High/Scope Philosophy
High/Scope Classroom

High Scope Philosophy

The foundation of our philosophy at Rainbow Chimes is to provide a nurturing, safe and stimulating environment in which children are encouraged to explore and discover at their own pace and ability. This philosophy resonates throughout the Center in a cheerful, unhurried Center-wide tempo of productive learning through play.

Rainbow Chimes implements a highly regarded, developmentally segregated curriculum called High/Scope, based upon the fundamental premise that children are Active Learners who learn best from activities that they plan and carry out themselves. This approach promotes extended and enhanced thinking skills and responsible behavior, building self-esteem and self-worth. Early leadership abilities become evident when such cognitive development, boosted by confidence, emerges.

Based on the clinical and laboratory work of child psychologist Jean Piaget, the High/Scope Educational Approach maintains that the best early childhood learning activities are child-initiated, developmentally appropriate and open-ended. High/Scope embraces an environment in which the child develops through active learning aided by Key Experiences and supported by teachers who invite their curiosity and encourage their participation.

The Perry Preschool Study, an ongoing clinical study of 123 youths, provides evidence showing the lasting effects of receiving exposure to the High/Scope Educational Approach at ages 3 through 11. The study documents altered performance by a factor of nearly two on four major variables at age 19. The results of The Perry Preschool Study are further documented by three decades of several other child outcome studies. The evidence for the effectiveness and widespread use of the High/Scope curriculum is compelling. Participants achieve better school performance, socio-economic success and social responsibility, and do better intellectually. No other educational curriculum for children has demonstrated such a variety of important effects.

The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation in Ypsilanti, Michigan has trained and endorsed Rainbow Chimes’ Executive Director to train teachers in the High/Scope curriculum.

The High/Scope Classroom

The layout and design of the High/Scope classroom facilitates the implementation of the curriculum. The room is divided into specialized areas each intended to develop a specific behavior. Likewise, the areas of the room are adapted for the differences between the various ages and developmental stages of children in the room.

These rooms are arranged with best quality commercially-available materials to allow the children easy access and visual accessibility. The basic areas are:

Art - This area contains all types of art material to initiate creative play, including: paint, paper, glue, fat crayons, play-dough, etc. This area has a tiled floor to facilitate clean-up.

Block - This area is stocked with many types of blocks of rudimentary shape and form providing basic material for design and building, including: wooden blocks, brightly colored plastic blocks, cardboard brick blocks, soft foam blocks, larger nesting cubes, cars, animals and people for props. This area has a low napped rug to decrease the noise level.

House/Social - This area contains replicas and real examples of household goods including: cups, bowls, cans, pots and pans, puppets and dolls, etc. This area is situated next to the block area to encourage reciprocal and role play, and to bring imaginative effects to fruition.

Quiet - This area helps to create a cozy, secure, insulated area where children can participate in quiet activities such as reading, writing, or relaxing alone or in small groups. An assortment of books and story-telling props are available. Thought-provoking games and manipulative toys are included in the area for the development of cognitive skills. This area has a low napped rug to help create the intended atmosphere.

The classrooms also contain certain enriched areas and mobile "exhibits" to provide enhanced stimulation in disciplines, including:

Music and Movement - This area enables large group interaction designed for active large muscle development including: song, dance, performing arts, and games.

Construction/Woodworking - This exhibit, equipped with real carpentry tools, initiates creativity and dexterity.

Sand and Water - This exhibit, equipped with a basin or specialized proportioned table and small filling and dumping toys, allow children to feel, touch and manipulate materials of varied texture.

Science/Math/Nature - These flexible and changing exhibits introduce the children to various aspects of the physical world in an interesting entertaining manner that invites interactive response.

Computers/Language - This exhibit, which includes a state-of-the-art personal computer and dot-matrix printer, acquaints the children with essential hands-on computer skills. Computer skills often mimic, supplement or reinforce learning that is begun in other areas.

One of the most stimulating components of High/Scope is that the children may move materials from one of these areas to another, finding new and exciting ways to use them. A pine cone in the science area may serve as a paintbrush in the Art area, or as a microphone in the House or Block area.

All areas and materials are labeled in various ways, including: written, pictorial and photographic, or with actual pieces of the object affixed in the appropriate place. This labeling facilitates clean-up and keeps toys and other material organized in proper order in the appropriate area. It also assists in pre-reading skills such as one-to-one correspondence, de-coding and symbolic recognition.