*This program is only available at our Diamond and Morris location.
High Scope's educational approach emphasizes "active participatory learning." Active learning means students have direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. Children's interests and choices are at the heart of High Scope programs. Children take their first step in the learning process by making choices and following through on their plans and decisions. Teachers, caregivers, and parents offer physical, emotional, and intellectual support. In active learning settings, adults expand children's thinking with diverse materials and nurturing interactions.
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 Coal City Early Childhood Center Coal City Elementary School Coal City Intermediate School White Oak Elementary School Saratoga Elementary School Reed Custer Primary School Reed Custer Intermediate School |
 We greet each child and then they are allowed to choose from blocks, art, books, etc. Breakfast is offered. Each child must be brought into the center by an adult. A staff member will escort children to the bus each morning. |
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 Children can choose from large or small group activities offered by the teacher. They may also choose to play with games, puzzles, books, listen to music or relax. Time is set aside each day to play outside and to have help with homework. A nutritious snack is also served daily.  On days that school is closed, and the center is open, children may stay all day. A morning and afternoon snack is served as well as breakfast and lunch. All snacks and meals meet school nutritional guidelines and are posted at the center. A choice of activities are offered throughout the day such as arts and crafts, cooking or science experiments. Children may choose an activity or play in interest areas such as dramatic play, blocks and cars, games and puzzles, art, books etc. A portion of the morning and afternoon are set aside for outdoor play. Walking field trips are set up as possible and based on location. |
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 High Scope's educational approach emphasizes "active participatory learning." Active learning means students have direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. Children's interests and choices are at the heart of High Scope programs. Children take their first step in the learning process by making choices and following through on their plans and decisions. Teachers, caregivers, and parents offer physical, emotional, and intellectual support. In active learning settings, adults expand children's thinking with diverse materials and nurturing interactions.  |
I am in a stimulating and challenging environment. I am learning good manners and how to treat my friends. I follow a consistent schedule and still have transitions between activities. I participate in activities to help me develop physically, emotionally and intellectually. I am building a positive self-image. I am excited about learning. I am developing my large and small muscles. I am learning self-expression through art and music. I am learning to make my own decisions and am becoming more independent. I can name colors, shapes and some letters and numbers. I can recognize my full name and write my first name. I can use scissors to cut on straight and curved lines. I am learning my full name, address and phone number in case I get lost. I am practicing how to zip, button and tie. I am learning about opposites, serration and position words. I am starting to see how reading and writing is useful. I am creating a portfolio to show mommy and daddy what I have learned. Children learn through play. The room is arranged in the following learning centers to promote their development: Art/Sensory area: children explore their imagination and creativity and can express their feelings. Block Area: learn about mathematical relationships and gain problem-solving skills. Develop socialization and cooperation skills. Book Corner: learn left to right eye movement. Making connections between spoken and written words and sequence of events. Table Toys: increase small muscle control and eye-hand coordination while reinforcing cognitive concepts. Gross Motor/Outside: improve large muscle coordination and flexibility and release tension and stress. Dramatic Play: practice role-playing, develop language and social skills, use creativity and imagination. Science: develop problem solving skills, learn about the environment, experiment with cause and effect. |
 This three-part sequence is unique to the High Scope approach. It includes a small-group time during which children plan what they want to do during work time such as the area to visit, materials to use, and friends to play with. Work time is for carrying out their plans. Children are very active and purposeful during this time because they are pursuing activities that interest them. They may follow their initial plans, but often, as they become engaged, their plans shift or may even change completely. Children cleanup by putting away their materials and storing unfinished projects.Review time is for reviewing and recalling what they've done and learned. It is done in a small group with the same adult and children they planned with. Generally, the older children have longer and more detailed planning and review times. |
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 During this time a small-group meets with an adult to experiment with materials and solve problems. Although adults choose a small-group activity to emphasize one or more particular content areas, children are free to use materials in any way they want during this time. The length of small-group varies with the age, interests, and attention span of the children. At the end of the period, children help with cleanup.
Large-group time builds a sense of community by coming together for movements and music activities, storytelling, and other shared experiences. Children have many opportunities to make choices and play the role of the leader. 
Children and adults enjoy vigorous and often noisy play in the fresh air. Without the constraints of four walls, they feel more free to make large movements and experiment with a full range of their voices. Children run, climb, swing, roll, jump, yell, and sing with energy. They experience the wonders of nature, including collecting, gardening, and examining wildlife. During extreme weather or other unsafe conditions, teachers find an alternative indoor location for large motor activity. |
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