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High/Scope preschool curriculum is a model for developing high-quality early childhood programs that encourage and support children's initiatives and active learning experiences. This revised manual for early childhood practitioners and students presents essential strategies adults can use to make active learning a reality in their programs. The guide's introduction describes the origin of the High/Scope preschool approach, its basic principles, and its effectiveness for children, families, and society. Part 1 of the guide analyzes the core idea in the development of the High/Scope curriculum-active learning. The concept of active learning is discussed in several contexts: as an essential ingredient for learning, as a basis for how adults can create a supportive social climate, and as a foundation for working with the families or working as a team to make the active learning process effective in a particular setting with a particular group of children. Part 2 discusses methods for creating an environment that promotes active learning. This section suggests selecting and arranging materials from which children can choose, and manipulating and developing the daily routine so children have many opportunities to initiate, plan, carry out, and discuss their actions and ideas. Part 3 introduces 58 key experiences that can guide adults as they plan activities to support development in creative representation, language and literacy, initiative and social relations, movement, music, classification, seriation, number, space, and time. This revised edition of the guide includes information on phonemic awareness and preschool reading, additional references, the latest Perry Preschool research results, recent research relating to brain development, and a complete description of a consistent approach to problem solving. Each chapter includes a list of references and related readings. | |