For 13 years, Scottdale has used the High/Scope educational curriculum as a set of guiding principles and practices. The curriculum guides teachers as they work with and care for children and adapt to the special needs and conditions of each group. "Active learning" — the belief that children learn best through active experiences with people, materials, events and ideas, rather than through direct teaching or sequenced exercises — is a central tenet of the High/Scope approach for all age levels.

The classrooms, materials and daily routines are based on the children’s age and development and are arranged to promote active involvement with people, materials, events and ideas. For example, classrooms are divided into “interest areas” organized around specific types of play, such as block play, art, house play, small toys, books, writing materials and (for older children) computers. Art and music are part of every day. Activities help children develop language and logical abilities that are the foundation for later learning. A central element of each day is the “plan-do-review” sequence in which children make a plan, carry it out, and then reflect on the results. The daily routine includes times for small- and large-group experiences and outdoor play.

The High/Scope approach has been used successfully in a wide range of early childhood settings in the United States and abroad.

How Children Learn Academics Through Play

Young children are “hands-on” learners. They need a variety of three-dimensional materials to investigate, experiment with and create. We encourage young children to explore number concepts, letters, sounds, shapes and colors (as worksheets do), but we do this in a way that is appropriate for their developmental level.

The Center does not use dittos, worksheets, and coloring books for preschoolers. All the skills emphasized with worksheets can be presented to preschoolers with real objects which can make the learning experience meaningful for them. For example:

Our children may not go home with a handful of dittos and worksheets, but we feel they go home with a whole lot more: a head full of age-appropriate understandings and a heart full of joy!

When parents ask, “What did you do all day?” and they respond,
“We just played,” we know that we have done our job well –
for play is work of children!

For more information on the High/Scope approach, visit http://www.highscope.org/

Ages and Stages Developmental Assessment:

In order to ensure that each child is developing at an expected pace, our program uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Assessments, which are done within the first 45 days of each school year or at enrollment, then periodically throughout the year to assess the child's development. Our teachers regularly record notes on child behaviors, experiences and interests. They use the notes to assess each child and to plan activities that will facilitate their growth and development. They also use these notes in parent meetings to help parents better understand their child's development and work with the teachers to reinforce developmental activities at home.

Child Development has always been our primary objective, and our year-round program for children from 6 weeks to 5 years remains the heart of Scottdale’s work.