solution like this needs further exploration so that the actions
that will happen are clear to all
concerned.
6. Be prepared to give follow-up support: Children may need help in implementing the
solution, or difficulties may arise because one of the children is still carrying angry feelings
that need further acknowledgment. Check with each of the children to see if the problem has
been solved, especially children who have been very upset.

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Punishment: What Does It Teach?

Ë At lunchtime, Liana asks for more “pasgetti.” Should the adult say, “You should know better!” and
send Liana to the time-out area?

Ë Kazu, preparing to go outside, puts his boots on the wrong feet. Should the adult tell Kazu that,
because of his mistake, he must stay inside to “think about it”?

Ë Louise holds a marker in a fist-like grasp instead of correctly positioning it between her thumb and
index finger. Should the adult take the markers and put them away until Louise “learns to do it right”?

Most early childhood teachers would agree that children certainly should not be punished for making
mistakes like these or for lacking particular skills. Yet when children make social mistakes — when they
quarrel, hit and kick, or “lose it” because they can’t solve a problem — it’s common for early childhood
teachers to respond with punishment. When a child’s social behavior is unacceptable, they may send the
child to the time-out chair, exclude the child from outside time, or take a toy away.

Consider this example: At outside time, Luke and Lawrence are both pulling on a new stroller, hitting
each other, and shouting. Should the adult punish Luke and Lawrence?

In a HighScope program, the answer to this question is no. Punishing children for their social mistakes is
inconsistent with our commitment to active learning. Teachers in HighScope programs know that children
learn best when they are intrinsically motivated and are actively involved in learning new skills. If Luke
and Lawrence are removed from the situation and punished, they will not develop the skills they need to
approach the problem more constructively the next time it occurs. During this moment of conflict,
however, the children’s keen interest in the stroller means they are highly motivated to find a more
constructive solution to their problem. Punishing Luke and Lawrence might solve the adult’s immediate
problem of restoring order, but such an approach will not support the children’s need, at a critical
moment, to begin to acquire new social skills. Later in this article we will consider alternative responses
to Luke and Lawrence’s dilemma, but first it is important to consider why adults punish and the
implications of punishment for children.

Why Adults Punish

When it is clear that conflicts like these result from children’s immaturity, why do many adults use
punishment for the Lukes and Lawrences in their programs?

There are many reasons why adults punish, and the reasons vary with each adult–child situation. The
most common is that most adults simply have no other model for dealing with children’s unacceptable
behaviors. Research informs us that children who are punished often become adults who punish. Having
had no role models for constructive-ly communicating strong emotions such as anger and frustration,

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adults do what they have seen modeled — they respond to the “out-of-control” child by taking over
control. Instead of helping the child learn to be more “in control,” these adults respond by venting their
own strong feelings. Another reason why adults punish children is that they feel a strong sense of
responsibility for children’s behavior. They fear that if they do not respond to the offending behavior
firmly enough, with a sufficiently memorable consequence, the child may be tempted to repeat the
behavior. They may express the fear that if an “impression” is not made, the child may grow up to be
“bad,” possibly even becoming a criminal. Unfortunately, however, punishment often doesn’t help the
preschooler remember how to behave more acceptably. Since young children have difficulty holding
more than one thought in mind at a time, children who are punished may remember only the fright or
resentment created by an adult’s anger or may only retain the message that they are “bad” or “naughty.”

Punishment and Behavior Change

Even if the child does realize that a particular behavior is not acceptable, the punishment may still not
have a lasting effect. Punishment usually results only in short-term changes in behavior because the
child’s desire to repeat the offending behavior has not changed, even though the child has outwardly
complied with the adult’s wishes. As a result, maintaining the new behavior requires a punitive system, in
which punishment, or at least the threat of it, is repeated over and over. Popular child-management
techniques such as “time-out” and “1–2–3 magic” are examples of punitive systems that rely on such
cycles of punishment. Such systems are popular, because punishment (and its partner, reward) do appear
to work, at least in the short run. Children are easily manipulated by promises, stickers, sweets, the loss of
“goodies” or privileges, or threats of possible isolation in a time-out area. Yet such punishment–reward
systems do little to help children learn how to express needs and feelings or to resolve problem situations
more appropriately.

To help children begin to develop these important social skills, we need to adopt an active learning
approach, in which child choice and initiative are essential elements of the learning process. New social
behaviors are likely to be acquired permanently only when children can choose to engage in them
independently, without adult coercion. Punishment and reward alike result in mindless obedience.
Because the child who has been punished or rewarded has not chosen the new behavior freely, but has
simply adopted it to avoid punishment or to gain a reward, he or she will only repeat the desired behavior
if the adult continues to use external motivators such as bribes, threats, or punishments. As a result, the
child becomes dependent on the adult for the motivation to behave constructively. As Jean Piaget wrote,
“Punishment renders the autonomy of conscience impossible.” The child never internalizes the desired
behavior, because he or she has never made a conscious choice to engage in the behavior.

It is important, too, to evaluate punishment from the perspective of our basic educational goals. What do
we want for children? When teachers who are learning the HighScope approach are asked this question,
they most often respond that they want to encourage children’s independence, creativity, problem solving,
social adaptability, and risk-taking. The development of these capabilities is valued and supported
throughout all parts of the HighScope daily routine. In the HighScope approach, problem situations as
well are seen as valuable opportunities to develop these same capabilities. From this perspective,
children’s mistakes and problems are critical experiences that concretely demonstrate to children their
©
2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation

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need for a new skill. Children miss out on the opportunity to explore and learn from their mistakes if they
are placed in the time-out area as soon as a problem arises.

Alternatives to Punishment

What, then, are the alternatives to punishment? An effort to respond to children’s social mistakes should
include prevention strategies as well as interaction strategies. All of the components of the HighScope
learning environment and daily routine are effective in preventing social problems and mistakes. In
addition, the steps in HighScope’s problem-solving approach to conflict introduced in this guide (see
pages 55–60) can be very useful in resolving the conflicts and problems that will inevitably arise despite
prevention efforts. The goal of this process is to help children find and consciously choose alternative,
positive ways to express needs and solve problems. During this process, children’s feelings are sensitively
acknowledged, their ideas are respected, and solutions are chosen by the children with the support of the
adult.

Here’s how this process was used to assist Luke and Lawrence, the two children fighting over the stroller
who were described at the opening of this article:

During work time Luke and Lawrence decide simultaneously that they want to use the stroller.
Shouting loudly, they alternately pull at it and hit each other.

Hearing the commotion, Rachael, the teacher, approaches them, kneels down so she can be at
their level, and gently puts her hands on each of them, stopping the hitting. She says, “Luke, you
look angry and Lawrence, you look angry, too. It’s not okay to hit when you are angry, but we
can talk about what is making you feel upset.” The children quiet down and look at Rachael.
Continuing in a calm manner, Rachael asks, “What seems to be the problem here?”

Luke says, “I had it and I want it!”

Lawrence says, “I want it!”

Rachael continues to acknowledge their feelings. “So, Luke, you want the stroller and Lawrence,
you want the stroller, too. The problem is that you both really want this stroller. Hmmm, I
wonder what you could do to solve this problem?”

Both children are silent, and Rachael waits. (Though it is difficult to wait for the children’s
suggestions, Rachael has learned through experience that her patience at times like these is very
important.) Suddenly Luke’s face lights up and he says, “We could buy a new one!”

Rachael, remembering that she is supporting the exploration of ideas, replies, “I wonder how
that could happen?”

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Luke thinks for a moment, and then curls up his nose, and says, “Nah.” Other ideas are explored
— making a stroller, using the stroller together — but Luke and Lawrence do not agree on either
of these.

Finally a child playing nearby offers, “They could take turns.” Luke responds excitedly, “Yeah,
I could push the stroller all the way down to the wall and back and then give it to Lawrence. He
can do it, then give it back to me!”

Rachael restates this, making sure both children agree to this idea. They do agree, and they take
turns for the rest of work time.

During the next week, Luke and Lawrence have another conflict over a favorite toy. Rachael
reminds them that they have solved a problem like this before. Luke replies, “Oh, yeah, we can
take turns like with the stroller.”

This example demonstrates how effective the steps in problem solving can be. Sometimes, however,
because of limited time or because the emotions of the adult or child are so strong that problem solving
will not be productive, it may be best to postpone your problem-solving discussion. In this case the adult
can make a simple “I” statement that states his or her feelings, gives reasons, and gives limited choices.
For example (to Luke and Lawrence), “I feel worried because pulling on the new stroller may break it.
Because it’s time for cleanup, we don’t have time to solve this problem together. We will talk about how
to take turns with this after lunch. Your choices now are for the three of us to put the stroller away
together or for me to put it away.”

Whether problem solving occurs right away or at some later time, it offers an effective alternative to child
management systems based on punishment or external rewards. As children solve problems together and
engage, by choice, in new ways of interacting, they find that successful problem solving has its own
rewards.

Source: Evans, Betsy. (January/February 1996). HighScope Extensions. Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press.

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Adult-Child Interactions Implementation Plan

1. Which of the HighScope Interaction Strategies do you use most frequently?

2. What strategies do you want to begin using with children in your classrooms?

3. How will you make sure you are implementing these strategies with your children?

4. How will you begin using the conflict resolution steps with your children?

5. What preventions strategies do you need to put in place for the conflict steps to be successful
(e.g., consistent routine)?

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V. THE INDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

In programs where children made choices and worked at their own pace
in a variety of well-defined activity settings, children exhibited high levels
of social interaction, child-initiated behavior, and child involvement in
activities.

— Elizabeth Phyfe-Perkins and Joanne Shoemaker, “Indoor Play Environments,”

The Young Child at Play: Reviews of Research, Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1986,
p. 184.

The form that interactions between preschoolers and adults take is

intimately bound up with the physical structure of the school, and the fit
between the school’s philosophy and its architectural form.

— David Wood, Linnet McMahon, and Yvonne Cranstoun, Working With Under
Fives (Vol 5: Oxford Preschool Research Project Series), Ypsilanti, MI:
HighScope Press, 1980, p. 26.

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Notes

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Guidelines for Planning the Indoor Learning Environment

Arranging the Play Space

(1) Divide the space into well-defined interest areas for distinctive types of play.
(2) Choose names for the interest areas that children can understand.
(3) Establish visual boundaries between the interest areas.
(4) In developing a floor plan, consider the fixed elements of the physical setting and the
traffic flow within and between the interest areas.
(5) Plan the interest areas to accommodate many types of play.
(6) Modify the interest areas throughout the year.

Choosing Materials

(7) Choose materials that reflect the children’s interests.

(8) Choose materials that are appropriate for the children’s developmental levels.
(9) Provide items that can be used in a variety of ways.
(10) Choose materials that support the different types of play that are typical of young
children.
(11) Choose materials that reflect the experiences and cultures of the children in the program,
and that reflect human diversity in unbiased ways.
(12) Make sure the materials are safe, clean, and well maintained.

Storing Materials

(13) Store materials so that children can reach them.

(14) Use see-through containers to store materials in plain view.
(15) Make sure materials are consistently stored in the same place.
(16) Label shelves and containers so children can find and put away materials.

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Defining the Guidelines

Below we define each of the guidelines for arranging and equipping the indoor environment of
the early childhood setting:

(1) Divide the space into well-defined interest areas for distinctive types of play. While the
physical features of HighScope settings may vary in many respects, a common element of all
HighScope settings is that they are divided into well-defined interest areas. Interest areas have
names children can understand, are sensibly located (art area near a sink and on tile floor; block
area on carpet and near the house area), and have clear visual boundaries. Shelves, tables, signs,
even lines on the floor, are used to divide one area from another.

Start the year with the basic areas: block area, art area, toy area, house area, and book area. Add,
change and modify the areas after you have observed the children and their interests. When you
make changes to your areas or add new centers, draw a diagram to assess the arrangement and
placement of the area. It is much easier to change something on your plan than to move heavy
shelves.

(2) Choose names for the interest areas that children can understand. Terms like gross-
motor area, manipulative area, science area, and quiet area may have meaning for adults, but
children do not understand them. Instead, use terms that make sense to children; for example, use
playground or outside area instead of gross-motor area. Try small toy area or toy area instead of
manipulative area.

One way to make sure that children understand the area names is to have them help name the
areas. In one classroom the teacher asked the children to help re-name the quiet area. The
children named this area the library. In another classroom they called the same area the reading
and writing area. In our classroom at HighScope we had at one time a large green sand and water
table that we used in a variety of ways. Some weeks it would have dry noodles in it; another
week, pine cones and grass; and another week, sand. We asked the children what to name this
table and they decided to call it the green-table area — a solution that met our needs very well.

Another confusing name is science area. Ask children what science is — they will not be able to
tell you. An alternative to the science area or table is to put the materials typically found in this
area in other areas of the room where the objects will be used. For example, place rocks and pine
cones in the house area, to be used for “cooking,” or arrange them in the art area where they can
be added to children’s creations.

(3) Establish visual boundaries. When the interest areas are in well-defined spaces, children
gain a sense of place; they know the name of the area, what the choices are, and where things go.
This consistency helps children make thoughtful, purposeful decisions during planning. Well-
defined areas also make it much easier for children to put things away when they are finished
playing with them.

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Visual boundaries are often established by using low shelves that children can see over.
Boundaries can also be defined by the floor covering; in many block areas, for example, the
carpet defines the area. In other classrooms, boxes, storage containers, even easels and tables,
can provide boundaries that define a play space. Move the shelves or storage containers away
from the wall; the wall already serves as a boundary. By putting the shelf at a right angle to the
wall an area is created.

(4) In developing a floor plan, consider the fixed elements of the physical setting and the
traffic flow within and between the interest areas. Many kinds of structures have been
converted to spaces that serve the needs of young children — houses, church basements,
classrooms in school buildings, mobile classroom annexes, and so forth — all of these can work,
as long as there is enough space for each child. Whatever the setting, the adults will need to
develop a plan for what the center will look like and a list of interest areas and materials that
accommodate the fixed elements of the space.

Fixed elements to be considered include access to a sink, availability of a bathroom, floor

surfaces for messy and noisy play, appropriate lighting, electric outlets for tape recorders and
computers, access to the outside space, and the availability of a fenced-in outdoor playground.
Though teachers may feel they have no control over such basic physical features, minor
modifications in the environment are often all that is needed to solve a problem. For example, if
access to a sink is a problem in the art area, plan to have two tubs filled with water for cleaning
brushes and hands. If a tile floor is not available for the art area, use heavy plastic taped over the
carpet underneath the easel and art table. If lack of carpeting is a problem in noisy areas, ask
parents if they have any carpet remnants at home, or ask a carpet store to donate them.

The key is up-front planning. The more you discuss and anticipate the needs of children in an
active learning environment, the better prepared you will be to develop modifications.

(5) Plan the interest areas to accommodate many types of play. Children play in many ways,
and need different types of spaces and materials to support their play. Think about the types of
play as you create the interest areas. Include spaces where children can engage in pretending
(dramatic or role play), spaces where they can make and build things (constructive play), spaces
where they can explore the properties and functions of materials (exploratory play), spaces
where they can actively use their large muscles, spaces where they can play with small toys and
manipulatives. Also, think about the social environment during play and include spaces where
children can play alone (solitary play), side by side (parallel play), and in groups (cooperative
play). All these forms of play come naturally to young children and are important for their
development.

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(6) Modify the interest areas throughout the year. Be flexible: add new materials and interest
areas as the year progresses. This helps keep the children’s interest in the environment alive. If
you have had the same areas with the same materials for two years, for example, this is an
indication that the teachers are not paying attention to the interests and abilities of the children.

When you decide to add or change an area this decision should be based on child observation.
Many classrooms have one area that changes periodically. New or modified areas might include
a book area, construction area, building area, music and movement area, camping area, grocery
store area, and so forth.

In one classroom where children’s interest in scuba diving had been sparked by a classmate’s
vacation and a television show that many children had seen, a section of the block area became
the scuba diving area. In the area, the children had a boat made of blocks, and child-made scuba
gear that they used on many adventures.

(7) Choose materials that reflect the children’s interests. Observation is the key. What do the
children talk about? What materials are the most popular? Once you know what children’s
interests are, choose additional materials that will extend their play further. For example, the
children in our demonstration classroom were interested in pretending to be on airplanes and
taking trips. The staff built on children’s interests by providing luggage of different sizes, old
airline tickets, and a portable luggage cart.

One way to check whether new materials are interesting to children is to introduce them initially
during small-group time. This allows all the children an opportunity to see and use the materials
before they appear in the classroom. It also gives the staff the chance to see how children use the
materials and if they will contribute to the children’s play. If you decide to add the new materials
to the room, encourage the children to help you when you decide where to store the objects, what
to store the objects in, and what the label should look like. This gives the children an added
sense of ownership and responsibility.

(8) Choose materials that are appropriate for the children’s developmental levels.
Materials that have too many pieces (like a 45-piece puzzle), that are too complicated to use (an
erector set), or are potentially dangerous (a microwave oven or a glue-gun) should be avoided.
Instead, the materials should promote one or more of the many types of play, be interesting to the
children, and be safe.

A list of developmentally appropriate materials can be found on pages 68-70. This list represents
a sampling of materials used in HighScope classrooms.

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(9) Provide items that can be used in a variety of ways. Flexibility is important when children
of different ages and abilities use the same materials. Objects like a real sofa provide many
possibilities for children. For example, the sofa can be a comfortable place to sit with a book, a
place to store things under, a place to crawl behind, a puppet stage, or a pretend hospital.

In equipping play spaces for children, many adults tend to think only in terms of equipment and
materials that have a specific purpose and function: materials like coloring books, “See and Say”
toys, lotto games, and shape-sorting boxes. These “closed-ended” materials may lose their
appeal rapidly, may not accommodate children with developmental differences, and often are
expensive.

“Open-ended” materials are an alternative. These are nonspecific materials (for example, boxes,
paper plates, and yarn) that can be used in an infinite number of ways by children and
accommodate easily to children’s different interests and developmental needs. Some open-ended
materials to consider are refrigerator boxes, pillows, pillow cases, blankets, rope, buckets, shoe
boxes, and string. Also, try fishing tackle boxes, sorting trays, sleeping bags, shells, dried peas
and beans, wood scraps, old magazines, wallpaper books, and rug scraps. Note that many open-
ended materials are also “found materials” — waste, scrap, or recycled materials that can be
gathered for free or are inexpensive to purchase.

It is also important to provide many “real-life” materials — materials not intended as toys — that
children can use to accomplish real tasks or to depict the experiences of their everyday lives. For
example, when possible, allow children to use adult-sized tools, old appliances with the cords cut
off, and used adult clothing, instead of the toy replicas of these materials. Children love to use
real things because these objects enable them to imitate the important adults in their lives.

(10) Choose materials that support different types of play that are typical of young
children. Children engage in different types of play based on their evolving thinking, reasoning,
language and social skills. We need to provide materials that support each of these types of play
— materials such as those listed above, that can be used in a variety of ways:

Ë Exploratory play — materials to explore the properties and functions of, such as string,
glue, tape, playdough, water, dried beans.
Ë Constructive play — materials to build and make things with, such as blocks (large and
small), wood scraps, cardboard tubes, styrofoam, carpet scraps.
Ë Dramatic play — materials to pretend and role-play with, such as dress-up clothes, pieces of
fabric, hair dryer, blender, office supplies, restaurant supplies, luggage.
Ë Games — materials to make their own games with, such as cards, dice, beans, counters, pads
of paper.

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(11) Choose materials that reflect the experiences and cultures of the children in the
program, and that reflect human diversity in unbiased ways. An important role for adults in
the classroom is to support and extend children’s experiences as they participate in their own
cultures and learn about the diversity of others. This multicultural learning should not be thought
of as a curriculum “add-on” but as an integral part of the program. We encourage adults to bring
the interests and cultures of the children into the classroom or center by building on the direct
experiences of the children. This can be accomplished by carefully observing the children you
work with, viewing parents as team members who can serve as volunteers and resources,
encouraging children to share information about their families, and planning field trips to the
immediate community and neighborhood. This approach contrasts with a “tourist approach” to
culture in which children are introduced to posters, artifacts, and special activities reflecting the
“colorful” aspects of various cultures, but the information presented is superficial and unrelated
to children’s daily lives.

A key goal of this approach to culture is to broaden children’s experiences by helping them learn
about other people and the connections between these lives and their own. This can be supported
in the classroom by providing books, dolls, toy figures, puzzles, and so forth that depict a variety
of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups and that avoid sex-role stereotyping. A more complete list
of materials can be found on pages 71-72, the Classroom Community Checklist.

(12) Make sure the materials are safe, clean, and well maintained. Keeping the equipment
and materials in the classroom safe, clean, and well maintained demonstrates the adult’s
respectful attitude toward children. Allowing children to use broken tricycles or eat on a dirty
table is just as uncaring as allowing them to play outside unsupervised.

Adults can prevent safety problems from occurring, even with potentially dangerous materials, if
they introduce the materials to children in a careful and consistent manner. For example, when
introducing tools that will eventually become a permanent part of a construction area, make sure
everyone learns how to use the tools properly and with care, and explain the need for safety
goggles. Introduce the hammers, nails, and goggles during small-group time, and take the
children outside to hammer roofing nails into a stump. Once everyone has had success with the
hammer outside, then review the rules and include the hammers in the construction area inside.

An element too often missing from classrooms is the feeling that the space is comfortable and
inviting. Too many classrooms have an institutional feel because they lack softness, private
places, natural materials and lights, rounded corners, and soothing colors and textures. To make
your setting feel comfortable and welcoming, cover the floors with carpeting for softer play
surfaces and sound absorption; use bean bag chairs, curtains and wall hangings; and provide
structures for children to climb under or lie down on. For example, an old mattress on a low table
creates a cozy play space underneath and a soft “hospital bed” on top. Many children need
private places like lofts, nooks, or window seats. Boxes and shelves angled to the wall are also

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good for creating private places. In settings where children are encouraged to move, interact, and
create, sharp edges can be a problem. Utilize materials and equipment that have rounded corners
— potted plants, pillows, and shelving or tables with rounded corners. And finally, avoid
creating a classroom that looks like a toy store because it has all bright colors. Tone down the
colors, replace plastic with wood, utilize more “real-life” materials (materials not originally
intended as toys, such as kitchen equipment and blankets), and use outdoor light from windows
and skylights to soften the environment.

(13) Store materials so that children can reach them. In a HighScope classroom it is essential
that materials be accessible to children. Accessibility means storing materials on low, open
shelving, in sturdy containers like plastic tubs, in baskets or boxes on the floor. The main idea
behind storing materials is to make it possible for children to find, use, and return the materials
they need independently. In a sense, the interest areas are a group of attractive open storage
units, each one stocked with materials that support a different kind of play.

(14) Use see-through containers to store materials in plain view. Clear plastic containers
work best for storage, but shoe and storage boxes, gallon milk jugs with the tops cut off, egg
carton trays, gallon ice cream tubs, and silverware trays all make serviceable containers as well.
The advantages of these types of containers are that children can see into them, they fit on
shelving, and they can be carried around easily by the children.

(15) Make sure materials are consistently stored in the same place. If you rotate materials or
put them out on the tables or shelves on a irregular basis rather than having them out and
available at all times, you will find that the children will use the materials in a less mature
manner and will pay less attention to putting them away when they are finished. When adults
choose materials for children in this way, children are less motivated to care for their materials,
and they are robbed of the opportunity to solve problems, make decisions, and carry out their
plans.

Instead of rotating materials, have materials available in the room stored in the same location for
long periods of time. Of course, you will add new materials during the year, but we recommend,
again, that you introduce the materials first during small-group time, then include the children in
the process of deciding where and how to store the materials in the room permanently.

When deciding where to store materials in the room, focus on storing similar items together. For
example, materials to draw with — crayons, markers, pencils, chalk, pens — all go together on
one shelf in the art area. On another shelf you might have materials that fasten things together —
tape, glue, paste, paper clips, stapler, rubber bands, and string.

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(16) Label shelves and containers so children can find and put away materials. Labeling
refers to the process of marking where materials go. Both the container and the shelf where the
container goes should be labeled with the identical label. By identifying the specific location
where materials are stored, labels simplify cleanup and exercise children’s cognitive skills. To
use labels, children must use representational thinking (recognizing symbols), classification
(sorting by size, shape, color, textures), and seriation (ordering and matching — fitting the pots
and pans back on the shelf from smallest to largest).

Use labels that children can “read,” for example, pieces of the material itself, tracings, drawings,
catalog pictures, box tops, photographs, or photocopies. If some of your children are ready for
them, you may also use word labels (in combination with a label that represents the material in a
concrete manner). When choosing among the many types of labels that can be used, the most
important consideration is whether the children are able to understand the labels.

When making labels enlist the help of parents and children. In some settings, staff plan a parent
meeting, and parents and staff label most of the classroom in one day. To make the labels last,
cover both sides of the labels with clear contact paper and then tape one label to the container
holding the material and another to the shelf. It is easier to remove the labels from the shelf
without damaging the finish if you use cellophane tape rather than contact paper to fasten them.
(This will also make the labels last longer.) If you find the children picking at the labels and tape,
then provide some contact paper and tape in the art area that they can explore.

Guidelines adapted from: Setting Up the Learning Environment, curriculum videotape, Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope
Press, 1992.

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What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Classroom Features

Program: Fixtures and equipment:

Ë Staffing — teacher and aide Ë Six large, low shelves
Ë Enrollment — 18 Ë Two large tables seating 10 each
Ë Program type — half-day preschool Ë Two smaller tables
Ë Location — leased space in church Ë Teacher’s desk/filing cabinet
Ë Same room arrangement for over three Ë Twenty-eight child-sized chairs
years Ë Bathroom with two sinks
Ë Cubbies and coat rack for 18
Ë Small book shelf and two easels
Ë Full set of play kitchen equipment

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Rearrangement of Classroom

Summarize the changes you made in the classroom:

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Materials Scavenger Hunt

Children engage in different types of play based on their evolving thinking, reasoning, language and social skills. Provide materials
that support each of these types of play.

Exploratory play Constructive play Dramatic play

E.g. glue, water, play dough E.g. blocks wood scraps, cardboard tubes E.g. dress-up clothes, pieces of fabric,
office supplies

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Sample Materials List for a HighScope Classroom

The following list represents some of the many possible materials children could find in the
interest areas (art, house, block, toy, reading and writing, sand and water, music and movement
areas) in a HighScope classroom. Use this list to help plan for materials you want to add to the
areas in your setting.

Art Area magazines and catalogs

paper of different sizes, textures, colors
Materials for mixing and painting newsprint
tempera paint aluminum foil
liquid starch for finger paint wax paper
soap flakes tissue paper
water-color paints cotton balls
easels paper scraps
plastic squeeze bottles paper plates
jars with lids for storing paints shoe boxes
paintbrushes of different sizes wallpaper samples
muffin tins, frozen food tins cardboard pieces
saucers for painting, printing
sponges Materials for three-dimensional representations
paper towels clay
smocks or paint shirts Play-Doh with accessories
toothbrushes buttons
screening straws
egg cartons
Materials for holding things together and taking ice cream tubs
them apart empty thread spools
scissors pipe cleaners
yarn clothespins
shoestrings bits of wood
string sequins
rubber bands cardboard tubes
paper clips paper bags
cellophane tape cloth, felt, rug, vinyl scraps
masking tape feathers
white glue Styrofoam bits
paste macaroni
paper punch
staplers House Area

Materials for two-dimensional representations Materials children see at home

pencils telephones
colored pencils old clocks
crayons one-step stepladder
chalk and chalkboard plastic tool box
markers child-sized ironing board, iron
ink pads and stamps soft chair

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small vacuum cleaner Materials to build with

broom and dustpan building materials
toaster large hollow blocks
non-working microwave unit blocks
luggage small blocks
cooler or ice chest cardboard blocks
desk blocks made from shoe boxes
small tables and chairs milk cartons
carpet pieces
bedspreads, old sheets, and blankets
Materials for pretend play large and small boxes
props for pretend play (e.g., barbershop, wood scraps
farm, fire station, doctor’s office, restaurant, tubes
gas station) string, rope
dolls, stuffed animals
doll beds Materials to represent with
baby rattles, bibs, bottles steering wheel, used keyboard, telephone
clothes and hats small trucks
mirror small cars and people
sleeping bag Tinkertoys
interlocking boards
Kitchen equipment wooden train set and track
child-sized stove, refrigerator, sink barn and farm animals
adult-sized pots and pans
cooking utensils Toy Area
large and small spoons
large and small spatulas Legos
eggbeater marble games
egg timer puppets
teapot, coffee maker puzzles
ladle magnifying glasses
ice cube trays nesting cans, coffee cans, or cups
hamburger press cuisenaire rods
cake tins washers, nuts-and-bolts
mixing bowls pegs and pegboards
measuring cups stacking rings
canister set magnets
sifter interlocking squares
potholders scales and balances
adult-sized plates, cups, bowls bead stringing materials
sponges, dishcloths, towels attribute blocks
napkins, placemats buttons, stones, shells
plastic fruits and vegetables picture dominoes
poker chips, bottle caps parquetry blocks
Styrofoam bits, buttons, small pine cones little people
acorns
cereal boxes
cans, cartons, jars, and bags

Block Area

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Reading and Writing Area

Music and Movement Area
Materials for writing
pencils Equipment
crayons tape player
erasers tapes of teacher or other adults reading
old computer keyboard stories
markers microphone
typewriter earphones
rubber stamps streamers
paper clips
tape Musical instruments
rulers triangles
different kinds of paper: graph paper and bells
paper with and without lines sand blocks
envelopes maracas
stamps or stickers wooden xylophone
inkpad tambourines
drums
claves
Materials for reading
assorted books
photograph books (field trips etc.)
child-made books
beanbag chair

Sand and Water Area

Materials for a water table

plastic cars and trucks
pans, dishes, and silverware
plastic tubing
squeeze bottle
siphon and pump
funnels
measuring cups and spoons
smocks

Materials for a sand table

materials also found in water table
shovels, spoons
sifters and strainers
dried beans, peas, sawdust, and wood
shavings to add to sand or substitute for it

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Classroom Community Checklist

How well does your classroom or center reflect children’s cultural diversity? To evaluate your
setting, here’s a checklist that is organized by interest area.

Art Area
Paint, crayons, and paper mirror skin colors of people in the school community.
(Note: crayons depicting actual skin tones are now available.)
Other art materials representing the art and crafts of the community are
available (e.g., weaving supplies, clay).

Block Area
Toy people are multiracial and without sex-role stereotyping.
Animal figures simulate those found in your community (e.g., house pets).
Toy vehicles represent those found in the community.

Book Area
Books written in children’s home languages are included.
Books depict a variety of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, focusing on
modern lifestyles and including natural-looking illustrations of people.
References to color in books are nonstereotypic (avoid books that associate black
with evil, white with purity and goodness).
Books represent a variety of family situations, including single-parent families,
two-parent families, biracial couples, stepparents, children cared for by extended family
members.
Books portray women and men in realistic situations, with both girls and boys
playing active roles, and both women and men seen as independent problem-solvers.
Books show children and adults with various disabilities. Disabled characters are
portrayed as real people who happen to have handicaps rather than as objects of pity who
struggle hard to overcome handicaps.

Toy Area
Puzzles reflect the community atmosphere (e.g., rural or urban).
Puzzles represent occupations of the parents and others in the community.
Toy figures, puzzles, etc., depict multiracial people and avoid sex-role
stereotyping.

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House Area
There are multiracial girl and boy dolls with appropriate skin colors, hair
textures and styles, and facial features.
Contents and arrangement of house area mirror homes found in your community
(e.g., patio area in Southwest).
Kitchen utensils, empty food containers reflect what children see their family
members using.
Dress-up clothing is reflective of the community, including occupations of the
children’s parents.
Whenever possible, child-sized wheelchairs, crutches, glasses with lenses
removed, etc., are available.

Music and Movement Area

Music tapes and instruments are reflective of children’s cultures.
A variety of instruments are available for children’s use.
Movement games that are characteristic of the children’s cultures are played.

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Adding Materials to Your Classroom

(1) Review the materials in the sample materials list (pages 68-70). Which of the materials listed
would you like to add to your classroom? Classify each material by the following categories:
“real-life” materials, found materials, and open-ended materials, and make a list below of the
materials in each category.

“Real-Life” Materials Found Materials Open-Ended Materials

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(2) Review your list of materials and answer the following questions:

Ë How will you get the materials?

Ë How will you store them?

Ë When do you plan to get them?

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Innovative Ideas for Materials

Providing new experiences by exposing children to materials they are unfamiliar with or
enabling them to use familiar materials in new ways can generate lots of interest, excitement, and
creativity in the children. Below are listed some innovative suggestions for selecting and using
materials.

Ë Put yarn in a 2-liter plastic pop container for easier (and less messy) access for children.
Take the black bottom of the plastic pop container off (by melting the glue with a blow dryer
or just turning the bottom). Then put the yarn ball in the container with the end of the yarn
hanging out of the bottle top. Put the bottom back on.

Ë Isn’t it frustrating to lose the tops of the markers all the time! One solution is to get a 1-foot
piece of 2 x 4 lumber and drill holes the exact size of the marker tops in the wood. Insert and
glue the marker tops into the holes. Now you have a permanent storage place for the markers
and you won’t lose the tops.

Ë Painting at the easel can be an isolated experience for children. One way to make painting
more of a group activity is to build a large group easel on the wall. Use a sheet of plywood
and angle it off from the wall and build a storage tray for paint. You will find more children
painting together because of the positive social experiences they are having together.

Ë Children love to fit plastic plumbing pipe together. Ask a local plumber to donate some
with lots of fittings and then store it in the block area.

Ë Providing only white paper and one or two choices of paint at the easel can be limiting.
Instead, try some “3-D” easel painting! Attach old shoes, small boxes, or wood scraps to the
easel so children can paint them. Clothespins or double-sided tape are often handy for
holding the objects on the easel.

Ë Another way to add sparkle to painting is to offer many more color and brush choices. You
might also provide children with adult-sized house-painting brushes and cans filled with
water and encourage them to “paint” the playground or outside of the building.

Ë Would you like a source of inexpensive paper that the children love? Go to any business or
school that uses computers and ask the staff for computer paper that they were going to
recycle or throw away. Often you can get paper in different sizes, and children love to tear
the paper along the perforated edges.

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Ë Luggage has been a big hit in the HighScope Demonstration Preschool. The children fill the
bags (everything from garment bags to briefcases) with their treasures and make frequent
“trips.” This has promoted much cooperative play.

Ë To promote pretend play about a topic children are interested in, add props to support their
play. For example, try some camping gear: a small pop-up tent, sleeping bags, a cooler,
flashlights.

Ë Cut some large fabric scraps in pieces about 3 feet square. Children can use these for capes,
dresses, doll hammocks—the possibilities are unlimited. Make at least one fabric square per
child.

Ë Consider adding some poker chips to the house area or toy area; children love them for
sorting, building, cooking with, and all kinds of pretending.

Ë Don’t throw away excess twist ties! Children can use them to fasten things together when
building with small toys or doing art projects. Twist ties are similar to pipe cleaners in their
uses but much cheaper.

Ë Expand the materials in your reading and writing area with the addition of clipboards,
message pads, and folders. Children often use these materials to incorporate writing into
their dramatic play.

Ë Add tennis ball cans or cylindrical potato chip containers to the house, block, or toy
areas. Children use them for building, pretending, or carrying things.

Ë In addition to tableware for people, consider adding a dog dish to your center. Children use
them in many ways: for dumping and pouring, for dog and cat play, to hold things. Child-
sized lunch boxes are another household item that children will use imaginatively.

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Learning Environment Implementation Plan

1. What changes in your classroom arrangement are you planning to make?

2. How will you begin making these changes?

3. What materials are you planning to add?

4. What new storage and/or labeling strategies are you planning to implement?

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VI. DAILY ROUTINE

When the daily routine is well implemented it can provide a many-

faceted structure through which children and adults can be active and
creative.

— M. Hohmann, B. Banet, and D. P. Weikart, Young Children in Action,

Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press, 1979, p. 58.

Transitions occupy from 20 percent to 35 percent of activity time in

nursery school . . . This surprising statistic certainly emphasizes that
transitions are worth thinking about and managing well so that children
can move as smoothly as possible from one activity to the next.

— Joanne Hendrick, The Whole Child: Developmental Education for the Early
Years (Fourth ed.), Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Co., 1988, p. 52.

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Notes

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Why a Daily Routine?

1. List the pros of a consistent daily routine. How does it assist children? How does it assist
adults?

2. List the cons of a consistent daily routine.

3. What are some ways you could help children learn the routine?

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Elements of the HighScope Daily Routine

The basic elements of the daily routine in the HighScope approach are planning time, work time,
cleanup time, recall time, large-group time, small-group time, and outside time. Below we
discuss each of these.

Planning time. At this time, children indicate what they plan (choose, want) to do during work
time. There are many different ways of planning with children. Planning typically focuses on
what children plan to do first during work time. Adults try to understand each child’s plan and
often try to help children extend their plans.

Children —
Ë Plan on the floor or at a low table with an adult and a small, consistent group of children.
Ë Indicate what they are going to do during work time. Some different ways a child might
plan:
pointing to an area
naming an area, object, or child to work with
describing what or how to do something or get something
drawing a picture of what he or she is going to do
giving dictation about or writing what he or she is going to do
hanging his or her sign on the planning board in the chosen play area
Ë Go to the area and get started right after planning with an adult.

Adults —
Ë Work with a small, consistent group of children.
Ë Are positioned at the children’s physical level (sitting at table or on the floor).
Ë Choose planning strategies that match the interest and abilities of the children.
Ë Talk individually with each child in turn, using any of the following strategies:
asking the child what he or she would like to do
giving the child time to respond
acknowledging the choice or plan the child does make
helping the child expand his or her plan
giving suggestions if the child can’t think of anything
reminding the child about something he or she did yesterday
Ë Watch to see which children need assistance getting started with their first plan.
Ë Go to work with children as soon as every child in the small planning group has finished
planning.

Work time. During work time children can work with any of the materials in any of the interest
areas. Work time starts with children carrying out their initial plans. It is common for young
children to engage in many different activities over the course of one work time. It is not
necessary for each child to make a new plan with an adult each time the child changes activities.
However, encouraging this sort of planning when children change their activities is sometimes
desirable. Work time is the longest single time segment in the daily routine, typically lasting
45–60 minutes.

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Adults new to the HighScope approach sometimes find work time confusing because they are
not sure what their role should be. Adults neither lead work time activities nor sit back and watch
them. Instead, they observe children to see how they perceive information, interact with peers,
and solve problems — and they look for opportunities to enter into the children’s activities to
encourage children’s thinking, extend their play, and help them wrestle with problem-solving
situations.

Children —
Ë Are actively involved with materials they have chosen to work with.
Ë Get out their own materials.
Ë Work on their plans.
Ë Converse occasionally with an adult or other children about what they are doing.
Ë When a problem arises, attempt to independently solve it or seek the assistance of an adult or
another child.

Adults —
Ë Observe children.
Ë Assist children who need help getting started on their plans.
Ë Work with children at their own physical levels.
Ë Talk conversationally with children about what they are doing.
Ë Use a variety of communication strategies to help children extend their play or solve
problems.
Ë Play with children.

Cleanup time. During cleanup time, the children are expected to return materials and
equipment to their storage spaces and, when appropriate, to put away or find display space for
their personal creations. The process of cleaning up restores order to the classroom and is also a
learning experience for children. Children learn where items belong and why certain items are
stored together.

Children —
Ë Put materials away.
Ë Work alone or with other children.

Adults —
Ë Help children decide what materials they’re going to put away.
Ë Talk with children about the kinds of things they’re putting away.
Ë Assist children as they put materials away.

Recall time. This segment of the routine brings closure to the plan-do-review sequence. The
same strategies used for planning time can be used for recall. For example, children might be
encouraged to talk about the children they played with, what they built or pretended to be, or the
problems they encountered. All children should be involved in the recall process, but they don’t
all need to recall verbally during recall time. Recall can also take place individually with
children during work time and cleanup.

Children —
©
2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation

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Ë Are on the floor or at a low table with a small, consistent group of children and a teacher.
Ë Participate in the recall process during work time, cleanup, or at recall time.
Ë Indicate what they did during work time by:
naming the area, object, or child they worked with
describing what they did and how they did it
pantomiming work time activity
singing about work time activity
showing a product made at work time
tracing an object used at work time
drawing or painting a picture of work time activity or object used

Adults —
Ë Recall with each child during work time, cleanup, or recall time.
Ë Conduct recall time with a small, consistent group of children, positioning themselves at
their level.
Ë Choose recall strategies and talk to children:
Asking what they did
Helping children think through problems that came up
Encouraging the children to reenact work time experiences
Ë Include all children in the recall experiences.

Small-group time. During small-group time, each teacher meets with six to ten children to work
on an activity planned and introduced by the teacher. Although the adult chooses and introduces
the materials, he or she encourages the children to use the materials in a variety of ways.

Children —
Ë Use the materials in a variety of ways.
Ë Talk with the adult and the other children about what they are doing.
Ë Help clean up at the end of the activity.

Adults —
Ë Briefly introduce the activity.
Ë Move from child to child, observing how each child is using the materials, imitating ways
children are using materials, and engaging children in conversation.
Ë Use the materials as an entry into the children’s play.
Ë Ask questions to help children see new possibilities.
Ë Encourage peer-to-peer interaction.

Large-group time. At large-group time all the adults and children in the group get together to
play games, tell and reenact stories, sing songs, do finger plays, dance, play musical instruments,
exercise, or reenact special events. This time is an opportunity for each child to participate in a
large group, sharing ideas and learning from the ideas of others.

Children —
Ë Actively participate.
Ë Contribute their ideas to the activity at appropriate times.

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Ë Make choices.
Ë Have opportunities to provide leadership to group.

Adults —
Ë Initiate the group activity.
Ë Ask children for their suggestions for the activity.
Ë Plan several activities.

Outside time.

Children —
Ë Are physically active — running, walking, climbing, pushing, pulling, swinging, exploring.
Ë Pretend, invent, make, build with others and by themselves.
Ë Solve problems independently or with the assistance of other children and adults.

Adults —
Ë Observe children.
Ë Assist children who need help.
Ë Work with children at their own physical levels.
Ë Play with children.
Ë Use a variety of communication strategies to help children extend their play or solve
problems.
Ë Talk with children about what they’re doing.
Ë Talk with parents as they arrive to pick up their children (if outside time is the last part of the
day’s schedule).

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Sample Daily Routines

Half-Day Program Full-Day Program

8:30 –8:45 Greeting time 6:30 – 8:30 Arrival/Breakfast/

8:45 –9:00 Planning time Group Time
9:00 – 9:50 Work time 8:30 – 8:40 Cleanup time
9:50 –10:00 Cleanup time 8:40 – 9:00 Large-group time
10:00 –10:15 Recall time 9:00 – 9:15 Planning time
10:15 –10:30 Snack time 9:15 –10:00 Work time
10:30 –10:45 Large-group time 10:00 –10:10 Cleanup time
10:45 –11:00 Small-group time 10:10 –10:20 Recall time
11:00 –11:30 Outside time 10:20 –10:40 Small-group time
11:30 –12:00 Team planning 10:40 –11:30 Outside time
11:30 –11:45 Bathroom/Wash hands Prepare
for lunch
Half-Day Program With Lunch 11:45 –12:30 Lunch/Brush teeth
12:30 –1:00 Quiet activities
8:30 – 8:40 Greeting/Washing hands Prepare for naps
8:40 – 9:00 Breakfast/Brush teeth 1:00 – 2:30 Nap time & team planning
9:00 – 9:10 Large-group time 2:30 – 3:00 Wake/Bathroom/Snack
9:10 – 9:20 Planning time 3:00 – 4:00 Plan-do-review time
9:20 –10:10 Work time 4:00 – 5:30 Outside time
10:10 –10:25 Cleanup time
10:25 –10:35 Recall time
10:35 –10:50 Small-group time
10:50 –11:05 Outside time
11:05 –11:30 Lunch/Departure
11:30 –12:00 Team planning

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Planning: A Summary
What It Is

Ë Establishing a problem or goal

Ë Imagining and anticipating actions
Ë Expressing personal intentions and interests
Ë Shaping intentions into purposes
Ë Deliberating
Ë Making ongoing modifications

Why It Is Important

Ë Encourages children to articulate their ideas, choices, and decisions

Ë Promotes children’s self-confidence and sense of control
Ë Leads to involvement and concentration on play
Ë Supports the development of increasingly complex play

Where to Plan

Ë In a place where intimate conversations can occur

Ë In a stable pair or group
Ë Where people and materials are visible

What Children Do as They Plan

Ë Develop the capacity to express their intentions

Ë Indicate their intentions through gestures, actions, and words
Ë Make vague, routine, and detailed plans
Ë Make perfunctory and real plans
Ë Make a variety of plans over time
Ë Engage in the planning process at home

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Planning Time Checklist:

How Adults Support Children’s Planning
Adults examine their beliefs about child planning and their personal interaction styles.

Adults plan with children in an intimate setting.

__ Adults plan in a place where intimate conversations can occur.
__ Adults plan in a stable pair or group.
__ Adults plan where people and materials are visible.

Adults provide materials and experiences to maintain children’s interest at planning time.
__ Visibility games
__ Group games
__ Props and partnerships
__ Representations
__ Children take charge

Adults converse with individual children about their plans.

__ Adults elicit children’s plans by asking “what” questions.
__ Adults converse about children’s concerns that might be impeding planning.
__ Adults elicit children’s plans by “talking story.”
__ Adults listen attentively to children’s responses.
__ Adults converse in a conscious “turn-taking” manner with nonverbal and vague planners.
__ Interpret gestures and actions.
__ Ask an initial open-ended question.
__ Narrate what you see and comment on what the child says.
__ Offer alternatives when the child does not respond.
__ Adults converse with routine and elaborate planners.
__ Converse about space and materials.
__ Talk about details.
__ Talk about sequence.
__ Remind children of related prior work.
__ Adults encourage playmates to plan together.
__ Adults value children’s plans.
__ Encourage rather than praise children’s ideas.
__ Write down children’s plans.
__ Adults note the connection between children’s plans and actions.

Adults anticipate changes in children’s planning over time.

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Work Time: A Summary

What It Is

Ë Carrying out intentions

Ë Playing with purpose
Ë Participating in a social setting
Ë Solving problems

Why It Is Important

Ë Encourages children’s playfulness

Ë Enables children to construct knowledge as they engage in the HighScope key
experiences
Ë Enables adults to observe, learn from, and support children’s play

Where Children Work

Ë In the interest areas

Ë In cozy and open spaces

What Children Do at Work Time

Ë Initiate, work on, modify, complete, and change their plans

Ë Play in a variety of social contexts
Ë Engage in different types of play
Ë Carry on conversations

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Work Time Checklist:

How Adults Support Children at Work Time
Adults examine their own beliefs about how children learn at work time.

Adults provide work spaces for children.

__ Children work in the interest areas.
__ Children work in cozy and open spaces.

Adults find out what children are doing.

__ Look for children’s plan status.
__ Look for children’s individual and social interactions.
__ Look for specific types of play.
__ Look for KDIs.

Adults choose children to observe, gain children’s perspectives, and form on-the-spot
interaction plans.

Adults offer children comfort and contact.

__ Look for children in need of comfort and contact.
__ Offer reassuring physical contact.
__ Offer simple acknowledgment.

Adults participate in children’s play.

__ Look for natural play openings.
__ Join children’s play on the child’s level.
__ Play in parallel with children.
__ Play as a partner with children.
__ Refer one player to another.
__ Suggest new ideas within ongoing play situations.
__ Offer suggestions within the play theme.
__ Address the role person rather than the child.
__ Respect the child’s reaction to your idea.

Adults converse with children.

__ Look for natural opportunities for conversation.
__ Join children at their level for conversation.
__ Respond to children’s conversational leads.
__ Converse as a partner with children.
__ Ask questions responsively.

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__ Ask questions sparingly.

__ Relate questions directly to what the child is doing.
__ Ask questions about the child’s thought process.

Adults encourage children’s problem solving.

__ Look for children involved in problem situations.
__ Allow children to deal with problems and conflicting viewpoints.
__ Sit down with children.
__ Give children time to use their own problem-solving skills.
__ Refer one child to another.
__ Listen to conflicting viewpoints.
__ Interact with rather than manage children.
__ Assist matter-of-factly with unresolved conflicts.
__ Elicit, listen to, acknowledge children’s descriptions of problems.
__ Encourage children to talk with one another about the situation they are experiencing.
__ Interpret for less articulate children when necessary.
__ Help children generate alternatives.

Adults examine their interactions with children as they occur.

Adults record their child observations.

Adults bring work time to an end.

__ Encourage problem solving.
__ Play put-away games.
__ Maintain realistic expectations.

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Recalling: A Summary

What It Is

Ë Remembering and reflecting on actions and experiences

Ë Associating plans, actions, and outcomes
Ë Talking with others about personally meaningful experiences

Why It Is Important

Ë Exercises children’s capacities to form and talk about mental images

Ë Expands children’s consciousness beyond the present

Where to Recall

Ë In intimate groups and places

Ë With those who shared the experiences children are recalling

What Children Do as They Recall

Ë Grow in their capacity to recount past events

Ë Select experiences to recall
Ë Construct their own understanding of what they have just done
Ë Recall experiences in a variety of ways

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Recall Time Checklist:

How Adults Support Children at Recall Time

Adults examine their beliefs about how children learn at recall time.

Adults recall with children in a calm, cozy setting.

__ Recall in intimate groups and places.
__ Recall with those who shared the experiences children are recalling.

Adults provide materials and experiences to maintain children’s interest at recall time.
__ Tours
__ Group games
__ Props and partnerships
__ Representations

Adults converse with children about their work-time experiences.

__ Adults take an unhurried approach to recall.
__ Adults invite children to talk about what they have done:
__ Pick up on children’s opening comments.
__ Comment on a child’s play.
__ Ask an open-ended question.
__ Adults watch children and listen attentively.
__ Adults contribute observations and comments to keep recall narratives going.
__ Adults use questions thoughtfully and sparingly.
__ Adults support children’s co-narratives and conflicting viewpoints.
__ Adults acknowledge (rather than praise) children’s work-time experiences.
__ Adults note connections between children’s recall narratives and plans.

Adults anticipate changes in the way children recall over time.

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50 Planning and Recall Strategies

Visibility Games and Tours

1. Train
Ë Children line up behind adults and pretend to be a train. Train moves around to each area
where adults and children talk about the materials in the area. If a child plans to work in that
area, he or she “gets off” the train. Then the train goes to the next area.
Ë Variation. Instead of a train, the class pretends to move around the room on a boat, car,
truck, wagon train, etc.

2. Riding toy
Ë Children take turns riding the toy to the area they want to work in.

3. Drum or other instrument

Ë The children parade around the room with the leader (a child) playing the drum. The leader
stops at the area he or she wants to work in and gives the drum to the next child in line, who
repeats the process.
Ë Adult or child plays a rhythmic pattern on the drum or any other instrument. One at a time,
children echo the rhythm and give their plans.

4. Keys
Ë Children pretend to unlock the areas they would like to work in.
Ë Children pretend to start up the car and drive over to the area they would like to work in.

5. Tent
Ë Children plan or recall in a tent (blanket draped over a table works fine), under a table, or in
any other unusual place. (Use this strategy only with children who are very familiar with the
room and the materials in it.)

Group Games (to decide who will plan/recall next)

6. Hula hoop
Ë Everyone holds a hoop marked in one place with a small piece of colored tape or a painted
line. Everyone sings a song and passes the hoop through their hands. The group stops
rotating the hoop at the end of the song. The child nearest the mark then takes a turn
planning or recalling.

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7. Rope
Ë Adult makes a circle with rope and uses the rope as in the hula hoop activity (#6).
Ë With rope still in a circle shape, adult asks, “Anyone planning to work in the playhouse
(block area, computer area, book area, etc.) today, step inside the circle.” Children inside the
circle describe their plans.
Ë All the children and adults grasp the rope and move about the room like a train; each child
“gets off” at the area in which he or she wants to work.

8. Bean bags
Ë Children and adults play “hot potato”—the child who ends up with the potato tells the adult
his or her plan.
Ë Each child makes a plan, then tosses the bean bag to a friend so that he or she can make a
plan.

9. Shell game
Ë Children take turns guessing which shell the ball is under. The child who finds the ball tells
his or her plan.

10. Yarn
Ë With the planning group sitting in a circle, the group passes a ball of yarn around the circle,
unrolling the ball as they pass it. Whoever ends up with the end of the yarn, is the first to
plan.

11. Bottle
Ë Children take turns spinning the bottle. When the bottle stops, the child it is pointing to gives
his or her plan.

12. Colors and other attributes

Ë Adult or child says, “Who is wearing blue (green, red, etc.)?” Those wearing the color make
their plan.
Ë Adult or child says, “Who has buttons on their shirt?” (Or, “Who is wearing
sweatpants/jeans?”)

13. Sack
Ë Adult puts cards with each child’s symbol in a sack. Children take turns drawing cards. The
child whose card is drawn plans next.
Ë Variation: Instead of children’s symbols, adult puts photographs of children in the sack.

14. Purse
Ë Children use a purse to go collect something they want to work with or did work with.

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15. Ball
Ë Children toss the ball to one another. Whoever catches the ball is the next person to
plan/recall.
Ë Variations: Roll or bounce the ball.

16. Alarm clock

Ë Children pretend they are sleeping. Teacher rings the clock to “wake up” each child one by
one and ask for his or her plan.

17. “Simon Says”

Ë Play “Simon Says” (Example: “Simon Says, if you are going to use the blocks today, you
may go . . .”).

18. Balance beam

Ë Children take turns walking the balance beam — they can try walking forward, backward, or
sideways. As children get to the end of the beam, one by one they tell their plans.

19. String a bead

Ë As each child makes a plan, he or she adds a bead to the string of beads the teacher is
holding.

20. Paper clip

Ë Children make a paper-clip chain. As they tell their plans, they add to the chain.

21. Song or chant

Ë Adult makes up a planning song or chant, for example:
It’s planning time, it’s planning time,
We’re eager and we’re gay.
It’s planning time, it’s planning time,
Where will you work today?
Ë Variation: Children and adults make up a similar song or chant for recall time.

Props and Partnerships

22. Pointing/touching (nonverbal)

Ë Child points to an area. The adult models planning/recall language by describing where the
child is pointing.
Ë Child points to or touches an object in an area. The adult models planning/recall language by
describing what the child is pointing to.

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23. Large & small objects

Ë Children bring something they plan to (or did) work with to the table, where there are a large
and a small piece of paper (or a large and small box). After each child tells what he or she
plans to do (or did) with the object, the adult asks, “Does this fit better on the large paper or
the small paper?” Child places object on one of the pieces of paper (or in one of the boxes).

24. Paper cup

Ë Child puts something he or she wants to play with in the cup.
Ë Child puts a small hole in the bottom of the cup and uses the cup as a telescope to look at the
area of the room where he or she wants to play.

25. Telephone
Ë Using two telephones, children take turns calling the teacher to discuss their plans.
Ë In an extension of this activity, each child chooses a “phone number,” then uses the number
when dialing, calling out each number.
Ë Variation: Children use a string-type telephone.
Ë Variation: Children use walkie-talkies.

26. Paper towel tube

Ë “I Spy” — Child looks through the “spy glass” at the area he is going to work in.
Ë Variation: Children use real binoculars.

27. Video camera

Ë With a pretend video camera, children point to the area where they want to work and
describe what they will do.
Ë If the program has a real video camera, the adult takes short clips of each child’s work-time
activities and then shows it to the children during recall. Children love seeing themselves on
television and talking about what they were doing.

28. Flashlight
Ë Children spotlight the area they want to work in.
Ë Children take turns spotlighting one another to indicate who tells their plans next.

29. Tape measure

Ë As the adult holds one end of the tape measure, the children take turns pulling the end of the
tape to the areas they are going to work in. Children read tape and pretend to measure how
far they had to go.

Ë Adult makes a pointer by extending the tape measure several inches and pushing the button
to keep it extended. Children use this to point to areas and objects that are involved in their
plans.

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30. String or yarn

Ë As the adult holds one end of a long piece of string or yarn, the children take turns stretching
their end of the string or yarn to the area they want to work in.

31. Tape
Ë Put a piece of tape on the object or area where you want to play.
Ë Children can draw small pictures on the tape or they could use the tape to indicate on a map
or planning/recall board what they did that day.

32. Hats
Ë Children take turns pulling objects (that they’ve brought from different areas of the
classroom) out of a hat. As children identify the area an object comes from, the adult asks
who brought that particular object and what they plan to do with it.
Ë Each child wears the “planning hat” while giving his or her plan.

33. “Feelie” box

Ë Adult places objects that children used during work time in a box. Children take turns
guessing objects by how they feel, naming the object, describing how the object was used,
recalling what they did with it.

34. Boxes
Ë Adult sets out boxes of different sizes. Each child finds an object from the interest area
where he or she is planning to work that fits in one of the boxes.
Ë Adult makes a tunnel out of one or more large boxes. Children crawl through the tunnel, and
as each child comes out the other side, he or she tells the adult a plan and then goes to work.

35. Stuffed animals

Ë One by one, children tell the stuffed animal their plans.

36. Puppet
Ë Each child tells their plans to a puppet (teacher).
Ë The child controls the puppet while telling his or her plan.

37. Role play

Ë Children play the role of the teacher at planning time. Children take turns being the
“teacher” who is asking for and listening to individual children’s plans.

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Representations
38. Path
Ë The adult draws large squares with symbols representing each area on a long roll of paper or
cardboard. The adult rolls out the “area path” on the floor and asks each child to walk down
the path and stop on the square that contains the name of the area in which he or she would
like to work. As an alternative, the children leave their names or symbols on the square.

Ë Variation: Children stay on the squares, waiting to see who else will be going to the area;
they then talk with peers about their plans; they may also count how many are going to each
area.

39. Written plans

Ë Child traces around an object he or she plans to use at work time.
Ë Child draws a picture showing what he or she plans to use or do at work time
(representations may be of the objects or materials to be used, the planned activity, or the
finished product that is anticipated).
Ë Child dictates plans to an adult or attempts to write letters or words about the planned
activity or area in which he or she is planning to work.
Ë Child keeps a planning journal or notebook.
Ë Child fills in a planning form. (Example: “Today, I would like to work in the _______
area.”) The form may also have room for the child to draw a picture.

40. Chalkboard
Ë Children draw representations of their plans on the chalkboard using white or colored chalk.

41. Planning board

Ë Children gather around a large poster depicting the interest areas through drawings,
magazine pictures, or photographs. Children can point to, touch,
write their names near, or clip a clothespin to the picture of the area they
choose to work in.

42. Area cards

Ë Adult creates a flashcard set showing all the areas (using drawings, magazine pictures, or
photographs). Children use the cards as they discuss where they are going to work or the
sequence of areas they will work in.
Ë Adult puts area cards face down or places them in a hat or bag. Adult then draws out a card
and asks who would like to work in that area and what each child will do there.

43. Pockets
Ë Adult makes a planning board with pockets representing each area. Child puts his symbol in
the pocket for the area in which he or she is going to work. (Pockets can be made by children
from paper, or you can use real ones cut from old clothing.)

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44. Tape recorder

Ë Children take turns using a tape recorder to record their plans.
Ë At recall time, children listen to the plans they made and discuss whether they followed their
plans or made changes.

45. Clue game

Ë At recall time, adult says, “I saw someone using something long, pointed, shiny, and sharp
today. What did that person use? . . . What area did it come from? . . . Who used the
material? . . . What did you do with the material?”

46. Hammer a nail

Ë Teacher sketches a simple planning board on a piece of wood. Children hammer a nail in the
section showing the area where they want to work. Styrofoam and golf tees may be used as a
“low impact” alternative.

47. Computer
Ë Adult types in each child’s plan as children dictate them.
Ë Children print out their plans and draw pictures to go with them.

48. Pantomime
Ë Children pantomime what they plan to do (or did) during work time.

49. Robots
Ë Using robot-like voices and movements, children give their verbal plans and go to the areas.

50. Graph
Ë Adults and children make picture graphs to show which areas children are planning to (or
did) work in. They discuss which area had the most/least children.

List additional planning and recall strategies:

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Small-Group Time: A Summary

What It Is

Ë An adult-initiated learning experience based on children’s interests and development

Ë All small groups meet at the same time, each group of children with their same classroom
adult. (Same small groups throughout the daily routine)
Ë Same small groups (children and teacher) stay together for 2-3 months
Ë Active learning in a supportive setting

Why It Is Important

Ë Builds on children’s strengths

Ë Introduces children to materials and experiences they might otherwise miss
Ë Provides children with regular peer contacts and interactions
Ë Lets adults observe and interact daily with the same group of children
Ë Enables adults to practice support strategies in a stable setting

Where to Meet

Ë In the same consistent place

Ë In a special location near the relevant materials

What Children Do at Small-Group Time

Ë Explore, play, work with materials, and talk about what they are doing
Ë Solve problems they encounter

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Sources of Ideas for Small-Group Time

A concern expressed by many who are learning about small-group times is “Where do you get
your ideas when planning small-group times?” What follows is a list of four sources that you
can use when planning small-group times.

1. Children’s developmental levels and interests. The most common, and probably most
important, source for small-group time ideas is the adult’s observations of children’s
interests. Being sensitive to what children like to do, the materials that they like to use, and
how they interact and play with each other is the key to using small-group time as an
extension of children’s favorite play ideas. In one setting, the children were laying the large
blocks out in a row and then taking elaborate trips on the “airplane.” This led the teachers to
plan future small-group times in which children played with a variety of luggage, made
planes (and other things) out of Duplo and Lego blocks, and used old shoe boxes, cardboard
strips, and glue to make airplanes, boats, and luggage.

2. New and unexplored materials. Introduce materials new to the classroom during small-
group time. This gives children the chance to try out the materials and to help decide where
to store the materials in the classroom and how to label them. This also gives adults the
opportunity to observe how children use the materials. Planning small-group times to
introduce new materials helps to create a climate of ownership as the adults and children
make changes in the environment together.

Observing where children do not play, or which materials they do not use, is another source
of ideas for small-group time. If, for example, the children have not been choosing the toy
area often, select some materials from that area to be used during small-group time. The
children probably will discover new ways of using the materials; this may reawaken their
interest in the area. The staff should also consider combining familiar materials in new ways,
or adding new materials to the under-used interest area. Introduce these materials during
small-group time and have the children help you find a spot for them in the area.

3. Key Developmental Indicator. As the content for observing, interacting with and
understanding children, the KDIs are a logical source of ideas for small-group times. Daily
observation and assessment of children based on the KDIs can give adults many ideas. For
example, one teaching team noticed that the children were enjoying sorting the poker chips
by color during cleanup. This prompted them to plan a small-group time based on
classification.

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Another way to use the KDIs in planning small-group times is to identify which key
indicator you are not observing or recognizing in children’s play. Then, plan some small-
group times focusing on these categories. If, for example, you have recorded very few
observations about children’s understanding of time, you and your teaching partner might
plan some small-group times in which children could encounter the time experiences. For
example, these activities might include planting seeds, popping popcorn, or using wind-up
toys.

4. Local traditions. Some small-group times originate from children’s interests in local
traditions and community events. For instance, one community was the host to a large
regional dog show. This inspired the small-group activity of bathing and brushing a visiting
dog. Other small-group times might be planned around local festivals, holidays, or seasonal
activities that are part of the children’s lives — such as collecting fall leaves, decorating
pumpkins, preparing a holiday meal, etc.

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Small-Group Time Checklist:

How Adults Support Children at Small-Group Time

Adults examine their beliefs about how children learn at small-group time.
Adults form well-balanced small groups.

Adults plan small-group experiences ahead of time.

__ Plan around the interests of individual children.
__ Plan around new and unexplored materials.
__ Plan around KDIs.
__ Plan around local traditions.

Adults prepare for small groups before children arrive.

__ Gather materials for each child and yourself.
__ Have materials and any back-up materials ready.
__ Place materials within easy access of your SG meeting place.

Adults set small groups in motion: the beginning.

__ Introduce the activity with a brief opening statement.
__ Give children materials as they arrive.

Adults support each child’s ideas and use of materials: the middle.
__ Move to children’s physical level.
__ Carefully observe how children respond to the materials.
__ Listen to what children say.
__ Watch what children do with materials.
__ Use the materials yourself, imitating children’s actions.
__ Be ready for children to use materials in ways you don’t expect. This is fine.
__ Move from child to child so all children receive attention.
__ Converse with children, following their leads.
__ Encourage children to do things for themselves.
__ Refer children to each other for ideas and assistance.
__ Ask questions sparingly.

Adults bring small-group time to a close: the end.

__ Realize that children finish at different times.
__ Give children a warning near the end.
__ Encourage children to help put away materials.
__ Remind children where to find the materials if they want to use them again at Work Time.
__ Plan a way for children to transition to the next part of the routine.
Small-Group Time Planning Form
©
2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation

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Small-Group Time Planning Form

Originating
Idea

Materials

Curriculum
Content

Beginning

opening
statement

Middle

your ideas
for
scaffolding
children at
different
developmental
levels

End

warning and
transition to
next part of
routine

Follow-up
Ideas

Large-Group Time: A Summary

What It Is

Ë All children and adults together

Ë Active learning in a whole group setting
Ë About 10-15 minutes
Ë Enjoyable shared experiences

Why It Is important

Ë Gives children a repertoire of common experiences

Ë Builds a sense of community
Ë Encourages group membership and leadership
Ë Provides children with group problem-solving experiences

Where to Meet

Ë In a spacious location
Ë Let the experience determine the formation of the group

What Children and Adults Do at Large-Group Time

Ë Actively participate
Ë Shared Control — mutual give and take between teachers and children.
- Both children and teachers take turns being the leader and follower, speaker and listener.
- Teachers plan activities that allow for children’s input, choices, ideas and generate
solutions.

© 2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation

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Sources of Ideas for Large-Group Time

“Ah! What do we do for large-group time?” lament many teachers frustrated with singing the
same three songs with children every day. Take heart — the following is a list of four sources
(from Educating Young Children) for ideas that you can use when planning large-group times.

1. Children’s developmental levels and interests. Planning large-group times around what
children enjoy doing is a sure way to generate excitement about this part of the daily routine.
Adults can carefully note how children like to move, what they enjoy singing, and how
children’s play schemes might lend themselves to a whole-group experience. In one setting,
after observing many children wetting paper towels and “washing the windows,” a teaching
team planned on holding large-group time outside in front of the three sets of sliding glass
doors. There, they held a window-washing large-group time. Another adult noticed several
children rocking baby dolls and singing quietly to them. She planned a large-group time that
included a selection of soft music and stuffed animals and dolls in baskets that the children
could choose to move with.

2. Music and movement Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs). Because of the nature of
large-group time, the music and movement KDIs lend themselves to large-group time
activities. Anecdotal notes based on these KDIs provide a wealth of large-group time ideas.
One adult planned a large-group time with the music KDIs playing simple musical
instruments in mind. He recalled his anecdote about several children using Tinkertoy dowels
to tap on different sized blocks. He introduced simple rhythm instruments at the next large-
group time, having multiple sets for children to choose from. Another team observed two
children playing with the big scarves at work time. This made them think of the movement
KDIs moving with objects. At the next large-group time, each child selected a scarf and
moved any way they wanted to with the scarves to the music.

3. Cooperative play and projects. Large-group experiences can also be planned around
cooperative play and projects — which includes games, storytelling and re-enacting. One
teaching team played a variation of musical chairs at large-group time. Every child brought
over a chair and placed them in a row. An adult turned off the lights and the children tiptoed
around the chairs. When the adult turned the lights back on, the children sat down in the
chairs. Amid lots of giggling, children helped each other find chairs — “Here’s one, Kelly.”
The game continued over and over again, and the adults never took away a chair, so there
were always enough places for children to sit.

© 2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation

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4. Social and cultural events currently meaningful to your children. Large-group

experiences also arise from happenings that children find significant. One particularly windy
spring, an adult held large-group time outdoors with the children and an old sheet. The
children gripped the edges of the sheet and were delighted to find that when they raised it up
in the air, the wind caught the sheet and made it ripple and snap. Another teaching team
noticed their children’s interests in marching bands after the community’s Heritage Festival
Parade. For large-group time, children chose rhythm instruments and marched around their
school like the bands they had seen in the festival parade.

© 2008 HighScope Educational Research Foundation

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Large-Group Time Checklist:

How Adults Support Children at Large-Group Time

Adults examine their beliefs about how children learn at large-group time.

Adults plan large-group experiences ahead of time.

__ Plan around children’s interests.
__ Plan around music and movement KDIs.
__ Plan around cooperative play and projects.
__ Plan around events currently meaningful to the children.

Adults prepare for large-group time before children arrive.

__ Modify songs and games to fit children’s development and specific events.
__ Practice ahead of time.
__ Have materials ready.

Adults set large-group time in motion: the beginning.

__ Draw children to the group with an easy-to-join activity.
__ Start right away with the children who have gathered.

Adults support children’s ideas and initiatives: the middle.

__ Briefly introduce the next experience.
__ Participate on children’s physical level.
__ Turn props and materials over to children.
__ Watch and listen to children.
__ Follow up on children’s suggestions and modifications.
__ Let children be the leaders.

Adults bring large-group time to a close: the end.

__ Make the final large-group experience a transition to the next part of the daily routine.
__ Put materials away as part of the transition activity.

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Large-Group Time Planning Form

Originating
Idea

Materials

Curriculum
Content

Beginning

Easy to Join
Activity

Middle

End

Transition to
next part of
the day

Follow-up
Ideas

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Daily Routine Implementation Plan

1. What changes will you make to your daily routine?

2. What barriers or issues must you be aware of in order for these changes to be successful?

3. How will you begin implementing the plan-do-review process?

4. Identify the steps you want to take to improve small group times with your children?

5. Identify the steps you want to take to improve large group times with your children?

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VII. HighScope PRESCHOOL

CURRICULUM CONTENT

Optimal Learning occurs when children can manipulate and choose materials and
can freely use their whole bodies (all senses) to do so. As children manipulate
materials, children learn the functions and properties of the materials. It is through
these actions and interactions that the Key Developmental Indicators emerge.

— Mary Hohmann, Educating Young Children

The Key Developmental Indicators are the building blocks of thinking and reasoning
at each stage of development. They pave the way for later schooling and eventual
entry into the adult world.

— Ann Epstein, Essentials of Active Learning

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HighScope Preschool Curriculum Content

HighScope is a comprehensive curriculum model --- it addresses all areas of development. To
organize the content of children’s learning, the HighScope Curriculum parallels the five
dimensions of school readiness identified by the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP; Kagan
et al., 1995) and widely accepted as the standard in the early childhood community: approaches
to learning; language, literacy, and communication; social and emotional development; physical
development, health, and well-being; and arts and sciences. HighScope further subdivides arts
and sciences into the subjects of mathematics, science and technology, social studies, and the
arts.
The NEGP emphasizes that these five dimensions are related to one another; that is, a child's
[delete extra space] development in one area affects his or her growth in all the others.
Therefore, all five dimensions are equally important. It is also important to note that children's
development varies widely within each age range. No two preschoolers are alike, and any
individual child may be more or less advanced in each area. The objective of early childhood
programs is to provide the kinds of experiences that support and nurture all these areas of
learning and development in every child.

Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs)

Within each of the readiness content areas, HighScope identifies 58 key developmental
indicators that are appropriate to each age range. (See page 3). The word key refers to the fact
that these are the meaningful ideas children should learn and experience. HighScope
acknowledges that young children need to master a wide range of specific knowledge and
thinking skills --- the list could be almost endless in scope and detail. To avoid losing sight of the
forest for the trees, the content captured in the individual KDIs stresses the broader areas of
knowledge and skills that lay the foundation for further learning.

The second part of the term, developmental, conveys the idea that learning is gradual and
cumulative. Learning follows a sequence, generally moving from simple to more complex
knowledge and skills. Moreover, developmental emphasizes that it is inappropriate, not to
mention futile, to expect preschoolers to behave and learn as kindergarten or first-grade students
do. Whatever level we are addressing, from infancy through youth, the curriculum must be
consistent with what we know about human development in that age range.

Finally, indicators was chosen to emphasize that educators need evidence that children are
developing the knowledge, skills, and understanding considered important for school and life

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readiness. To plan appropriately for students and to evaluate program effectiveness, we need
observable indicators of our impact on children. Further, by defining these child outcomes in
measurable terms, we can develop assessment tools that are consistent with the curriculum. In
other words, the assessment system “indicates” whether the program is meeting its goals.

The continuity across content areas and KDIs allows for the fact that development occurs along a
continuum and children of different ages and abilities cannot be pigeonholed into a single age-
based category. The 58 KDIs that make up the HighScope Curriculum content are for
preschoolers, that is, children aged three to five. However, children in this age range may exhibit
behaviors characteristic of older toddlers or early elementary students. Hence, the preschool
indicators were developed with the entire early childhood spectrum, ages 0--8, in mind.
Furthermore, children with special needs can fall at different points along the continuum,
without regard to age, so this flexible system for organizing content helps practitioners
understand and plan for their development.

For children to learn the content contained in the KDIs, it is not enough for adults to simply pass
along information. Children must experience the world firsthand. Adults can then support and
help extend children’s thinking, scaffolding their learning as the children progress to each new
level of insight and knowledge. Moreover, true learning takes time and repeated exposure. It is
not a one-shot affair.

The HighScope KDIs are based on the latest child development research and decades of
classroom practice. They are periodically updated as early childhood research reveals more
about how preschoolers learn and how adults best support their development.

The KDIs are also written to be universal. Teachers and caregivers from different cultures in the
United States and countries all over the world report that they see children engaging in these
developmentally important experiences. Researchers confirm these commonalities among
children of all backgrounds. For example, children everywhere sort objects into containers and
take things apart and put them together. The exact materials used may vary from culture to
culture, but the activity and the resulting learning about the nature of things is essentially the
same.

Teachers use the KDIs to guide all aspects of their program. They set up the classroom, plan the
day, observe children and extend their thinking, and measure children’s progress based on the
general principles of active learning and the specific content in the indicators.

Epstein, A.S. 2007. Essential of Active Learning in Preschool: Getting to Know the HighScope Curriculum.
Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press.

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The Significance of the Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs)

y To focus adults’ observations and interpretations of children’s actions.

y To help adults maintain reasonable expectations for children.

y To serve as a cross-cultural reference for observing and interpreting children’s actions.

y To help answer questions about the legitimacy of children’s play

y To guide decisions about materials and the daily routine

y To enable adults to recognize and support children’s emerging capacities

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The Key Developmental Indicator Station to Station Activity

Follow the directions listed for each station. After you have done the activity, turn to page 3 and check
of the KDIs you experienced for each category.

Station 1: Approaches to Learning

a. Lay the puzzle cards out on the table.
b. As a group, plan how you will try to solve the puzzle (you must make a square of 3 cards by 3
cards).
c. Try out your planning, modifying your strategy as necessary.
d. If you have not solved the puzzle in 8 minutes, gather the cards back together and move to the next
station.

Station 2: Social and Emotional Development

Using the balls, devise and play a cooperative game that everyone in your group can play together.

Station 3:Physical Development, Health and Well-Being

Create and navigate an obstacle course using materials from the room

Station 4:Language, Literacy and Communication

Write a simple story about your group in rebus form. Rebus is using simple pictures to stand for words
like: (I love books.)

Station 5: Mathematics
a. Count the number of rings you are wearing.
b. Compare the number of rings people are wearing. Who has the most? Least?
c. Share and/or make rings so that each person has one ring for each finger.

Station 6: Creative Art

Together, make up and try out a movement sequence that expresses a common feeling or experience. Be
sure to include movement suggestions from each person.

Station 7: Science and Technology

a. Sort out the materials from your purses/pockets, putting together all things that go together.
b. Now, put everything back and begin again, sorting the materials in a different way.

Station 8: Social Studies

a. Compile a list of 8 things everyone in your group has in common.
b. Now find one unique characteristic about each member of your group (something that applies to
only that member).

Looking for Key Developmental Indicators

It’s work time and preschoolers Alexis and Jalessa are at the sand table, filling

containers with sand and dumping them back out in the table. Nearby in the block area,

Anna lines up all the big horses in one row, then lines up all the small horses in a

parallel row. She places them on a long block, first a big cow, then a small cow, then a

big cow, then a small cow. Patrick and Christopher come into the block area and tie

scarves around their shoulders. Then they dash over to the book area. You hear Patrick

tell Christopher, “You be dead, okay? I’ll take you to the hospital.” Christopher nods in

agreement. Patrick gets a round block and uses it like a steering wheel. Making siren

noises, he “drives” over to the fallen Christopher and loads him into the “ambulance.”

Over in the art area, Heather and Lizzie are gluing together various kinds of paper

scraps and talking about kittens. Rachel is sitting next to them, working with a hunk of

clay. She pokes, twists, rolls and smashes the clay.

In the computer area, Donald and Saraya are trying to figure out the new “snake”

game on the computer. Marley is sitting on the floor near them carefully writing big

letters on a stack of paper he has stapled together. He writes “M A L E Y”. He looks at

what he’s written and says, “Oops, I forgot the R!” and writes it at the end.

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Key Developmental Indicator Implementation Plan

1. They KDIs serve as the content for understanding, assessing, and planning for children in
HighScope programs. What guidelines or objectives guide your program?

2. What are the differences between your program’s objectives and the KDIs?

3. How will you begin using the KDIs in your program?

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VIII. OBSERVATION AND

ANECDOTAL RECORD KEEPING

The best evidence we have of whether we are succeeding as educators comes

from observing children’s behavior.

— Alfie Kohn, “Grading: The Issue Is Not How but Why,” Educational
Leadership, 52, 2, October 1994, p. 40.

Perhaps no aspect of the early childhood educator’s work provides

greater challenge than that of assessing development and learning. If
she takes development as the aim of education and care, she will need to
find and develop new modes of assessment, new ways of looking at
children.

— Millie Almy, The Early Childhood Educator at Work, New York: McGraw-
Hill, 1975, p. 243.

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Benefits and Advantages of Keeping Anecdotal Notes

Ë Shows change and development accurately over time

Ë Based on real performance of the individual child, rather than an artificial testing situation

Ë Provides essential, daily information adults use when planning for the next day

Ë Facilitates the team planning model

Ë Is an ongoing record of each individual child’s abilities

Ë Helps adults develop objective observation skills

Ë Helps users learn about the HighScope Key Developmental Indicators

Ë Helps identify the “invisible” child

Ë Can be used easily with all staff

Ë Is effective for parent/teacher conferences

Ë Does not cost anything

Ë Encourages adults and program to become more child-oriented

Ë Provides authentic assessment system

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Anecdotes

Format for Anecdotes Hints for Gathering Anecdotes

Ë Date each anecdote Ë Keep plenty of note-taking materials
Ë Beginning — Identify when, where, and handy
who Ë Set realistic goals for how many you’ll
Ë Middle — Describe what the child did and take daily
said; use quotes to document the child’s Ë Cross-reference anecdotes
language Ë Collect some anecdotes in batches
Ë Ending — When applicable, state the Ë Focus on a KDI category
outcome. Ë Focus on several children
Ë Remember, anecdotes should be taken
while playing and interacting with
Writing Objective Anecdotes children!
Ë Focus on what the child did and said
Ë Be factual
Ë Be specific Supplementing Anecdotes with
Ë Be brief Portfolios
Ë Writing samples
Ë Drawings or paintings
Hints for Recording Anecdotes Ë Photographs
Ë Use abbreviations Ë Audiotapes
Ë Write on sticky notes or mailing labels Ë Videotapes
Ë Wear a necklace pen
Ë Wear a shop-type apron
Ë Other options:
±
±
±

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Sample Anecdotes

1. 12/7 Madeline put on the shiny play dress in the house area, a hat, and some beads and
then asked Michael if he would marry her because he was not the same as her. When
I asked what the difference was, she said, “He is older and has red hair.”

2. 12/7 Madeline was cute today — she asked Michael to marry her because he’s older and
has red hair.

3. 12/7 Pretended in house area — dress-up, getting married

12/7 Recognizes same and different — classification

12/7 Understands concept of older — measuring

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HighScope Key Developmental Indicator Notes

Observer’s name:

Child’s name: Child’s Age:

Approaches to Social and Emotional Physical Development, Language, Literacy and

Learning Development Health, and Well-Being Communication

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HighScope Key Developmental Indicator Notes

Observer’s name:

Child’s name: Child’s Age:

Mathematics Creative Arts Science and Technology Social Studies

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Anecdotes: Focusing in on Children

It’s the beginning of work time and preschoolers Alex, Donald, Kayla, and Frances are working
at the sand table, now filled with dried beans. Holding up a cup filled with beans, Donald says,
“There’re rocks in here. This is my coffee.” Alex fills a scoop with beans, some of which have
been painted red or blue. “Magic beans,” he says, picking out the blue-painted beans and
setting them aside. Leaving the bean-filled table, Donald goes to the toy area and brings back a
large rubber dinosaur. “T-Rex eats rocks,” he says, putting the beans in the dinosaur’s open
mouth and making munching sounds: “Myum, myum, myum.”

Kayla and Frances fill and empty containers of various sizes with beans. While doing so, they
talk intently about the kinds of cereal they like to eat: “I like that kind with the holes in it,”
Kayla says. “Cheerios?” Frances asks. “No, not Cheerios, it’s different holes,” Kayla replies.

Nearby, Megan is painting at the easel. She covers her paper with layer upon layer of
different-colored paints, covering the whole paper with one color, then another. When she’s
finished, she takes her paper off the easel, hangs it on the drying rack, and then hangs up her
smock.

Meanwhile, Daniel picks up a cowbell in the music and movement area. Striking it with a mallet,
he giggles. In the same area, Steven picks up a small xylophone and makes a cascade of sound
by running a mallet over the bars. Then Daniel and Steven, still playing their instruments, begin
marching around the room. Seeing them, Mark picks up a tambourine, Victor grabs a set of
bells, and both join the line of marchers. The band marches through the block area, snakes
through the house area, and circles back around the toy area where the marchers carefully step
over Carleen and Saraya, who are laying on the floor, putting pegs into peg boards. Carleen
counts, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,” pointing at a different pegless hole as she says each
number. Saraya lays next to her and makes a tower out of pegs (the pegs are the stacking kind).
Neither girl gives the marchers more than a brief look.

At a glance, you might sum up this scene as “just another work time.” However, we invite you to
take a closer look — with the aid of an information-gathering system used by many experienced
HighScope teachers. Like these teachers, you can bring the world of children into sharper focus
by discovering the power of anecdotes.

In HighScope programs, anecdotes — short written records of classroom incidents — are written
every day by teaching adults. Rather than set aside a specific time to observe children (an
impossible or impractical task in a busy early childhood setting), adults integrate anecdote-taking
into their normal teaching activities and take notes throughout the daily routine. For example, an
adult might pause to jot down a quick anecdote while pretending to eat birthday cake with
children in the house area or just after kicking the ball with children outdoors.

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If you are new to anecdote-writing, here are some basic guidelines. First, begin your anecdote
with some background information to set the scene. For example, most anecdotes start with the
date, the time, and the place of the incident, and the names of children involved. The opening of
an anecdote about Donald’s activities at the bean table might, for example, read something like
this: 10-23, Work time, at the bean table, Donald. . . .

For the middle of your anecdote, jot down brief, specific, factual information about what the
child did and/or said (if possible, write down the child’s actual words enclosed in quotation
marks). Adding to Donald’s anecdote, then, we now have: 10-23, Work time, at the bean table,
Donald filled a cup with beans and said, “There’re rocks in here. This is my coffee.” Note that
this anecdote now tells us not only what Donald did but also what he said.

Finally, to complete your anecdote, consider whether the incident has an ending or an outcome.
For example, if Sherry tries several different ways to get her block tower to stand up and is
finally successful, it is important for the adult to record that outcome. In the anecdote about
Donald, however, there really wasn’t an outcome to his activities, so the anecdote is complete as
originally written. We could, however, make our task easier by using abbreviations to stand for
some of the words. Work time then becomes WT, bean table becomes BT. The result is a
shortened anecdote: 10-23, WT at BT, D filled cup w/beans, said, “There’re rocks in here. This
is my coffee.” Of course, you may prefer to use another system of abbreviating; teaching teams
can work together to come up with their own HighScope shorthand.

Writing anecdotes like these is a precise process that may take some practice. Why go to all this
trouble? Because teachers who try this system become firm believers in it. They report that the
process of taking and using anecdotes yields a wealth of information on their children, their
classrooms, and their teaching practices. Following are some of the ways anecdotes are useful
for adults working with young children:

Ë Anecdotes can help us identify KDIs and thus document the learning that is taking place in
our classrooms. (For those who are unfamiliar with them, the HighScope KDIs identify
developmentally important behaviors in key areas of growth and learning.) As Donald and
Alex worked with the beans, for example, they engaged in pretend play, a key
developmental indicator in the creative arts category. As Kayla and Frances discussed their
favorite cereals, they were expressing themselves using language (language and literacy).
When Alex picked out the blue beans, he was classifying materials. By making adults aware
of the KDIs children are engaging in, anecdotes strengthen the classroom adult’s
understanding of both child development and the educational philosophy of the
HighScope approach. Watching and documenting Megan’s painting activities (creative
arts) reinforced her teachers’ knowledge of the developmental stages of painting. In
reviewing the anecdote about Megan, they reaffirmed their belief that children first need to
explore the paint before they are ready to paint representations of objects. They realized that
Megan’s explorations

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with paint were just as significant for her as painting detailed representations might be for
another child.

Ë Focusing in this way on what children are specifically doing inevitably helps classroom
adults become more child-oriented. As the teacher pauses to write an anecdote, he or she
must observe the child closely. The result is valuable information that can guide the
teacher’s subsequent decisions about how to support the child. For example, the teacher who
has just recorded the “marching band” incident might decide to pick up an instrument and
join the marchers.

Ë Anecdotes such as these help us see the children’s strengths. By contrast, many common
approaches to child observation focus on whether children have reached a particular learning
goal. Such approaches tend to focus the adult’s attention on what the child can’t yet do or
didn’t do. But observational notes that simply describe what children are saying and doing
help the observer discover what is important and significant for the child. Thus, the anecdote
on Megan helps us see how she explored the paints, put away her smock, and hung up her
own painting, rather than focus our attention on what she didn’t do (paint a recognizable
object). Similarly, the anecdote on Carleen helps us note that she counted 10 holes that
didn’t have pegs in them; it doesn’t mention what she didn’t do (interact with the other
child). In a similar vein, the anecdote on the marchers tells us that they continued with their
band for about 10 minutes — the fact that they didn’t play quietly doesn’t enter into the
picture!

Ë Looking at a body of anecdotes gives the team new insights about the classroom
experiences and materials they are providing. One teaching team found that they had few
movement anecdotes for their children (creative arts). This lack of anecdotes made them
realize there were few movement opportunities for the children in their program, something
they hadn’t really thought about before. In discussing the lack of movement anecdotes, the
teachers decided to include movement experiences in their large-group times; they also
decided to add some simple movement props and sound-making materials to the classroom
shelves: carpet squares, scarves, beanbags, a tape recorder, and tapes. Once the team had
made these changes, they found that children included more movement ideas in their plans,
and team members found themselves recording many more movement anecdotes.

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***

Thus, in so many ways, anecdotes enable us to see children and the classroom environment
objectively. Regularly recording child observations helps teachers answer important questions:
What are children’s interests? What are the strengths of the program? Are we neglecting any
child-development areas? Are there materials to support all of the key experience categories?
What materials and experiences can we add? Are our routines comfortable for children?
Anecdotes help teachers put everything in perspective ... the child’s perspective. In
child-centered HighScope programs, that’s right where the focus belongs!

Source: Marshall, Beth, “Anecdotes: Focusing in on Children,” Supporting Young Learners 2: Ideas for Child Care
Providers and Teachers, N. A. Brickman (Ed.), Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press, 1996, pp. 285–290.

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IX. DAILY TEAM PLANNING

Despite the widespread popularity of theme-based planning, the themes

adults choose are not always developmentally appropriate or
meaningful for young children.... There is no guarantee that a theme
invented by a teacher, chosen from a book, or taken from last year’s
lesson plan will match children’s interests, experiences, or
developmental levels.

— Mark Tompkins, “Child-Oriented Lesson Plans: A Change of Theme,”

Supporting Young Learners: Ideas for Preschool and Day Care Providers, N.
Brickman and L. Taylor (Eds.), Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press, 1991, pp.
213–214.

By making plans each day that build on specific child interests, adults
encourage children to expand the depth and complexity of their play.

— Michelle Graves, “Planning Around Children’s Interests,” Extensions

Newsletter, Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press, May/June 1996, p. 2.

Just going through the motions of daily planning will not guarantee meaningful
plans. The depth of the plans comes from the quality of the inquiry–how well
teachers consider the “whys” of children’s actions and the “hows” of supporting
each child.

— Beth Marshall, “Teacher Planning: Are You Skimming the Surface or

Digging Deeper?,” Extensions Newsletter, Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press,
November/December 2002, p. 2.

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HighScope Daily Team Planning

Team Planning Elements

Ë Plan daily, as a team.

Ë Keep your planning form simple — based on your daily routine.

Ë Use anecdotes to assess children’s interests and developmental abilities.

Team Planning Process

Plan for the next day by incorporating the following:

Ë Classroom materials

Ë Children’s developmental abilities

Ë Children’s interests

Ë Key Developmental Indicators/State standards/Learning Outcomes

Administrative emphasis should be placed on reviewing the children’s Key Developmental

Indicator Notes forms and the match between children’s interests/abilities and the daily plans.

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Effective Planning Process

CONTENT INTERESTS PLANNING

IDEAS

What do you know

What is the child’s What ideas do you
already?
have for:
interests?
KDIs/COR/State
Planning time
Standards/Learning
Work time
Outcomes
Recall time
Large Group
What have you not
seen yet? Small Group
Outside time?

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DEVELOPMENTAL SUPPORT
RANGE STRATEGIES

Look at the developmental How will you support each

range of the children within child?
your group.

What strategies will you

Where are your children use?
developmentally?

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Tylon’s Anecdotes
Approaches to Learning Social and Emotional Development The Arts
02/08: At planning time, Tylon said, “I wanna 02/11: At outside time, Tylon asked Alana if 02/07: At work time, in the house area, Tylon
make a rat house in the block area.” she wanted to see the bug he found. looked at himself in the floor mirror, pointing at
his image and saying, “Tylon.” He danced in
02/10: MM 02/18: At work time, in the house area, when front of the mirror and watched himself for
Maria asked him if wanted to be the Mom, he about 15 minutes.
02/18: SE said, “Yeah, but no crying babies in this
house!” 02/07: MS

03/22: LLC 02/09: At work time in the house area, Tylon

gathered up all the scarves and put them in
an empty tub. He then put his doll in it and
said, “There, now will you stop crying?”

02/17: At SGT, Tylon built a “bug house” out

of the small blocks. It had 4 walls and a floor.

02/19: LLC

02/20: At work time in the toy area, Tylon

used small Leggos to make a “bug catcher”.

03/27: LLC

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Tylon’s Anecdotes (cont.)
Movement and Music Language, Literacy and Communication Mathematics and Science
02/07 TA 02/19: At work time in the art area, Tylon 02/07: SGT, Tylon put the pegs in the
painted at the easel, using the tip of the paint pegboard and pretended they were a “rat
02/10: At the end of greeting time, Tylon brush to cover the paper with dots of paint. He family.”
said, “Beth, I know a way to move to said, “It’s got the chicken pox like Mikey.”
planning — like this” and he wiggled his 03/27: At snack time, Tylon counted his
bottom as he went to his planning group. 03/22: At work time in the toy area, Tylon and crackers and said, “I have 4 little fishies and
Serena looked at Mouse Paint book together. I’m gonna eat them all” and he did.
03/04: During cleanup time, Tylon said, Serena told the story by looking at the pictures,
“Hey, I like this song” and tossed inch cubes while Tylon turned the pages. 03/28: At work time in the house area,
into the bucket to the beat of the recording. working with a large, medium and small
03/24: On a walk, Tylon saw a stop sign and horse, Tylon used the “big cup for the daddy
said, “Hey, Beth, it’s my O and my T” horse,” “the medium cup for the horse
mommy,” and “the small cup for the cryin’
03/27: At SGT, Tylon finished his glue project, baby horsey.”
got a marker, and put squiggles on the top of his
paper. Asked Beth to “put my sign there, next to 03/29: At cleanup time, when Ben put a big
my name,” and pointed to the squiggles. Then block on the shelf with his little ones, Tylon
said, “It’s what rats eat.” said, “Not here. That’s not little. It’s bigger
than all these.”

03/30: At large-group time, Tylon said, “Pretty

soon, we can go outside” and outside time
was next.

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HighScope Demonstration Preschool Daily Plan

Date:
Adults:
Greeting Time: Child Messages:
Door:
Books:
Transition:
Planning Time Planning Time

Work Time

Clean-up

Recall Time Recall Time

Snack:
Large-Group Time: Easy To Join:
Songbook:

Content: Transition
Small -Group Time Small -Group Time
Materials: Materials:
Content: Content:
Earlier Middle Later Earlier Middle Later

Outside Time

To Remember
Content Interests Planning Ideas Developmental Range Support Strategies

Daily Team Planning Implementation Plan

1. What steps will you take to begin observing and collecting anecdotes on your children?

2. When will you formalize these anecdotes and place them on the Key Developmental Indicator
Notes Form?

3. What changes will you begin making to your team planning process?

4. How will you begin using your children’s anecdotes in your planning process?

X. WORKING AS A TEAM

A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are

committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which
they hold themselves mutually accountable.

— Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, The Wisdom of Teams, New York: Harper
Business, 1994, p. 45.

Teachers need to be ... bolstered in the uncertain pursuit of change.

Team building in education can be oriented toward overcoming the
separateness of teachers in order to provide this encouragement and
support for change.

— Gene I. Maeroff, “Building Teams to Rebuild Schools,” Phi Delta Kappan,

75, 6, p. 514.

Characteristics of an Effective Team

Supportive climate:
People know what is expected of them. There is a positive climate of mutual sharing and
trust.

Shared goal setting:

Staff work together to set goals. The goals then drive the team.

Common expectations:
Expectations are clear. Staff know what to expect from administrators and administrators
know what to expect from staff. These expectations are based on a shared philosophy and
mutually-agreed-upon goals.

Group decision making:

Decisions by consensus are preferred. Many alternatives are discussed. Once a decision is
made, there is a commitment by all to the decision.

Problem-solving approach to handling conflict:

Problems are viewed as a normal part of working together. Conflict-resolution strategies are
used to solve problems effectively.

Regular evaluation of teamwork:

All team members work together to achieve team goals. Program evaluation is based on
accomplishment of team goals.

Key Elements of Team Collaboration

Establish supportive relationships among adults.

__ Communicate openly.
__ Respect individual differences.
__ Have patience with the teamwork process.

Gather accurate information about children.

__ Observe children throughout the day.
__ Briefly note observations.
__ Suspend judgment.

Make group decisions about children.

__ Reflect on the significance of children’s actions.
__ Generate support strategies to try.
__ Try out the strategies and talk about how they are working.

Make group decisions about teamwork.

__ Discuss team members’ roles and expectations.
__ Share responsibility for team functioning.
__ Make curriculum decisions as a team.

Notes

Sharing Team Responsibilities

One key to effective teamwork is careful planning. Here are some suggestions on ways your
teaching or child care team can work together efficiently.

Decide who does what. Each day something will take your team by surprise. However, if you
can deal confidently with the day-to-day routine, you are more likely to be able to cope with and
even enjoy the unexpected. Therefore, try mapping out a detailed daily routine for each member.
Together, answer such questions as these:

Ë Who goes to the bus to meet the children?

Ë Who stays to greet the children who arrive by other means?
Ë Who greets parents?
Ë Who plans with which children?
Ë Who goes to the bathroom with children?
Ë Who goes outside when the first group of children is ready, and who comes out with the
stragglers?
Ë Who takes children to the bus, and who stays to clean up and talk with parents?

Share the housekeeping, shopping, and other routine jobs. Some mundane chores can be
rotated or assigned for a year at a time. You can assign others as the need arises, but as a team it
is important to understand that each adult shares in the work. Make sure that one person does not
feel he or she is the only one who cares enough to get things done.

Set ground rules. Try to anticipate and come to an agreement on communication issues
beforehand in an attempt to prevent hurt feelings, confusion, and misunderstanding. Here are
some questions to consider:

Ë What about leaving the room to answer the telephone or go to the office?
Ë What about talking across the room to each other or to children?
Ë When and how will team members get together throughout the day?
Ë What about talking about children while they are present?
Ë How will the team respond to catastrophes such as messes, accidents, and lurid tales from
home?
Ë Will the activities of one member’s group interfere with another’s?
Ë What about a child who prefers one team member, or a team member who finds one child
particularly hard to get along with?
Ë How about when a team member is having “one of those days” and does not feel like being
patient with children or co-workers?

Source: Adapted from KEYS to Early Childhood Education, 1, 4, May 1980.

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Team Responsibilities Checklist

Who does each of these tasks at your center? Adult Adult Adult Adult
1 2 3 4

1. Cleans finger paint off the table at the end of small-

group time (or end of the day).

2. Prepares snack (puts crackers in baskets, refrigerates

juice, washes knives for spreading).

3. Answers phone if it rings during class time.

4. Acknowledges, supports, and extends plans, and helps

children change plans during work time.

5. Provides verbal feedback to a team member about

his/her teaching strategies or activities.

6. Eats snack with the children (at the same table and
eating the same foods).

7. Escorts children to bus or car at end of day.

8. Prepares classroom before children arrive each day:

arranges chairs, checks paint, paper supplies, collects
materials for planning time, fills paste jars, etc.

9. Checks to be sure doors and windows are locked at the

end of the day.

10. Orders supplies for next year.

11. Prepares for end-of-year and mid-year parent

conferences.

12. Keeps anecdotal notes on the children.

13. Reads stories to the children.

14. Prepares for parent meetings.

136
INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Who does each of these tasks at your center? Adult Adult Adult Adult
1 2 3 4

15. Arranges classroom; labels shelves and containers.

16. Changes diapers.

17. Washes paint jars after class each day.

18. Sets goals and objectives for special needs children.

19. Leads circle time songs and games.

20. Introduces the new children to the classroom and

assists with their adjustment to school.

21. Takes responsibility for talking with another team

member who is not doing her share of work in the
classroom and arrives late for work.

22. Plans the daily classroom activities.

23. Writes the daily plan.

24. Talks with parents as they drop off children.

25. Takes the children on a walk around the school.

26. Tells parent what his/her child did in school that day.

27. Plans and conducts small-group time.

28. Completes the assessment on each child.

137
INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Teamwork Implementation Plan

1. Identify some issues and problems in your setting that limit the effectiveness of teamwork?

2. Which of these issues/problems will you begin to change?

3. How will you make these changes?

4. How will you know when you are successful?

138
INTRODUCTION TO THE HighScope CURRICULUM PARTICIPANT GUIDE

HighScope Resources

Starter Materials for Preschool/Child Care

Curriculum
• Essentials of Active Learning in Preschool: Getting to Know the HighScope Curriculum
N-P1335
• Educating Young Children: Active Learning Practices for Preschool and Child Care, 3rd Ed.
N-P1356
• The HighScope Curriculum: The Daily Routine– Video N-P1340, DVD N-P1341
• HighScope Step by Step: Lesson Plans for the First 30 Days– N-P1346
• Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Pak, 2nd ed. N-P1203SET

Additional Resources
• Preschool Readers and Writers N-P1224
• Letter Links N-P1204
• Fee, Fie, Phonemic Awareness N-P1190
• 100 Small-Group Experiences N-P1115
• Explore and Learn Quick Cards: 80 Activities for Small Groups N-P1337
• 50 Large-Group Activities for Active Learners N-P1316
• The Essential Parent Workshop Resource N-P1137
• Making the Most of Plan-Do-Review N-P1152
• "I'm Older Than You. I'm Five!" Math in the Preschool Classroom N-P1248
• Setting Up the Learning Environment N-P1091
• Movement Plus Rhymes, Songs, and Singing Games, 2nd Ed., book with music CD N-M1025

Visit: www.highscope.org for further resources

Visit: www.etools.highscope.org for teacher and trainer support

139

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