Spring, 2012 - High/Scope Educational Research Foundation

HIGHSCOPE 

ReSource 

SPRING 2012 

A M A G A Z I N E F O R E D U C A T O R S 

IMPLEMENTING HIGHSCOPE 

Putting Training 

Into Practice 

Setting Up the Preschool Classroom 

HighScope Around the World 

Reflections on Problem Solving

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 

Dear Readers, 

HighScope’s 

seminal idea is 

that young children 

are learning 

the most 

important skills of their lives — not only 

the foundations of literacy, mathematics, 

and the other tools and branches of 

knowledge, but also how to take initiative 

and responsibility and persist in 

tasks, regulate their own behavior, and 

get along with other people. The High- 

Scope Curriculum offers early childhood 

teachers a framework for helping 

young children develop these skills. 

HighScope’s longitudinal research provides 

the evidence of the lifelong value 

of this vision of the purpose of early 

childhood education. 

One of the biggest challenges in education 

is making an educational vision 

such as this one a reality in the places 

in which educators want to use it. Some 

educational leaders try to achieve their 

vision by making passionate speeches 

that exhort teachers to change, clearly 

an inadequate strategy. Others try to 

achieve their vision by writing books 

that describe their vision — better, 

but still an inadequate strategy. As a 

research and development organization 

for over half a century, HighScope has 

committed to working closely with 

teachers to realize its educational vision. 

HighScope’s experience over the decades 

has generated our cautiousness in assum- 

HIgHSCOPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Sue Bredekamp 

Cheverly, MD 

Ben Emdin 

Retired Director, Great Start Collaborative, 

Heart of West Michigan United Way, Grand Rapids, MI 

Cynthia L. Gardner 

Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, PNC Bank, Ann Arbor, MI 

Amy Goerl 

Early Childhood Education/Special Education Consultant, Highlands, NJ 

Ed Greene 

EM GREENE Associates, Int’l, Princeton, NJ 

James Hawkins 

Retired Superintendent, Ypsilanti Public Schools, Ypsilanti, MI 

ing that an educational idea has been 

successfully communicated. As Paul 

Simon observed in his song “The Boxer,” 

people “hear what they want to hear and 

disregard the rest,” so it is sometimes 

difficult to get an educational idea 

across. Our motto could be “Measure 

twice, cut once.” So we are persistent in 

writing publications and materials that 

facilitate effective implementation, and 

we are equally persistent in our professional 

development efforts, training 

teachers by observing them and providing 

feedback and coaching. 

Teachers often face a moment of 

truth when they first start implementing 

HighScope after training. During training, 

they learn how a new teaching practice 

ought to work, but they must continually 

draw on their own experience 

and their knowledge of their own children 

and programs to know what works 

best for them. In this issue of ReSource, 

we explore ways of getting started when 

the realities of making changes in your 

classroom seem insurmountable. In one 

article, “Putting Training Into Practice: 

The First Steps in HighScope Implementation,” 

HighScope trainer and 

teacher Patricia Murphy suggests that 

teachers use the principles and strategies 

of plan-do-review (a cornerstone 

of the HighScope Curriculum) to meet 

these challenges. Another article, 

“Arranging the Active Learning Environment,” 

excerpted and adapted from 

Nancy Vogel’s book Setting Up the Pre- 

school Classroom (HighScope Press), is 

a guide to arranging the physical space 

and materials of the classroom in a way 

that fosters children’s initiative, independence, 

and learning. Keeping the 

focus on first steps, our new demonstration 

preschool teacher, Becky James, 

wrote this issue’s Teacher’s Corner, 

based on journal entries she made to 

record some of her initial experiences in 

the HighScope classroom as she went 

through training. 

Finally, in “HighScope Around the 

World,” we travel to other parts of the 

globe, where some programs have overcome 

significant resistance and obstacles 

in order to implement the HighScope 

Curriculum. In this article, editor Joanne 

Tangorra and consultant Corey Shouse 

Tourino look at new HighScope international 

institutes in Portugal and Chile, as 

well as programs in Colombia and Mexico, 

where HighScope’s presence continues 

to grow. With a commitment to 

HighScope’s active participatory learning 

model, HighScope implementation 

continues to take place all over the 

world — proof that taking the critical 

steps after training can be taken anywhere, 

in any language or culture. 

Sincerely, 

Larry Schweinhart 

Naomi Karp 

Director, Early Childhood Professional Development 

United Way of Tucson/Southern Arizona, Tucson, AZ 

Henry M. Levin 

Professor, Columbia University Teacher’s College, New York, NY 

Michael L. López 

Executive Director, National Center for Latino Child and Family Research, 

Latonsville, MD 

Kristen McDonald 

Senior Program Office for Education, Skillman Foundation, Detroit, MI 

Deborah J. Stipek 

Dean, School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 

Marianne Udow-Phillips 

Director, Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation, Ann Arbor, MI 

THE HIGHSCOPE FOUNDATION is an independent, nonprofit organization founded by the late David Weikart in Ypsilanti, Michigan. HighScope’s mission is to lift lives 

through education by engaging in curriculum development, research, training, and publishing and communication. 

2 ReSource Spring 2012 highscope.org

HIGHSCOPE 

SPRING 2012 

ReSource 

A M A G A Z I N E F O R E D U C A T O R S 

IMPLEMENTING HIGHSCOPE 


Into Practice 

Setting Up the Preschool Classroom 


Reflections on Problem Solving 

Features 

Putting Training Into Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

The principles and strategies of plan-do-review, a core component of the 

HighScope Curriculum, can guide your team through the first steps of 

HighScope implementation after training. Patricia Murphy 

Arranging the Active Learning Environment ..........................11 

A well-designed learning environment that is full of interesting materials, 

inviting, and set up to accommodate a range of activities and play, encourages 

young children’s exploration and active learning. Nancy Vogel 

HighScope Around the World .....................................15 

Educators in Latin America and Portugal are successfully implementing active 

participatory learning in centers that serve students in grade levels ranging from 

preschool to high school. Corey Shouse Tourino and Joanne Tangorra 

Departments 

Contents 

Volume 31, No. 1/Spring 2012 ISSN 0897-2007 

Letter from the President ..........................................2 

From Dr. Larry Schweinhart, HighScope President 

What’s New @ HighScope ..........................................4 

News on the foundation’s latest products and projects. 

Teacher’s Corner: Reflections on Problem Solving ....................10 

A teacher new to the HighScope Curriculum reflects on lessons she has 

learned about problem-solving with young children. Becky James 

Training @ HighScope ...........................................20 

HIgHSCOPE RESOuRCE 

ReSource is a guide to the activities, products, 

and services of the HighScope Foundation. 

It is published two times each year 

by HighScope Press, a division of 

the foundation. HighScope is a 

registered trademark and service mark 

of the HighScope Foundation. 

Director of Publications 

Nancy Altman Brickman 

nbrickman@highscope.org 

Editors 

Joanne Tangorra (Magazine Editor), 

Jennifer Burd, Marcella Weiner 

Assistant Editor/Assistant Web Specialist 

Katie Bruckner 

Director of Marketing and Communications 

Kathleen Woodard 

Marketing Specialist 

Kacey Beach 

Tania Leiter 

Product Services Specialist 

Design 

Wagner Design 

Graphic Artist 

Kazuko Sacks, Profit Makers LLC 

Order Fulfillment 

Sherry Barker 

HighScope Press 

HighScope Educational Research Foundation 

600 North River Street 

Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898 

734.485.2000, Fax 734.485.0704 

Website: highscope.org 

© 2012 HighScope Foundation. 

Permission to reprint ReSource articles 

must be obtained from the publisher. 

To download individual articles, 

go to News & Information on our website. 

highscope.org ReSource Spring 2012 3

What’s New News 

New! 

Planning Around 

the Preschool COR 

This new book from 

HighScope Press helps 

teachers put their child 

observations to work when 

planning strategies, experiences, and 

activities to support children’s development. 

Teaching ideas are matched 

to specific categories and items of the 

Preschool Child Observation Record 

(COR), enabling you to choose learning 

experiences that best meet the 

needs of each child. For more information, 

see catalog, page 2. 

HighScope Names New 

Director of Research 

HighScope is pleased to announce the 

appointment of Dr. Tomoko Wakabayashi 

to the position of the foundation’s Director 

of Research. Dr. Wakabayashi is an 

experienced educational researcher with 

expertise in assessment 

and program evaluation. 

Her postdoctoral research 

experience includes work 

at the Center for Infant 

Studies at Stanford university. 

She has extensive 

experience in higher 

education teaching, and 

has served as the lead evaluator for a 

federally funded five-year Responsible 

Fatherhood project. 

Prior to joining HighScope, Dr. 

Wakabayashi served as research manager 

for Parents as Teachers and was a 

lecturer in the Child and Adolescent 

Development Department of San Jose 

State university. She also served as a 

Postdoctoral Research Coordinator in 

the Center for Infant Studies in the 

Department of Psychology at Stanford 

university. 

@HighScope? 

According to HighScope 

President Larry Schweinhart, 

PhD, Dr. Wakabayashi’s background 

is a good match for 

the foundation’s goals and 

interests. “We are very 

pleased to have Dr. Tomoko 

Wakabayashi as HighScope’s 

new Director of Research,” noted Dr. 

Schweinhart. “Her problem-solving orientation, 

research interests, experience, 

and educational background fit well 

with HighScope’s character and culture,” 

he added. 

New on the Web 

Two new blogs have debuted on 

HighScope’s website, giving visitors to 

the site interactive access to information 

and ideas about enriching children’s 

lives through movement, and using 

HighScope in elementary classrooms. 

Visitors to our new Education Through 

Movement blog at educationthroughmovement.highscope.org 

will find articles 

written by High- 

Scope staff and 

field consultants 

on the value of 

movement and 

music in early 

education, information 

on upcoming 

training events, video 

clips, and sample activities 

that you can use 

with your students. 

Readers have the opportunity 

to comment 

and dialogue 

on current topics 

in this field. 

For K–3 educators 

interested in joining 

a conversation about 

using HighScope in 

on the foundation’s 

latest projects and products 

the early elementary grades, our new 

blog at elementary.highscope.org 

addresses how current best practices in 

elementary education can effectively 

mesh with the HighScope framework. 

Teachers in the field who are familiar 

with the HighScope approach can share 

their thoughts and experiences related 

to using HighScope with elementary 

learners. 

New Numbers Plus Study 

The HighScope Foundation has 

received a four-year grant from the 

Institute of Education Sciences to study 

the efficacy of the research-based 

Numbers Plus Preschool Mathematics 

Curriculum 

that is possible 

when teachers 

are given 

appropriate 

professional 

development 

support. The 

sample for the project is drawn from 

five early childhood programs in 

Michigan, Maine, and Ohio. Researchers 

will investigate whether teacher 

professional development support 

activities have an impact on teacher’s 

knowledge and confidence in teaching 

mathematics, and the strategies teachers 

use in the classroom. 

The Numbers Plus curriculum 

includes a set of 120 small- and largegroup 

activities, with ideas for expanding 

mathematics learning throughout the 

program day. Aligned with the standards 

and focal points of the National Council 

of Teachers of Mathematics, the activities 

address five content areas: number 

and operations, geometry, measurement, 

algebra, and data analysis. For more 

information about Numbers Plus, see 

catalog page 11. 


HIgHSCOPE IMPLEMENTATION 


Into Practice 

TAkING THE FIrST 

STEPS IN HIGHSCOPE 

ImPlEmENTATION 

A 

lthough people leave High- 

Scope training excited about 

implementing active learning 

in their classrooms, facing the reality 

of making changes can lead to resistance 

and barriers. The following 

statements, from administrators and 

teachers, respectively, are a sampling 

of the excuses people give for not 

being able to implement the High- 

Scope Curriculum after training: 

* 

“How do I convince my teachers that 

they are teaching in this curriculum 

without daily lessons and worksheets?” 

* 

“My teachers will not want to give 

up control of the classroom.” 

* 

“How am I going to get both teachers 

and parents to buy into this curriculum?” 

* 

“I can’t meet the district’s curriculum 

standards and do HighScope at the 

same time.” 

* 

“Parents are expecting us to teach 

their children letters and numbers.” 

* 

Teamwork is a key component of the HighScope 

Curriculum. An effective team works together to 

set goals in a positive climate of mutual sharing 

and trust. 

“My children won’t sit still long 

enough for everyone to plan.” 

* 

“I don’t have time to _____________ 

(fill in the blank).” 

HighScope training sessions are 

spread out over weeks or months — we 

call it “distributive learning” — and 

participants benefit from having time 

to try out what they have learned. They 

then bring results and questions back to 

the whole group, a process that includes 

discussion and analysis while the trainer 

scaffolds the learning — that is, validates 

participants’ current understanding 

and helps build on it — by asking 

pertinent questions. 

However, the training eventually 

comes to an end. So, how can partici- 

by Patricia Murphy 

pants maintain the energy and commitment 

to implementing HighScope that 

was inspired by the regular support and 

encouragement from workshop coparticipants 

and the HighScope trainer? 

And what do you do when you encounter 

additional challenges — days when 

colleagues are sick, it’s pouring rain 

outside, or the children are overexcited? 

At times like these, classroom adults 

may find themselves giving directions 

to children, pouring the juice for them, 

or canceling large-group time, even 

though they know that doing otherwise 

would provide wonderful active learning 

opportunities for both the children 

and adults. So why do we sometimes 

explain our tendency to turn to a directive 

or laissez-faire approach with the 

words, “Well, we didn’t do HighScope 

today because it was raining…”? 

The answer to the dilemmas just 

described is plan-do-review — a key 

component of the HighScope Curriculum. 

Together with the members of your 

teaching team, you can apply the principles 

and strategies of plan-do-review to 

the HighScope Wheel of Learning — 



specifically, active learning, key developmental 

indicators (KDIs), teamwork, 

adult-child interaction, and observation 

and assessment — as a tool for “getting 

over the hump” of those days when you 

feel stuck. 

Use Teamwork 

Just as preschoolers often experience 

discomfort when making the transition 

from one activity to another or leaving 

the care of a trusted adult to be cared 

for by another, less familiar person, 

early childhood educators may sometimes 

experience confusion and distress 

when implementing a new curriculum. 

Sometimes it just seems easier to do 

what’s familiar because change takes 

time and energy. Although some team 

members will want to forge ahead, 

others may remain skeptical, with the 

pre-HighScope ways of doing things 

providing a safe haven from the natural 

feelings of uncertainty that come with a 

challenge to one’s skill set. 

It’s at times like these that a key 

component of the HighScope Curriculum 

— teamwork — comes into play. 

And just as we plan ahead — then 

implement and evaluate — strategies 

to help children through changes and 

transitions, so, too, can the plan-doreview 

process help us work as a team 

to address concerns about change. 

You will find the following in an 

effective teaching team: a positive 

climate of mutual sharing and trust; 

staff working together to set goals; 

clear expectations; decisions made 

and carried out by consensus; a view 

of conflicts as normal and use of 

appropriate conflict resolution strategies; 

and regular evaluations of staff 

work and achievement of team goals 

(Epstein, 2007, p. 91). 

Using HighScope's plan-do-review process, children plan (below), carry out, and then reflect on their work-time 

activities. These strategies can serve as a model for teachers implementing HighScope for the first time, as they 

plan active learning opportunities for children, implement these ideas, and evaluate what did or did not work. 

In a supportive environment where 

these principles are in place, practitioners 

can share anxieties (“I’m really 

nervous about small-group time — I’m 

afraid the children will just run off if 

I don’t tell them what to do with the 

materials”); they can explore solutions 

(“Can someone help me to plan my 

activity, please?”); and they can take 

risks (“I’m still nervous, but I know that 

the children love to use the unit blocks, 

so I’m going to work on getting them 

started immediately by giving an openended 

introduction and following their 

leads”). In this type of supportive atmosphere, 

open discussion, problem solving, 

and encouragement flourish, allowing 

implementation of HighScope’s active 

learning curriculum to move forward. 

Observe and Innovate (Plan) 

Just as teachers can scaffold children’s 

learning, they can also scaffold 

adults’ adjustment to the new curriculum. 

Reflective teachers who are aware 

of their own and their coteachers’ challenges 

can make plans to provide additional 

support to one another at different 

times of the day. For example, largegroup-time 

music and movement activities 

can be a challenge for some adults 

who are shy about engaging in exuberant 

movement. A supportive colleague might 

agree to mentor a coteacher by taking 

the lead role and freeing the other adult 

to be a participant who can observe and 

imitate the children who generally have 

lots of ideas about ways to move to 

music! Or, to give another example, a 

teacher who’s been used to directing 

group discussion at greeting time may 

struggle with waiting and listening for 

children’s ideas and experiences to 

emerge. A supportive colleague might 

take the facilitator role so that the coteacher 

can focus on listening carefully to 

children and processing the content of 

their conversation. This open approach to 

challenges can have the same empowering 

effect as that experienced by children 

when adults acknowledge and affirm the 

need to keep elements of the familiar 

when building in the new. 

Members of effective teams also plan 

together at a consistent time, ideally 


every day but at least once a week. using 

plan-do-review strategies to plan can 

have particular relevance for teams in the 

early stages of HighScope implementation. 

These include evaluating what did 

and did not work in the previous day’s 

plan; discussing and resolving any 

group or individual problems; and 

taking advantage of each team member’s 

strengths while making a new 

plan to implement the next day (Epstein, 

2007, pp. 93–94). 

This process may help practitioners 

talk about differing views or ambivalence 

regarding curriculum implementation. 

For example, there may be differences 

of opinion about how to support 

a child’s need to pour large quantities 

of paint when budgets are tight and 

staff are worried about waste. One team 

member may advocate that the active 

learning opportunities in the manipulation 

of the paint and the child thought 

and language fostered by it are paramount. 

Another might argue that the 

problem-solving process of explaining 

to the child the reasons why it’s important 

to save some paint for everyone 

else and negotiating an agreement is 

just as important. 

This could be a time when the “old 

way” of adults’ filling the paint pots 

every day and supplying extra paint from 

the high shelf by request from children 

might seem very comforting. But it’s 

also an opportunity for practitioners to 

apply what they’ve learned about High- 

Scope to real situations in the classroom. 

When practitioners know that the daily 

or weekly routine of team planning will 

provide them space for airing such issues 

and problems as well as contributing to 

a solution, they are likely to feel more 

comfortable taking small risks — such 

as making paint available for children 

to pour themselves in smaller containers 

so that paint pumping will have a natural 

limit. 

Foster Active Learning (Do) 

If you have moments of wondering 

where to begin when first implementing 

HighScope in your classroom, thinking 

about how to support active learning is 

a good place to start because there is 

always something you can easily do to 

promote this central component of the 

curriculum. You can start by playing as 

a partner with children — and what 

fun it is to be free to mix, smell, construct, 

count, manipulate, hop, run, sing, 

pretend, analyze, discuss, conclude, and 

laugh! Adults who share the joy of 

learning nurture children’s positive attitude 

toward education, which can continue 

throughout life. This opportunity 

is a gift and a challenge, and it begins 

with active learning. using the 58 key 

development indicators (KDIs) — the 

building blocks of children’s thinking 

and reasoning at each stage of development 

— to note children’s development 

as active learners can help guide you in 

all the work you do with children. (For 

more on the KDIs, see the HighScope 

website at highscope.org.) 

Implementation moves 

forward in a supportive 

environment where 

practitioners can share 

anxieties, take risks, and 

problem-solve together. 

When you and the other members of 

your teaching team recommit to active 

learning, the four elements of the High- 

Scope Wheel of Learning that revolve 

around it — a consistent daily routine; 

a thoughtfully planned and accessible 

learning environment; authentic assessment; 

and supportive adult-child interactions 

— make sense and follow naturally 

as part of an implementation plan. 

For example, when you create a consistent 

daily routine that contains a variety 

of opportunity and activity, children feel 

safe and in control and are more likely 

to build on their play. And as children 

come to realize they will have work time 

each day and that they can save their 

work for the next day with a work-inprogress 

sign, they may be more likely 

to engage in complex play and even 

invite the classroom adults to join in. 

While playing as a partner with chil- 

dren, you can scaffold their learning 

— that is, support them at their current 

level and help them expand their skills. 

For example, if you are helping Eva 

and Tim to build a sand castle, and they 

are looking for ways to “decorate their 

tower,” you might mention that there 

are materials in the art area they could 

bring over. 

Similarly, once you have created a 

classroom environment for active learning, 

you can observe children’s interests 

and needs and, over time, add materials 

to the classroom that will offer new 

opportunities for children to explore 

their interests and develop their knowledge 

and skills. For example, if you 

observe a child playing at the sand-andwater 

table each day, you might add 

materials to the area that would allow 

the child to have new experiences such 

as scooping or pouring the sand or 

water, or floating, sinking, or burying 

objects. 

Adult-child interaction is perhaps one 

of the most difficult principles of active 

learning to put into practice, especially 

because the children themselves bring 

so much to the equation. A useful way 

to decide how to facilitate activities and 

interact with children is to view the 

challenges as opportunities to build a 

classroom in which adults and children 

share control of the learning 

environment. Adults do this by taking 

turns with children, following and leading, 

talking and listening, and teaching 

and listening; focusing on what children 

can do and supporting their motivation 

to develop new skills and acquire new 

learning; making meaningful comments 

about children’s work and asking questions 

sparingly; taking genuine interest 

in children’s play and trusting that it is 

the child’s forum for learning; and 

adopting a problem-solving approach 

to conflict — that is, understanding that 

conflicts are a natural occurrence during 

play and an opportunity to problemsolve 

(Epstein, 2007, pp. 30–34). 

So, with these things in mind, let’s 

return to one of the dilemmas described 

earlier: the wet day. When adults and 

children share control, naturally occur- 



Using Visuals to Support Basic HighScope Implementation 

In the early days and weeks after training, 

it’s a good idea to keep things simple and try to 

ensure that everyone is working to maintain the 

basics outlined by the HighScope Wheel of 

Learning. Visual aids — such as posters, signs, 

and photos — are an effective way to remember 

these basics and the core strategies for 

implementing them in the classroom. . 

Active learning 

Make a chart that names the five ingredients 

of active learning and describes how each 

ingredient is provided in the classroom: 

materials: A plentiful variety of materials 

that appeal to all the senses are in the block, 

house, art, sand and water, and toy areas and 

can be used in many ways. 

manipulation: Children mix and change 

materials and even ideas; they discover and 

construct knowledge as they work. 

Choice: Children make choices about what 

they want to play with, who they will play with, 

and how they will play. 

Child language and thought: Children 

use their own words to describe their actions 

and opinions about what they are experiencing 

and discovering. 

Adult scaffolding: Adults support children’s 

actions and plans and try to help them to develop 

Adults in HighScope settings use the daily 

message board to communicate important 

information to children, such as a teacher’s 

absence or special events that may 

affect the daily routine. 

their thinking and reasoning by asking pertinent, 

genuine questions and by participating 

in their play. 

Illustrate the chart with photos of children 

and adults from the setting in active learning 

situations. Then post the chart where parents 

and practitioners can see it while working with 

children and can talk to each other about how 

adults try to provide active learning opportunities 

for children throughout the daily routine. 

key Developmental Indicators (kDIs) 

Similarly, post a chart of the KDIs where 

parents and teachers can see them and talk 

to each other about what they mean and help 

foster children’s engagement with them throughout 

the daily routine. For example, a glance at 

the KDI chart can help remind adults to encourage 

child choice and initiative during smallgroup 

time. Although small-group is an adultplanned 

and adult-initiated part of the daily 

routine, it is still possible to allow children to 

make and express choices and decisions, which 

is a KDI in the initiative and social relations curriculum 

content area. 

learning Environment 

An organized environment, with clear and 

simple area signs and labeled materials, helps 

children feel in control of their own learning 

(see related article, p. 11). As you work with 

children, carefully observe their interests and 

developmental levels so you can add, change, 

or rotate areas and materials as needed to help 

the children pursue their ideas and build on their 

play. In daily team planning meetings, talk to your 

coteachers about what you see children doing. 

Daily routine 

Using a picture or symbol that children can 

understand, make a chart that illustrates each 

part of the routine. Reviewing the chart with 

children will help both children and teachers 

learn the new schedule while also building 

children’s language skills and creating opportunities 

for supportive adult-child interactions. 

To further these opportunities, make a 

message board and use it every day to communicate 

information such as a child’s absence, 

the availability of new materials in the classroom, 

or special events that may affect the 

daily routine. A helpful message at the start of 

the school year (or when starting to implement 

HighScope) uses children’s and teachers’ 

names and letter-links to indicate who is in 

each small group of 8–10 children and one 

teacher (Gainsley, p. 36). As you read the 

message board with children, identify each 

message by number; identify pictures, symbols, 

letters, and words; ask “What do you see?” 

and “How do you know?” and acknowledge 

all answers (pp. 36–39). 

Adult-Child Interaction 

With your teaching team, review 

the interaction strategies that encourage 

active learning: sharing control, 

focusing on children’s strengths, 

forming authentic relationships with 

children, supporting children’s play, 

and adopting a problem-solving 

approach to conflicts. Make charts 

that name these strategies and illustrate 

them with pictures or symbols 

so adults can refer to them throughout 

the daily routine and practice 

these strategies during their interactions 

with children. Write captions 

to describe what is happening in 

each picture — for example, “Beth 

[a child] and Trish [an adult] choose 

materials for Beth’s holiday picture.” 

Encourage team members to give 

one another feedback on their interactions 

with children. 


ing dilemmas pose wonderful opportunities 

for joint problem solving. Children 

can surprise adults with their ideas and 

ability to suggest alternatives. Here are 

some solutions generated by children to 

deal with the wet day issue: “Make a 

camp in the block area and pretend 

we’re outside”; “Wear dressup clothes 

and take them off when they’re wet”; 

“Stay in”; “Wear coats and boots and 

go outside”; “Run really fast”; “Make 

mud.” Somehow the weather doesn’t 

seem like much of a dilemma when you 

have such enthusiastic young learners 

willing to participate in the problemsolving 

process! 

Reflect and Assess (Review) 

Children engaged in active learning 

demonstrate and articulate all kinds of 

knowledge and ideas. Keep notepads 

and writing tools handy throughout the 

room and/or in a pocket so that as you 

watch and listen to children, you can 

use the HighScope KDIs to write down 

how children are engaging with materials 

and ideas. You can later use these 

to guide the questions you pose and 

the discussions you have with children 

and to plan future interactions and 

activities with children and team colleagues. 

You can also use these anecdotes 

to complete and score the Child 

Observation Record (COR; HighScope 

Educational Research Foundation, 

2003a), which monitors children’s 

development and supports dialogue 

with children’s family members and 

coteachers about providing developmentally 

appropriate, active learning 

experiences for the children. 

At the same time, you can reflect on 

your own learning as your understanding 

of HighScope deepens with experience 

and you share with your other teaching 

team members what is working well 

and what can be improved upon. Keeping 

a journal is a helpful way to track 

your own growth as you implement 

HighScope in your program. 

Later on, you can use the Program 

Quality Assessment (PQA; HighScope 

Educational Research Foundation, 

2003b) to evaluate your use of the 

One way adults share control of the learning environment with children is by taking turns with them, following and 

leading, and talking and listening. 

HighScope Curriculum in your program. 

Together with members of your 

teaching team, you can then discuss 

what needs to happen in order to make 

further progress and devise action plans 

to implement ideas. 

A daily routine 

provides consistency 

and predictability, 

helping children to 

feel safe and in control. 

As a result, they are 

more likely to take 

initiative and engage 

in more complex play. 

So, on those days after training when 

you have that “What now?” feeling, 

remember how easy it is for members of 

the team to use plan-do-review and the 

HighScope Wheel of Learning to keep 

active learning alive — and to understand 

why it’s so important. 

References 

Epstein, A. S. (2007). Essentials of 

active learning in preschool: Getting 

to know the HighScope Curriculum. 

Ypsilanti, MI: HighScope Press. 

gainsley, S. (2008). From message to 

meaning: Using a daily message 

board in the preschool classroom. 


HighScope Educational Research Foundation. 

(2003a). Preschool Child 

Observation Record (COR) (2nd ed.). 


HighScope Educational Research Foundation. 

(2003b). Preschool Program 

Quality Assessment (PQA) (2nd ed.). 


Hohmann, M., Weikart, D. P., and 

Epstein, A. S. (2008). Educating 

young children: Active learning 

practices for preschool and childcare 

programs (3rd ed.). Ypsilanti, 

MI: HighScope Press. 

This article was adapted from “You’ve 

Finished HighScope Training — Now What?” 

Extensions (January/February 2009). 

Patricia Murphy is a social worker 

and HighScope Certified Trainer in 

West Dublin, Ireland. 


HIgHSCOPE 

Teacher’s Corner 

Reflections on Problem Solving 

by Becky James 

I joined 

the HighScope Demonstration 

Preschool at the end of March 

2011 after a year of teaching in 

South America. With the exception of 

some basic information discussed in 

my early childhood graduate courses, 

HighScope was new to me. In April, 

I started HighScope training in the 

Preschool Curriculum Course (PCC). 

During the Social-Emotional KDIs 

overview, we explored the problemsolving 

approach to conflict — a key 

element of adult-child interaction (see 

the HighScope Wheel of Learning). 

In some ways, I was quite comfortable 

with the way that HighScope handles 

problem solving from the very 

beginning. Approaching calmly and 

acknowledging feelings were both 

important steps in strategies I had 

applied in the past. It felt natural for 

me to discuss a problem with children, 

isolating an object in question if necessary, 

and arriving at a possible solution 

together. However, in my experience, 

there have been three key elements of 

this process that I have, at times, overlooked. 

The first relates to sharing my 

ideas with children. Although I try to 

allow the children to generate possible 

solutions without my expressed input, I 

have learned it can be helpful to share 

my thoughts to get them started. My 

coteachers have modeled the following 

language: “Would you like to hear my 

idea?” Simply asking the children if 

The Six Problem-Solving Steps: Approach calmly, 

stopping any hurtful actions; acknowledge children’s 

feelings; gather information; restate the problem; 

ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together; 

give follow-up support as needed. 

they would like to hear my thoughts 

keeps the focus on supporting the children 

through their ideas and working 

together. The second key element in 

the problem-solving process for me has 

been remembering to follow up and 

re-acknowledge feelings when needed. 

Sometimes the six steps (see caption) 

need to be repeated, and going back to 

acknowledging feelings seems so basic 

that I have overlooked this component 

of the process. 

Finally, staying with the children until 

the problem is resolved (really resolved) 

was something that I didn’t fully understand 

those first weeks in the classroom. 

I remember when the idea of staying 

with the children until the very end 

really struck me. My coteacher, Shannon, 

Steps in Resolving 

Conflicts, Small-Size 

Poster, English-Spanish 

Hang these laminated posters in your 

classroom and/or your parent area to help adults remember the six steps to 

resolving conflicts as they interact with children. Set of two 8 ½" x 11" posters 

with English version on one side and Spanish on the other. 

SC-P1365 $11.95 

was greeting parents at the door and I 

was reading books to children on the 

carpet. Kumar had been reading a new 

book, a photo album of our field trip to 

Domino’s Pizza. Although he was finished 

with the book, holding it in his lap 

and reading a different one altogether, 

he would not give the book to Wesley, a 

child who had asked to see it. I approached 

Kumar, acknowledged that he was 

excited about the new book, but also 

rephrased what Wesley had said — he 

wanted to use the book too. After restating 

the problem, I asked the boys for 

ideas. Wesley thought that they could 

both look at the book together, but 

Kumar didn’t want to do that. So I stated 

my idea — perhaps, if Kumar didn’t 

want to read it together with Wesley, 

when Kumar was finished he could give 

it to Wesley for a turn. 

Stay with the children 

until the problem is 

really resolved. 

I remember struggling to work with 

Kumar, trying out what I could, but then 

turning my attention back to another 

child who also needed me. I didn’t stick 

with the problem. Shannon came over 

and went back through the six steps with 

Kumar and Wesley, as well as another 

child who now also wanted a turn with 

the book. This particular situation made 

a light bulb go off in my head. Stay until 

solved. This does not mean that the same 

problem won’t occur again, but at least 

the children involved will have an understanding 

that the problem was resolved 

together, their voices were heard, and 

their feelings and opinions matter. Sometimes 

children will come up with their 

own ideas, try a solution offered by one 

of their peers, use ideas that have (or 

have not) been successful in the past, or 

refuse to problem-solve and move on to 

something else, but eventually we will 

come to a solution. 

Becky James is a teacher in the 

HighScope Demonstration Preschool. 



Arranging 

the Active 

Learning 

Environment 

SETTING UP THE PrESCHOOl ClASSrOOm 

A 

well-designed and well-organized 

learning environment 

that is inviting to children, 

full of interesting materials, and set 

up to accommodate a range of activities 

and play, supports children’s 

growth in all areas of development. 

Any developmentally appropriate program 

— whether it’s a half-day program 

located in an elementary school 

setting, a full-day program in a child 

care setting, a small space located in 

a church basement, or a newly built, 

state-of-the-art center with spacious 

and well-equipped rooms — can follow 

some basic guidelines to arrange 

a learning space for young children 

that will encourage their exploration, 

creativity, and active learning. 

Setting Up Interest Areas 

Children who participate in developmentally 

based preschool programs naturally 

engage in a variety of types of 

play and learning. They enjoy building, 

pretending, creating, reading, moving, 

writing, drawing, and making music. In 

order to encourage the various types of 

A well-equipped learning space supports children's 

exploration and active learning. 

play and learning that naturally occur, 

interest areas should be designed to support 

children’s interests and activities. 

For example, a sand and water area 

encourages sensory exploration, a spacious 

block area encourages children’s 

desires to build and construct things, 

or a reading and writing area supports 

preschoolers’ discoveries of books and 

their early writing development. 

It’s important to choose names for 

the interest areas that make sense to 

children and are easy for them to identify. 

For example, choose to name the area 

of the classroom with small manipulative 

materials and toys the toy area, rather 

than the manipulative area — likewise, 

house area, instead of dramatic play 

by Nancy Vogel 

area. use large area signs to label each 

area, and refer to areas by name when 

talking with children. 

The interest areas should also be 

clearly defined by equipment, such as 

low shelving units or dividers. In addition, 

the equipment that serves as the 

actual focal point of the interest area, 

such as a water table in the sand and 

water area, or a workbench in the woodworking 

area, can also clearly define a 

space. Other visual boundaries include 

area rugs or a change in the surface of 

the floor, boxes or crates used for storing 

materials, large hollow blocks, easels, 

or tables. In home preschools or day 

care settings, interest areas may be 

located in separate rooms, for example, 

the art area and sand area in the home’s 

kitchen or the toy and reading and writing 

areas in the family room. 

In developing a floor plan for your 

learning environment, consider the 

fixed elements of the physical setting 

(such as sinks, toilets, floor surfaces, 

doors, natural and artificial lighting, 

and electrical outlets), as well as the 

traffic flow within and between the 



interest areas. Adults should consider 

the activities that occur in each area and 

the physical features needed for those 

activities. For example, locate the art 

area near a sink or other water source 

and on a tile floor, or a reading and 

writing area near a window in order to 

take advantage of the natural sunlight. 

Consider also how children’s activities 

in one area may affect those in nearby 

areas. For example, house area play 

often spills into the block area, so locate 

these areas next to each other. Similarly, 

locate areas for louder play, such as the 

woodworking, music and movement, 

and block areas, within close proximity 

of one another and away from areas 

where quieter activities occur, such as 

the reading and writing area. 

To nurture children’s 

independence, 

adults can identify 

materials with labels 

children can “read” 

on their own. 

Although there is no set rule for the 

number of interest areas, there are at 

certain basic interest areas that all classrooms 

should have; these include art, 

block, house, reading and writing, and 

toy areas. If space allows, additional 

interest areas might include computer, 

music and movement, sand and water, 

and woodworking areas. As a general 

rule, it is better to have a few spacious, 

well-stocked interest areas than to have 

many small areas stocked with a few 

materials. It is also possible to locate 

some interest areas, such as the sand 

and water area, outdoors. 

In order to make good choices about 

where to go and what to do in the classroom, 

children should be able to see all 

areas of the room easily, without large 

pieces of furniture or equipment blocking 

their views. This arrangement also 

allows adults to see and monitor what 

is happening in all areas of the room at 

all times. 

Making the Space Inviting to 

Children 

We want children to feel comfortable, 

safe, and free to explore, discover, and 

learn when they enter into their learning 

environment. In order to create an inviting 

space for children there are several 

factors to consider. 

Add softness. First, try to incorporate 

softness into your space. Items such as 

carpeting, area rugs, curtains, beanbag 

chairs, pillows, sleeping bags, stuffed 

animals, wall hangings, or quilts will 

create a sense of warmth and safety in 

your environment. Additionally, these 

soft items will help to absorb the loud 

sounds that come from different areas 

and activities in the room, such as hammers 

pounding or blocks falling down. 

Choose colors and textures carefully. 

If possible, choose simple and 

subdued or neutral colors for walls, floor 

coverings (including large-group-time 

rugs), and equipment. It is best to start 

the program year with fewer colors, 

patterns, textures, and other visually 

stimulating items, adding more as the 

program year progresses, depending on 

the individual needs and personalities in 

your class. Too many colors or patterns 

can be overwhelming, and can be distracting 

to children who easily become 

overstimulated and excited. 

Use natural building materials and 

natural light sources. Whenever budget 

allows, choose shelving units, cubbies, 

tables, and outdoor climbing structures 

that are made from wood, rather than 

from plastic and other artificial materials. 

If you do have natural light sources 

available (for example, windows and 

skylights), take advantage of them, rather 

than only relying on artificial light. 

If possible, turn off overhead florescent 

lights. The flickering nature of the lights 

and the humming sound are thought to 

adversely affect some children. Secured 

floor lamps or table lamps offer a lighting 

alternative and provide a warmer 

feel to the room. 

Provide for coziness. Finally, even 

very active children need a little time 

to retreat and rest or snuggle up with a 

familiar adult and a favorite book. Cozy 

In developing a floor plan, consider the physical features 

needed for activities. For example, locate the art 

area near a sink or other water source. 

places indoors can include lofts, canopies, 

or netting that’s been hung from 

the ceiling, reading areas, and window 

seats, while outdoor cozy places can be 

found in tree houses, playhouses, or by 

positioning a bench under a shady tree 

or near a flower garden. 

Accommodating Storage Needs 

Aside from the essential materials 

that remain available to children all the 

time (such as unit blocks in the block 

area or baby dolls in the house area), 

some materials will not always be in 

use (e.g., props for dramatic play, large 

balls that are occasionally taken outside) 

and should be stored in another location, 

such as a storage closet, or on shelves 

that are not within reach or the immediate 

view of children. Too many visible 

materials can become overwhelming for 

children, making it difficult for them to 

make plans or to focus on their activities. 

Space to store children’s personal 

belongings is also essential. Individual 

storage areas for children should be 

easy for them to reach: cubbies, lockers, 

tubs, baskets, or boxes, and low hooks 

or shelves. Items that can be stored in 

those spaces include outerwear (jackets, 

mittens, etc.); notes to parents and classroom 

newsletters; children’s artwork, 

writing, and other creations they want to 

take home; and other personal belongings, 

such as clothing that gets wet at the 

water table and needs to be sent home. 

These personal storage areas should be 


clearly labeled with a nametag and a 

letter-linked picture of the child who 

uses that space. [HighScope’s letter 

links name-learning system pairs a 

child’s printed name with a letter-linked 

picture of an object that starts with the 

same letter and sound. More information 

about letter links and detailed 

examples of nametags can be found in 

the book Letter Links: Alphabet Learning 

With Children’s Names, available 

through www.highscope.org. Also available 

through HighScope is Letter Links 

Online, a Web-based program that 

allows teachers to create and print out 

links quickly and automatically on their 

computers.] 

To nurture children’s independence, 

adults can identify materials with labels 

children can “read” on their own — for 

instance, pieces of the material itself, 

tracings, drawings, catalog pictures, box 

tops, photographs, photocopies, or any 

of these types of labels with the word 

for the item accompanying it. This supports 

children’s efforts to find materials 

and return them to their storage space 

when they have finished using them. 

Children can also be involved in deciding 

where to put materials and in making 

their own labels. 

Storage containers should be easy to 

see into and easy for children to handle. 

Containers of various sizes can be used 

many different storage needs: kitchensized 

garbage cans can hold dowel rods 

in the woodworking area; egg cartons 

with lids removed can hold small beads 

in the art area. Keeping the lids off of 

containers make materials visible and 

easily accessible to children. (It may be 

necessary to keep certain small objects, 

which could pose a choking risk for 

some children, stored in a container 

with a lid attached.) 

Choosing Appropriate 

Equipment and Materials 

The materials placed in a developmentally 

based early childhood program 

should be chosen carefully by adults 

who understand and want to support 

young children’s interests, cultural 

backgrounds, and their developmental 

stages and abilities. Materials should be 

open-ended, meaning they should be 

materials that can be used in a variety of 

different ways. The examples of openended 

materials that can be added to a 

classroom are as limitless as the ways in 

which they can be used! Some examples 

include clay, paint, blocks, baby dolls, 

It is better to have a few spacious, well-stocked interest areas rather than many small areas with a few materials. 

dishes, beads, puppets, scarves, paper 

and markers, and musical instruments. 

Other types of open-ended materials 

include those that are found and recycled: 

buttons, pieces of scrap wood, 

empty plastic containers or food cartons, 

or large appliance boxes. Finally, natural 

materials, such as seashells, rocks, nuts, 

seed pods, sand, water, leaves and twigs, 

or living plants, offer opportunities for 

open-ended play and discovery, and 

offer a nice contrast to the many plastic 

materials that are available and present 

in preschools today. 

It is also important for adults to 

choose materials that reflect the children’s 

interests. For example, for children 

who are fascinated by the road construction 

that’s occurring in front of the 

school building, adults will place books 

about construction equipment in the 

reading and writing area; bulldozers, 

excavators, cement mixers, and road 

graders in the block area; and smaller 

construction equipment in the sand table. 

Or, to support an increasing interest in 

restaurant play after a visit to a local 

pizza place, adults might add props 

such as menus, empty pizza boxes, play 

dough, pizza cutters, pads of paper, and 

pencils to the house area. 

great care should also be taken to 

ensure that the materials you place in 

your learning environment reflect the 

family backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities 

of the children in your program. 

In addition, materials and equipment 

should be nonbiased and nondiscriminatory. 

For example, include books that 

portray children with disabilities or older 

adults in positive ways; photographs of 

all kinds of families; dolls with appropriate 

skin color, hair textures and styles, 

and facial features; and food containers 

that are labeled in children’s languages. 

Considerations for Supporting 

Children With Special Needs 

Safety and accessibility is a concern 

in any early childhood setting. However, 

when adults are working with children 

who have special needs, safety and 

accessibility become an even greater 

concern. Adults who have children with 

special needs in their classrooms may 



have to take into consideration the safety 

of children who tend to put objects in 

their mouths or children who frequently 

wander away from the group. Adults 

will need to take extra precautions for 

children who are unsteady on their feet 

or use assistive devices such as wheelchairs 

or walkers, for example, protecting 

or covering corners on furniture and 

making sure all floor coverings are 

securely fastened to the floor. In addition, 

the arrangement of the learning 

space may need to be modified to make 

it easier for children with physical disabilities 

to move from one area to the 

next. For example, some adults who 

work with children who have special 

mobility needs find it necessary to 

design the interest areas of their classrooms 

with more than one way in and 

out to prevent traffic jams. 

The arrangement 

of the learning space 

may need to be 

modified so that 

children with physical 

disabilities can move 

around more easily. 

A physical learning space that is 

inviting to children is perhaps even more 

essential for children who have unique 

and special needs. For example, children 

who become nervous and agitated in 

environments with excess noise or visual 

stimulation will benefit greatly from a 

classroom that provides natural or soft 

lighting and a place to safely retreat with 

a cozy blanket or an item of security. 

Most children with special needs 

will function well in a classroom 

that is well designed and well 

organized. However, if it 

appears that some children 

have difficulty coping with the 

wide array of materials, adults 

may choose to limit the amount 

of materials on display, especially 

at the beginning of the program year. 

For example, the toy area in a typical 

classroom might overwhelm some children. 

Instead of having multiple collections 

of small manipulative materials 

out on shelves, adults may want to begin 

the program year with a small variety 

of interesting and appropriate materials 

and gradually add to those materials as 

children become more familiar with the 

daily routine, the learning environment, 

and the process of find-use-return; and 

as they progress from exploring by 

dumping materials onto the floor to 

more purposeful play. In terms of hanging 

materials on the walls, it may be 

appropriate to stick with the essentials: 

interest-area signs, daily routine signs, 

children’s symbols, and children’s artwork, 

all hung at the children’s level. 

This practice benefits all children, and 

will be especially helpful for children 

who become over stimulated easily. 

Many of the modifications adults 

make for the children they serve are 

based on their knowledge of fundamental 

child development principles, as well 

as on their understanding of how active 

learning and appropriate materials support 

children in all developmental stages. 

For example, children with visual 

impairments or children who are in the 

sensory-motor stage of development 

might find materials that offer tactile, 

visual, or auditory stimulation more 

interesting to explore than their peers 

with normal vision or higher cognitive 

Even very active children need 

time to rest or read a favorite 

book in a cozy setting. 

levels. A toy area in a typical preschool 

program might offer manipulative materials 

to take apart and fit together, items 

for pretending and role play, or small 

collections to count and sort. In a program 

with children who are functioning 

at lower cognitive levels, teachers might 

instead provide sensory toys, which are 

covered in brightly colored fabrics and 

textures and have jingling bells, soft 

crinkles, or rattling beads inside. They 

might also offer switch or pop-up toys, 

which give children experiences with 

cause and effect, and which prove to be 

more interesting and stimulating for their 

stage of development. 

For programs where children with 

special needs are working alongside their 

normally developing peers, adults will 

want to provide a variety of materials 

appropriate and interesting to children 

functioning at all developmental levels. 

Start with the recommended practices 

for all children, and make modifications 

as needed. In making any adaptations, 

keep in mind the principle of “best practices 

first,” and create and environment 

in which all children can experience 

meaningful learning. 

Nancy Vogel has been a HighScope 

trainer and consultant. This article 

is excerpted from her book Setting 

Up the Preschool Classroom, in the 

HighScope Essentials book series. 


HIgHSCOPE INTERNATIONAL 


Traveling Around the Wheel of learning in latin America and Portugal 

by Corey Shouse Tourino and Joanne Tangorra 

H 

ighScope’s International 

Institutes and Teacher Education 

Centers have a common 

goal: to bring HighScope’s active 

participatory learning model to educational 

settings around the world. 

Currently, there are institutes and 

centers in Indonesia, the United 

Kingdom, Mexico, the Netherlands, 

South Africa, Korea, Canada, and, 

most recently, Colombia, Portugal, 

and Chile. Together, they share the 

common goals of advancing learning 

environments through HighScope 

practices that support and strengthen 

open, democratic societies; optimize 

the potential and development of all 

children and youth no matter what 

their national, economic, ethnic, 

racial, religious, or other differences; 

promote global understanding and 

cooperation by collaborating and networking 

with other members of the 

HighScope International Registry; 

and work cooperatively to enhance 

the use of available HighScope staff 

and resources. 

Implementing HighScope in traditional 

and conservative countries such 

as those in Latin America and Portugal, 

where parents and teachers are often 

resistant to exploring alternatives to traditional 

education, can pose challenges 

for educators dedicated to the philosophy 

and practices of active participatory 

learning. However, this resistance has 

been overcome by dedicated teachers 

and administrators in these schools, 

which have successfully implemented 

key components of the HighScope Curriculum 

and Wheel of Learning for students 

at grade levels from preschool 

through high school. 

At a recent conference at HighScope 

headquarters in Ypsilanti, Michigan, 

representatives from institutes in Mexico, 

Chile, Colombia, and Portugal came 

together to discuss implementation of the 

HighScope Curriculum in their respective 

centers, addressing their successes 

and challenges. Here’s a look at how 

each has circled HighScope’s Wheel of 

Learning to meet the goals of active participatory 

learning in their communities. 

Proponents of an 

active learning 

educational model 

often meet resistance 

from teachers and 

parents in traditional 

and educationally 

conservative countries. 

Chile 

Colegio Santa Cruz de Chicureo 

Since it was established in 1997, the 

Colegio Santa Cruz de Chicureo school 

in Santiago, Chile, has used the High- 

Scope model to guide active learning 

experiences for children from preschool 

through high school. According to 

founder Trinidad Ried, who is also the 

director of the HighScope Institute in 

Chile (officially recognized in 2009), 

the program embodies the ideals of the 

legendary characters in Miguel de Cervantes’ 

Don Quixote, including the 

questing spirit of the title character, a 

At the Colegio Santa Cruz de Chicureo, 

the focus is on developing “whole” people through 

education, giving all students the opportunity to 

learn and develop their own life projects. 

romantic hero who “never gives up,” 

and Quixote’s squire Sancho Panza, the 

voice of reason in the face of Quixote’s 

fantasies. As Ried explains, “You have 

to have someone to finance, build, and 

support — someone who lives in the 

material world.” Finally, Cervantes’ 

character, Dulcinea, the peasant woman 

who is capable of seeing the good in 

everyone, represents the school’s ideal 

of “finding the value and beauty in each 

student and teacher,” says Ried. 

Ried’s own dream when she started 

the Colegio Santa Cruz was, like Don 

Quixote’s, “to swim against the current 

and provide a new way to live reality.” 

The center of the school’s work is to 

develop “whole” people through education, 

giving all students the opportunity 

to learn and develop their own life projects. 

All students must feel included and 

involved. “There are no outsiders, and 

no one is excluded,” says Ried, who was 

partly motivated to establish the Colegio 

because she has a child with special 

needs and wanted an inclusive learning 

environment. She also wanted to establish 

a school that would promote faith 

and values in a way that “would engage, 

not scare,” she explains. “This is a 

Catholic school that treats Catholicism 

as an entire way to live, not as an isolated 

component in one’s life.” 



Trinidad Ried and Carola Ortiz, HighScope Chile 

A central element of the school’s 

mission is to help form conscientious 

people “who become agents of change 

and social development and who learn 

to think in an active manner,” says Ried. 

The school instills in its students an 

openness to “the richness of diversity,” 

a sense of ecological responsibility, and 

an understanding and appreciation of 

Chilean culture. Competency in communication 

(English and Spanish), technology, 

humanism, science, and art is 

supported by the use of computer technology 

and high-tech learning tools. 

The 2010 earthquake 

in Chile proved to be 

the most “dramatic 

workshop” for 

HighScope ideas 

at the Colegio Santa 

Cruz, as the school 

and community were 

united in a common 

purpose. 

With social integration as a pedagogical 

objective, the Colegio works to find 

a way to support and include each child 

by using the HighScope active participatory 

learning model “to find and help 

others find their gifts and beauty,” says 

Ried. Teachers take a similar approach 

to integrating “gifted” children by supporting 

different developmental levels 

within an integrated and integrating 

social environment. 

The school first began implementing 

elements of the HighScope Wheel of 

Learning, including plan-do-review, at 

the preschool level with outside support 

from HighScope trainers and evaluators. 

The second step came at the “parent 

level.” “This was initially a bit of a 

crisis,” says Ried. “Many parents had 

attended notable international high 

schools and had very rigid and traditional 

expectations about education.” The 

third step was meeting the challenge of 

national standardized tests — bad scores 

would keep students out of university 

and would negatively affect enrollment. 

“If the scores don’t measure up or parents 

don’t buy in,” says Ried, “all fails.” 

Fortunately the first crop of students 

got good results in the national SIMCE 

exams (the acronym stands for Sistema 

de Medición de Calidad de la Educació, 

or System for Measuring the Quality of 

Education), and parents gave their full 

support to the school by choosing to 

stay with HighScope through the seniorhigh 

level. 

The next step in implementation was 

dealing with new challenges related to 

the introduction of additional subjects 

as the students aged and approached 

graduation. Ried and other school leaders 

made trips to Michigan, Colombia, 

Mónica Iñesta and Maria Eugenia Serrano, HighScope Mexico 

and Mexico for training and to look at 

models for the future. Again, students 

scores on the SIMCE exam earned formal 

recognition and validation from the 

Ministry of Education. The fifth step, 

according to Ried, was clarifying the 

school’s central goals and concepts. This 

came from experience over time and the 

ongoing contact with HighScope and 

the HighScope Institute in Colombia. 

Finally, the last stage in implementation 

came with the colegio’s conscientious 

support of Chile. The graduation 

of the school’s first senior class coincided 

with the devastating 2010 earthquake, 

proving to be the most “dramatic workshop” 

for HighScope ideas, according to 

Ried, as the school and local community 

came together in a common purpose. 

“Everything we had dreamed about in 

1997 was realized.” In 2011, HighScope 

Chile was officially established as a 

nonprofit organization. 

Mexico 

Colegio Ypsilanti 

According to Maru Serrano, director 

of the Colegio Ypsilanti in Puebla, 

Mexico, which has 360 students in preschool, 

primary, and high school grades, 

it was difficult initially to convince traditional 

Puebla parents that “play” and 

strategies such as plan-do-review constitute 

learning. However, she adds, “Over 

time, parents slowly began to understand 

how and why rooms had ‘different’ 

materials, why work was linked to activities 

at home, and why plan-do-review 

was done in English.” Classrooms at the 


HIgHSCOPE MExICO 

Since August 2012, 22 

teachers of Colegio 

Interamericano de Saltillo 

have been participating 

in HighScope training 

with HighScope Mexico 

director Juanita Gonzàlez 

(top left, center). The school 

is the first in the northern 

part of Mexico (close to 

the United States border) 

to decide to implement 

HighScope. It serves toddlers 

and children in preschool 

through fourth grade. 

HighScope Mexico director Juanita Gonzàlez is pictured here (below, center) with a group of teachers 

who completed HighScope training. Between June and October of 2012, 93 teachers in several 

cities of Mexico went through training with certified HighScope trainers Mónica Iñesta and Graciela 

Borja (Mexico City); Juanita González (Colegio Alemán de Guadalajara); Pilar Farrés (Sinaloa): and 

Elsa Portilla (Veracruz and Tabasco). 

Children attending the Colegio 

Niños en Acción had the idea 

to visit Teotihuacán, one of the 

largest cities of Mesoamérica. 

The children made a plan with 

their teachers and, with the 

support and involvement of 

parents, they all climbed the 

Pyramids of the Sun and 

Moon (Pirámide del Sol y 

Pirámide de la Luna). 

The House Area, 

Colegio Niños 

en Acción 

A group of children at the Colegio Niños en Acción (Children in 

Action) participate in a small-group time activity with their 

teacher. The school, founded by Juanita González, is home to 

the HighScope Institute in Mexico (see sidebar, p. 22). 



Colegio Ypsilanti are “totally bilingual” 

spaces, with instruction half in English 

and half in Spanish, and small-group 

activities and plan-do-review are targeted 

components of English instruction. 

At the Colegio Ypsilanti, 

small-group activities 

and plan-do-review are 

targeted components of 

English instruction. 

In extending the HighScope approach 

to the Colegio’s primary and secondary 

school levels, Serrano has used aspects 

of the HighScope Preschool Curriculum 

as well as HighScope’s educational 

camp for adolescents (the Institute for 

IDEAS) established by David Wiekart 

in the 1960s (and which Serrano’s son 

attended). The camp’s “workshops” are 

a major part of the instructional day for 

the primary and secondary levels, with 

students working on formal academic 

subjects (in accord with the goals and 

objectives of Mexico’s Secretary of Primary 

Education) “in designated areas 

with stations for subjects,” says Serrano. 

“This is treated as a continuation of what 

HighScope does in preschool. Choice is 

key.” The Colegio has also adapted the 

IDEAS’ camp “work projects” approach 

as a key component of its secondarylevel 

curriculum, which Serrano says is 

“an excellent continuation of plan-doreview.” 

All of the school’s projects 

(e.g., paper recycling program, school 

newspaper, book-making) and classes 

(e.g., cooking) are “treated as HighScope 

learning processes and taught through 

the plan-do-review model,” she says. 

Recruiting and training teachers to 

implement an active learning curriculum 

is often challenging in countries 

where traditional pedagogical methods 

prevail. According to Serrano, who has 

been a HighScope-certified teacher since 

1990 (she has attended every annual 

HighScope International Conference 

since), and a certified trainer since 2007, 

the educational conservatism of Mexico 

is as prevalent among teachers as it is 

among parents, and this situation has 

posed a great challenge for the school in 

terms of recruitment and training. Says 

Serrano, “We work in a labor market 

filled with teachers trained in a very 

traditional manner — and we often meet 

open resistance to ‘retooling’ or using 

an alternative educational model such as 

HighScope. When Serrano recived her 

HighScope trainer certification in 2007, 

Serrano began training teachers herself. 

Collegio Ypsilanti now runs extended 

training seminars over the summer as 

well as shorter support sessions during 

the school year. 

Colegio David P. Weikart 

Challenging traditional methods of 

teaching and learning is also paramount 

for Elsa Portilla, founder of the Colegio 

David P. Weikart in Veracruz, who 

started a preschool using HighScope in 

1993 and then a primary school in 1995 

when her first preschool graduates 

wanted to continue with the HighScope 

active learning approach. After visiting 

Maru Serrano’s school in Puebla, which 

she used as a model for her own primary 

school, Portilla says she was guided 

by four questions as she developed the 

school’s curriculum: “1) What program 

would give us the support to develop 

our target student profile: independent, 

self-starting, and resolute kids; 2) How 

can we use active learning to challenge 

an educational culture of mechanized 

memorization?; 3) How can we involve 

teachers in the process of educational 

change?; and 4) How do we get parents 

Elsa Portilla, Colegio David P. Weikart, Mexico 

Graciela Borja, Colegio Mournier, Mexico 

in such a traditional place to buy into 

this methodology?” 

To reach these goals, Portilla sought 

to implement elements of the HighScope 

Wheel of Learning with some modifications. 

In terms of room arrangement, for 

example, classrooms are structured with 

areas for math, social science, Spanish, 

and natural science. The daily schedule 

has been developed to allow each class 

to be taught in small groups. The central 

component of the schedule is a two-hour 

workshop, and each day is organized 

with one main academic focus. Plan-doreview 

is chiefly implemented through 

projects in which students research a 

topic and present their project to their 

group. Portilla sees curriculum content 

as the “axle” of the HighScope Wheel, 

determining how the room is organized, 

how students and adults interact, and 

how the whole process is evaluated. The 

commitment to active learning is at the 

heart of the school’s approach, with a 

focus on student initiative and choice, 

supportive adult-child interactions, and 

a room arrangement that provides an 

abundance of materials that students can 

explore and manipulate. Says Portilla, 

“Everything in the school is viewed as 

resource for learning and teaching.” 

Colegio Mournier 

In Culiacan, Sinaloa, a conservative, 

coastal, and agricultural area of Mexico, 

the Colegio Mournier also uses High- 

Scope to shape its curriculum, in combination 

with the principles of French 

philosopher Emmanual Mounier (a progressive 

Catholic intellectual who that 

believed that it is the responsibility of 

every human being to play an active 

role in history). In this very conservative 

area, “the school has to be run, 

staffed, and populated with people and 

students who want to be there,” says 


Borja. “People who participate have to 

have questioned their own education 

and past; otherwise the buy-in to High- 

Scope is difficult for parents and teachers 

alike.” The school’s 58 preschool 

through fourth-grade students, including 

25 children with special needs, follow a 

daily routine centered around smalland 

large-group activities, and plan-doreview. 

Some days are dedicated to 

special projects, which are often led 

by special adult facilitators (usually parents 

or family). Most important to the 

school’s success, Borja says is developing 

positive and supportive adult-child 

relationships, and to this end, the school 

has organized workshops for parents 

and students to encourage stronger 

home learning. Borja has also worked 

with community educators to do outreach 

to teachers in rural areas. According 

to director Graciela Borja, the 

school’s ethical mission in this area 

dominated by drug trafficking interests 

is to educate students and “to show 

them that there is another way to live 

and relate to the world.” 

Colombia 

Colegio Hacienda los Alcaparros 

At the Colegio Hacienda los Alcaparros 

(CHLA), in Bogotá, Colombia, 

which was founded in 1992, “HighScope 

is the only way for us,” says director 

Rosita Caro. According to Caro, the 

CHLA engages HighScope as an extension 

of the school’s primary objective: 

human development and excellence 

through education. With four schools 

under one roof (preschool through high 

school), the HighScope Wheel of Learning 

is at the center of the school experience, 

with an emphasis on “physical 

spaces and schedule components that 

give each student a shared control over 

the experience and space, with a balance 

betweens student and teacher initiative,” 

explains Caro. The plan-do-review process 

is key to structuring both group 

and individual work, she says, with a 

project-based focus similar to the one 

described by Caro’s Mexican colleague, 

Elsa Portilla. At the CHLA, the teacher 

presents a concept, which students 

Rosita Caro, Colegio Hacienda los Alcaparros, 

Colombia 

explore and discuss. The resulting projects 

— developed as spokes from the 

central topic — are determined by students 

know and what they want to know. 

For example, a group of third graders 

explored the question “What is air?” 

They then built a web around the issue 

to design tasks, select materials, and 

shape smaller collaborative projects. 

The review phase comes chiefly through 

presentations to students and parents or 

through student-centered documentation 

and reflection, such as the publication 

of a school newspaper. 

Like her peers, Caro spoke of a 

series of challenges to implementing 

HighScope in Bogotá, including keeping 

teachers up to date through training, 

and “selling” HighScope to parents — 

though now that the school has graduated 

nine classes, it has gained parents’ 

trust, Caro says. 

Portugal 

Escola Raiz 

One of the latest additions to the 

roster of international HighScope-based 

early childhood programs is the Escola 

Raiz in Lisbon, Portugal. The school 

was established in 1998 by Luís and 

Online Courses 

From HighScope! 

Participate in HighScope Training when 

and where you want by signing up for a 

wide variety of online courses. See page 

20 or visit highscope.org to learn more 

about course availability, additional 

information, and how to register. 

Margarida Silveira Rodrigues with a preschool 

class of 13 students, It has since 

grown into a network of five schools 

with 100 students each, including a day 

care center, an elementary school (for 

children ages 6–12), and a teen space 

for graduates who go to public school 

Colombia’s CHLA 

engages HighScope 

as an extension of 

the school’s primary 

objective: human development 

and excellence 

through education. 

and come by for afternoon classes for 

“active learning.” Initially linked to the 

education program at Braga University, 

the school adopted HighScope in 2008, 

after Margarida completed HighScope 

training and became certified as a 

teacher and trainer. 

Like several of its Latin American 

counterparts, the Escola Raiz uses the 

HighScope Curriculum in combination 

with project learning. The school conducts 

two group project activities each 

year with the goal of facilitating a 

shared learning experience and sense 

of ownership among its students. For 

example, students in the sixth grade 

researched the lives of people who have 

helped to change the world (e.g., Nelson 

Mandela, Martin Luther King), and 

continued on page 22 


HIgHSCOPE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Professional 

Development 

Workshops — 

Learn more about the HighScope 

educational approach by attending workshops, 

customized training, HighScope 

Regional Conferences, or the HighScope 

International Conference. Topics include 

all the major elements of the HighScope 

approach — active learning, adult-child 

interaction, the daily routine, HighScope 

key developmental indicators, and 

assessment using the Child Observation 

Record (COR). 

Courses — 

Designed for more in-depth curriculum training, courses range from one week to seven weeks 

in length. They include curriculum training designed for teachers and administrators and adult 

training courses designed to prepare participants to be HighScope trainers for their programs. 

Advanced Courses — 

Recommended for those who have taken the HighScope Curriculum and/or Training of Trainers 

(TOT) courses. These courses offer in-depth, sophisticated work with content areas, such as 

literacy, mathematics, science, visual arts, movement and music, the Preschool Child Observation 

Record (COR), and the Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA). They also cover a wide 

range of processes, such as mentoring, evaluation, and working with children and adults in fullday 

programs and multiage, bilingual, and intergenerational settings. 

For more information on HighScope’s Teacher, Trainer, and Program Certifications, 

please visit our website at highscope.org 

Spotlight on Training 

from HighScope 

Customized Workshops by HighScope 

Because classrooms and child care programs 

are unique, we offer unique training solutions. 

HighScope staff are available to visit programs 

and provide classroom observation, feedback, 

and mentoring. One HighScope staff member 

can visit and provide support for two to three 

classrooms per day. Strengths and opportunities 

identified in these sessions help drive curriculum 

and professional development plans for 

teachers and supervisors. With input from 

teaching staff, parents, and others, HighScope 

can design a course agenda to deliver to 15 

workshop participants. Fees for customized 

services are $1,200/day plus travel expenses. 

@HighScope 

Online Courses 

WORKSHOPS 

HighScope offers the following 

workshops and courses in Ypsilanti, 

Michigan. 

Introduction to the HighScope 

Curriculum for Infants and 

Toddlers 

This week-long workshop is designed 

to provide teachers with an overview of 

the successful HighScope Infant-Toddler 

Curriculum. This is a perfect opportunity 

for anyone working with infants and 

toddlers, including Early Head Start 

teachers, Head Start teachers, program 

administrators, and parents. 

June 18–22 or August 20–24, 2012 • 

$500/person 

Introduction to the HighScope 

Curriculum for Preschool 

Teachers: Basic Principles and 

Strategies 

This workshop provides teachers 

with a one-week overview of the components 

of the HighScope Preschool 

Curriculum. Discussion will focus on 

curriculum content areas, valid and reliable 

assessment, the HighScope daily 

routine, team building, effective adultchild 

interaction strategies, and more. 

June 25–29 or July 23–27, 2012 • 

$500/person 

Preschool or Infant-Toddler Child Observation Record (COR) 

$240/person 

using COR Data to Inform Instruction $120/person 

Assessing Program Quality Assessment (PQA) $120/person 

Large-group Time $120/person 

Small-group Time $120/person 

Lesson Planning $65/person 

Work Time $65/person 

Planning and Recall Times $120/person 

Numbers Plus Preschool Mathematics Curriculum $215/person 

Infant-Toddler Conflict Resolution $215/person 

Supporting Attachment in Infants and Toddlers $120/person 

Infant-Toddler Treasure Baskets: Materials to Support 

Heuristic Play $65/person 

Physical Development: gross and Fine Motor $125/person 

For course schedules, go to highscope.org 

> Training & Conferences > Training Schedule. 


HIgHSCOPE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Education Through Movement 

Summer Training 

This one-week course promotes a 

basic understanding of the Education 

Through Movement (ETM) program. 

Key areas include HighScope movement 

and music key developmental indicators, 

fundamentals of motor development, an 

effective teaching model (Separate, Simplify, 

Facilitate) and successful methods 

for integrating movement and music into 

other curriculum areas. This training 

will be held at the DaySpring Episcopal 

Conference Center in Parrish, Florida. 

For more information, please visit 

highscope.org or call Karen Sawyers at 

734.485.2000, ext. 224. Early Registration: 

$995 if paid in full by March 31, 

2012; after March 31 the Registration 

Fee is $1,095, (includes training fee, 6 

nights’ lodging, and 18 meals). 

July 15–21, 2012 • $995/person 

(includes tuition, lodging, and meals) 

Preschool Curriculum Course 

(PCC) 

(Conducted over two summers) 

The four-week Preschool Curriculum 

Course is designed to prepare teachers and 

caregivers to implement the HighScope 

Curriculum in their early childhood 

programs. $3,135/person 

Week 1 – Fundamentals in the 

HighScope Preschool Curriculum 

July 30–August 3, 2012 

Week 2 – Children in the 

HighScope Preschool Environment 

August 6–10, 2012 

Weeks 3–4 Summer 2013 

Training of Trainers (TOT) 

(Conducted over two summers) 

Prerequisite is the Preschool Curriculum 

Course or equivalent. The threeweek 

Training of Trainers course is 

designed for those who have already 

completed extensive training in the 

HighScope Curriculum and wish to 

extend their skills to training adults in 

the educational approach. The course is 

held over two summers at HighScope’s 

headquarters in Ypsilanti, Michigan — 

two weeks the first summer and one 

week the second. Those successfully 

completing the course earn certification 

as HighScope Trainers with an endorsement 

in the HighScope Preschool Curriculum. 

$3,960/person 

Week 1 – Developing and 

Presenting 

Workshops July 16–20, 2012 

Week 2 – Observation/Feedback 

July 23–27, 2012 

Week 3 Summer 2013 

New Courses! 

Working With Children With 

Challenging Behavior 

Some children arrive in pre-K with a 

history of trauma and challenges — 

physical abuse, neglect, psychological 

problems, autism, and Down syndrome. 

Conflict arises in the classroom because 

these children have particular needs. In 

this workshop, we’ll address specific 

strategies to reach all children, defuse 

behavior problems and bullying when 

they occur, and promote harmony among 

children through encouragement and by 

providing choices. 

July 9–12 or Aug 13–16, 2012 • 

$400/person 

Promoting Academic Content in 

Pre-K Classrooms 

In constructivist programs, children 

are provided with opportunities to have 

input into the learning process by making 

choices during all parts of the day. 

During group times, teachers often 

introduce concepts in mathematics, language 

arts, science, and social studies. 

In this workshop, we’ll address how to 

plan small-group time using HighScope’s 

key developmental indicators, common 

resources available in the classroom, 

and more. 

July 16–19 or Aug 6–9, 2012 • 

$400/person 

HighScope and Early Head Start 

— A Perfect Match 

The HighScope approach for infants 

and toddlers is utilized in Early Head 

Start and other early childhood programs 

throughout the united States and abroad. 

In this workshop, we’ll discuss meeting 

our youngest students’ basic needs and 

when it is appropriate (and how) to 

begin to prepare them for pre-K. Topics 

discussed include establishing and 

maintaining a consistent caregiving routine, 

team building with other adults, 

and transitioning students to pre-K. 

June 4–7 or June 25–28, 2012 • 

$400/person 

Promoting Language Development 

for English Language Learners 

Research indicates that pre-K–aged 

children whose native language is other 

than English can become proficient in 

English in two years or less. Speaking 

to children in their native language and 

English is only one of many strategies 

for promoting development of language 

skills. In this workshop, we’ll discuss 

what research says about language 

development and strategies HighScope 

implements to promote growth in children’s 

native language and English. 

June 18–21 or July 30–Aug 2, 2012 • 

$400/person 

Assessment “Boot Camp” 

Collecting authentic data and using 

it to drive instruction is critical to the 

success of teachers who serve children 

ages 0–5 in an early childhood program. 

In this workshop, we’ll examine the 

HighScope Child Observation Record 

(COR), a research-validated instrument 

that measures student growth and aids 

teachers in making plans based on data 

collected through the COR. We’ll also 

look at the HighScope Program Quality 

Assessment (PQA), a research-validated 

instrument that allows program managers 

to evaluate specific components of 

their educational program for effectiveness, 

and the Early Literacy Skills 

Assessment, a research-validated assessment 

for early reading. 

July 9–12 or July 30–Aug 2, 2012 • 

$400/person 

For more information on HighScope’s 

professional development options, customized 

on-site training, or certification, please 

contact Gavin Haque at 734.485.2000, Ext. 

218, via e-mail at training@highscope.org; 

or visit our website at highscope.org. 

To register for training, call 

734.485.2000, Ext. 234, fax 734.485.4467, 

or register online at highscope.org. 


HIgHSCoPE InTERnATIonAL 

continued from page 19 

created a bilingual blog (in Portugese 

and English) to share with others. Students 

also work on individual projects 

as teachers facilitate activities with 

plan-do-review, both at the preschool 

and primary levels. Classrooms at both 

levels are set up according to interest 

areas, and the daily routine includes 

message board and other group times. 

The school works closely with parents, 

bringing them into the classroom “as 

much as possible,” says Rodrigues. 

Activities are based on children’s interests, 

though older students decide 

“within the limits of structured routine,” 

what they are going to do, with adult 

Escola Raiz works 

closely with parents, 

bringing them into 

the classroom “as 

much as possible.” 

involvement in their work. “A history 

lesson, for instance, might involve 

research and dramatization,” explains 

Rodrigues, “with students deciding the 

subject of their research and then putting 

on skits based on what they’ve 

learned.” 

Joanne Tangorra is the managing 

editor of ReSource. 

Corey Shouse Tourino is a High- 

Scope consultant. 

Margarida and Luís Silveira Rodrigues, Escola Raiz, 

Portugal 

Correction: 

The original version of this 

article incorrectly described the 

future site of the Escola Raiz 

as a building located outside of 

Lisbon and under construction 

by Camarim Arquitectos. The 

building described in the article 

is the future site of a school 

unrelated to the Escola Raiz. 

The Escola Raiz, located in 

Lisbon, is a certified HighScope 

Center and the licensed High- 

Scope ® International Institute 

in Portugal. 

HighScope International 

Conference 

There’s a lot to like about my HighScope. 

And it all comes together at the 2012 HighScope 

International Conference. 

May 2–4, 2012 

Early Bird Registration: $375.00/person 

(before March 25 th ) 

Visit highscope.org for details and to register! 

Children in Action 

In 2000, after almost 20 years as a High- 

Scope educator and certified trainer in public 

and private schools in Puebla, Mexico, Juanita 

González decided to open a school of her own. 

Called the Colegio Niños en Acción (Children 

in Action School), the center is now not only a 

school attended by children from 18 months to 

five years old, it is also a HighScope demonstration 

and training center, and the home to 

the HighScope Institute Mexico, of which 

González is director. 

Niños en Acción is a small school whose 

teachers are fully trained in the HighScope 

approach to early learning. There is also a 

training program specifically for parents, “who 

play a very important role in the school’s life,” 

according to González. “The sole purpose of 

the training is to let parents know what the 

HighScope Curriculum is all about and to help 

them understand the importance of their participation 

in their child`s education if a real difference 

is to be made,” González explains. “Our 

goal is for children to become happy, thinking, 

problem-solving children who will able to face 

challenges at different stages of their lives,” 

she adds, “and parental involvement can help 

to make that happen.” 

González sees evidence of this difference 

in the graduates of Niños en Acción, who meet 

every year in December for an alumni reunion 

where they share life experiences, memories, 

photographs, and academic achievements. The 

most recent gathering in 2011 was attended 

by former students ranging in age from 7 to 21. 

Says González, “The alumni are children, young 

adults, and adults at all different grade levels. 

Some even already have graduate degrees from 

schools in Mexico and abroad. We have been 

able to witness how they have become happy, 

productive, and successful people whose lives 

have been enhanced by HighScope.”

Spring, 2012 - High/Scope Educational Research Foundation

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