The children in the 4-5yr group know themselves as ‘High-Scopers’. They are considered for the most part to be part of the pre-school group (especially for things like circle time), but they do have their own agenda for the session. As well as having access to the main school as described in the pre- school section, they also have their own base room.
This room is for:
- The high scope planning session
- Quiet study in small groups or with their key worker
- Story time
- Whole class teaching
- High scope feedback
- Their work baskets
- Project/group work
- Special equipment
The room is theirs to decorate using displays, and the children, with the teacher, have control over the layout. It may have its own book-corner, computer and water/sand tray, and painting and craft area. But for these and other activities they can use the main school if they wish.
The High Scope Approach
This embodies many of the methods that we use in the pre-school, but offers more structure to the children’s day, without taking away the child-centredness of our philosophy. We see it as a natural extension of our system, so while maintaining the children’s choice to interact with the environment on their own terms, it encourages them to plan and structure their own time.
How it works
After the first part of circle time, the children meet in the high scope room to discuss the activities available during that session and if they are focusing on any particular project or theme. After this the teacher draws the children’s attention to a list on the wall, it could look something like this:
- Art and craft table
- Water/Sand tray
- Computer
- Book corner
- Literacy table
- House/Shop
- Drawing table
The children, with the teachers help, choose which activities they want to do, then, in their high scope books they list the activities in the order they are going to do them. They can record the activities in various ways; either colour/shape coded, writing the number or some will write the whole thing. They are encouraged to choose at least three areas but they do not have to complete them all, there is no time limit to these activities. The children then go off to their first activity which, depending on what they are doing, may involve working with either a small group of their friends, alone, or with a teacher, or during the discussion the whole class may decide to work together on one project. When they have finished the activity, they discuss what they have been doing, with their teacher. The activity is then recorded as finished and any special notes the teacher wants to make can be recorded in the child’s high-scope book.
The High-Scopers also have whole class teaching sessions, to introduce new concepts/ideas or to focus on developing a specific skill such as writing or painting.
High-Scope daily schedule
|
8.00 - 9.00 |
Before school care service. |
|
9.00 |
Circle-time (possibly with pre-school) - Good morning song, say and clap names,singing. General talk and discussion of days activities. |
|
9.10 |
Discussion with teacher about days activities e.g. what's available on the sticking table. |
|
9.20 |
Write high scope choices, and start on day’s activities. Or whole class teaching with a follow up activity, for example listening comprehension or colour mixing. |
|
10.10 |
Snack Time - Children are encouraged to help set out the snack, pour their own juice etc. |
|
10.20 |
Story time - Calendar (day, date, weather, time, etc.), show and tell, feedback on morning session, story, sing a favourite song etc. |
|
11.45 |
Get ready for outside play. Or if the weather is bad, indoor games will be arranged. |
|
12.00 |
Lunch time. |
|
13.00 - 16:00 |
Afternoon programme starts. This has the same format as the morning session, but with different activities (we may have junk modelling instead of free sticking on the activity table for instance). |
|
16.00 |
School day finishes. |
|
16.00 - 17.00 |
After school care service. |
Back to the Groups
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