How your child learns

Based on child development theory and experience with infants and toddlers, HighScope developed the following prepositions that guide our work with very young children:

- Infants and toddlers learn with their whole body and with all their senses.

- Infants and toddlers learn because they want to.

- Infants and toddlers communicate what they know.

- Infants and toddlers learn within the context of trusting relationships.

Keeping these as guidences in working with young children, Kidzone sets up an active learning environment following HighScope curriculum to make sure that infants and toddlers can enjoy and flourish. It has five ingredients:

1. Materials: These are abundant, age-appropriate materials the child can use in variety of ways. Learning grows directly out of the child's direct actions on the materials.

2. Manipulation: The child has opprotunities to explore (with all senses), manipulate, combine, and transform the chosen materials.

3. Choice: The child chooses what to do. Since learning results from the child's attempts to pursue personal interests and golas, the opportunity to choose activities and materials is essential.

4. Child communication, language, and thought. The child communicates his or her needs, feelings, discoveries and ideas through motions, gestures, facial expressions, sounds, sign language and words. Adults value, attend to, and encourage the child's communications and languages.

5. Adult scaffolding: Adults establish and maintain trusting relationships with each child in their care. Adults recognize and encourage each child's intentions, actions, interactions, communications, explorations, problem solving, and creativity.