Opening the Doors
You are now ready to open the doors.
Remember: Findings from the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation have found that children's language performance at age 7 improves as:
- The predominant types of children's activities that teachers propose are free choice rather than personal/social. From greatest to least contribution, activity types were as follows: free-choice activities (teachers let children choose); physical/expressive activities (gross- and fine-motor physical activity, dramatic play, arts, crafts, and music); pre-academic activities (reading, writing, numbers, mathematics, physical science and social science); and personal/social activities (personal care, group social activities and discipline), and]
Children's cognitive performance at age 7 improves as:
- Children spend less time in whole group activities (the teacher proposes the same activity for all the children in the class - songs, games, listening to a story, working on a craft, or a pre-academic activity); and
- The number and variety of equipment and materials available to children in preschool settings increases. (To learn more about this study, go to http://www.highscope.org?research/international/lea_preprimary.htm
Also:
- Phase program in (e.g. one room at a time)
- Integrate children into program: gradual entry; let children get used to new surroundings
- Organize parent visits
- Don't expect to be full in first month
- Set up mechanisms to deal with bumps along the way
GOOD LUCK!