HighScope Elementary Approach: Classroom Environment

The High/Scope Elementary Curriculum is designed for a full-school-year program (approximately 180 full days). The classroom routine, planned to fit a typical full-day program, is designed to be managed by one teacher with approximately 25 children. Also, half-day kindergarten programs as well as nongraded and multiage programs are supported by the methods for managing the learning environment presented in this chapter.

Arranging the Physical Environment: Furniture, Equipment, Supplies

Putting the High/Scope approach into practice often requires some modifications in classroom arrangement and teaching strategies. There must be space for large-group meetings as well as space for small groups of children to meet. In addition, the room (see sample classroom diagram, below) is arranged in designated activity centers where children can work independently on self-selected projects. The activity centers are stocked with a variety of supplies, manipulative materials, and equipment.

The High/Scope elementary educational approach also involves children in using computers and developmentally appropriate software. Computer-assisted activities support the curriculum's active, child-initiated learning emphasis and supplement the teacher's instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, science, creative arts, and problem solving. In the High/Scope classroom, computers are viewed primarily as aids to the teacher in implementing basic curriculum objectives. In light of the demanding nature of the activity-based curriculum model, each classroom is equipped with a computer center containing three or more computers. There should be enough computers so at least one third or one fourth of the class can use them at once (up to two children per computer).

Scheduling Daily Classroom Activities

Three basic components of the daily classroom routine are large-group or circle activities, small-group workshops, and independent work in activity centers during the plan-do-review process. Large- and small-group times lend themselves to the introduction of new materials or presentation of developmentally appropriate concepts and skills in specific academic areas. Large-group times can also be used for drama, movement and music, games, classroom project presentations, general meetings, and announcements. During plan-do-review, children undertake projects they select themselves based on their own interests and the materials and equipment available in the activity centers.

The High/Scope Curriculum does not prescribe a specific order for the events that make up the classroom daily schedule. While incorporating the key elements described above, any specific schedule of particular classrooms also reflects the needs and preferences of individual teachers and the scheduling requirements of individual schools. The sample schedules presented below represent specific implementations of the High/Scope Curriculum.

The daily schedule includes time for lunch, physical education, recess, movement, music, art, and other activities that either occur outside the classroom or involve a special teacher. These activities often must be scheduled on a schoolwide basis and thus may not conform to the classroom schedule. Time must be allotted within the day to accommodate such events, but whenever possible, workshops and activity periods should be preserved as unbroken units.