EFFORTS TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN


High Scope Preschool Curriculum
Through active learning, having direct and immediate experiences and deriving meaning from them through reflection, young children construct knowledge that helps them make sense of the world.

As they follow their intentions children invariably engage in the key experiences-creative, ongoing interactions with people, materials, and ideas that promote children’s mental, emotional, social and physical growth. 

Adult-Child Interactions
-Active learning depends on positive adult-child interactions.

Daily Routine
A consistent routine supports active learning
Plan Do Review Process
Small Group Time
Large Group Time
Meals/tooth brushing
Gross Motor Time
Music

Assessment
Team Work
Daily anecdotal notes
Daily planning
Child Observation Record
(COR)

These together form the framework of the High/Scope approach 


Adults act as supporters of Active Learners.
-Organized environments
-Play areas are clearly defined and stocked with interesting age appropriate materials.
-Organized routines
The sequence of the day’s events is carefully planned.
A timeline is used for children to easily understand and learn what part of the routine comes next.
-Establish a supportive social climate.
-Relationships among adults and children are relaxed and positive.
-Encourage children’s intentional actions, problem solving, and verbal reflections.
-Adults focus on the children’s actions and goals. 


What do adults do in the Active Learning Setting?
Adults provide a variety of materials for children to work with-Practical everyday objects useful to adults, natural and found materials, messy, sticky, gooey, drippy, squishy materials. Easy to handle materials and heavy large materials.

-Adults provide space and time to use materials.
-Adults listen for and encourage children’s thinking.
-Adults encourage children to do things for themselves.
-Adults give children time to solve problems themselves.
-Adults and children interact in the Active Learning Setting.
-Children and adults are active and interactive.
-Adults and children form partnerships.
-Children and adults invent and discover.
-Children and adults develop confidence.

Interpreting children’s actions in terms of the High/Scope Key Experiences.
-Teams meet daily to discuss and interpret observations.
-Planning experiences
-Plan Do Review

What children do in the Active Learning Setting.
- Children initiate activities that grow from personal interests and intentions.
-Children choose materials and decide what to do with them.
-Children explore materials with all their senses.
-Children discover relationships through direct experience with objects.
-Children use age appropriate tools and equipment.
-Children use their large muscles.
-Children talk about their experiences.
-Children talk about what they are doing in their own words.

Key experiences involve children. For example; in pretending and role playing, having fun with language, building relationships with other children and adults, expressing creativity in movement, singing, sorting and matching, counting objects, fitting things together and taking them apart and anticipating events. 

Adults support children and have an understanding of the children’s actions in terms of the key experiences


Description of Transition Plan  -  Transition and Curriculum Committee
The committee meets 2 times per year late Fall and Spring.  The committee meets generally November or December, again in February.  This committee includes the local school districts, Kindergarten teachers, principals as well as Head Start and Great Start Readiness Program teaching staff, support staff, administration and Head Start and Great Start Readiness Program parents.

Sitting on this committee includes input from all participants attending on topics of transitioning from our programs to the public school programs as well as planning activities such as cooperative registrations.