Good question! Children are involved in direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, ideas, and events. While teachers share control and initiative with children, they are guided by 58 key developmental indicators that all children need to have as part of their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development.
You will see children choosing materials on their own, deciding how they want to use the materials, or maybe just exploring ways to use them. You will also hear children talking about what they are doing or what they have just done.
Adults observe and interact with children at their level to discover how each child things and reasons. Adults interact with children in ways that empower children to take control of their own learning.
You will see adults interacting at the children’s physical level: sitting on chairs, sitting or sometimes even lying down on the floor. You will see them observing and listening to children, talking with then about what they are doing and becoming a partner in the children’s play by following their interests and ideas, using the same materials the children are using and following directions given by the children.
Classroom furniture and equipment are arranged in several clearly defined interest areas that enable children to find, use, and return the materials they need for exploring, inventing, and learning about their world.
You will see clearly defined areas with simple names that make sense to children, like “block area”, “house area”, “art area”, “book area”, “toy area”, and “science area”. You will also see a variety of materials in each area, and these materials are labeled so the children can easily find them and return then when they are finished using them.
You will see a schedule of events that is consistent from day to day.
High/Scope teachers regularly record notes on children’s behaviors, experiences, and interests. They use these notes to assess each child’s development and to plan activities that will facilitate their growth and development. They also use these notes in parent meetings to help parents understand their children’s development.
You will see teachers taking brief notes throughout the day on what they see children doing. These notes are then shared and recorded on the Teaching Strategies GOLD, a developmental assessment tool that helps them to better understand each child’s development. The teachers use this information to be accountable to the state of Nebraska as well as to plan around the children’s interests and strengths for future activities.