Classroom Curriculum

The educational program for the children provides a positive social and emotional setting where young children will gain knowledge, self-confidence and self-discipline while participating in activities that encourage creativity, curiosity, self-expression and healthy development.

Individual goals for each child are determined by parents and staff together at home visits and conferences held throughout the year.

Requirements:

• • Two home visits and two conferences are planned for each family, but more may be included, if desired.
  • A minimum of two individual lessons is provided at least monthly, for each child, in the areas of their special needs or their special interests.
  • Additional individualization is developed for children with an identified disability and/or an IEP

High/Scope’s preschool educational approach is an open framework that organizes the children and teacher’s environment, daily routine and interactions.  The experiences teachers plan for children foster independent thinking, initiative and creativity.  Young children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical capacities develop quickly when they can use materials and their imaginations freely in an environment that promotes investigation, decision-making, cooperation, persistence and problem-solving.  The capacities that children develop in this open framework are broad abilities that children can and do use daily in the classroom as well as at home.

Child assessment is an important component in the UW Oshkosh Head Start education program.  Teachers use the Teaching Strategies Gold Child Assessment tool, ​based primarily on observations and sample collection, as well as parent input, to asses children.

UW Oshkosh Head Start has established protocol to be in compliance with federally mandated Head Start outcomes guidelines, and teaching staff have been trained to use the appropriate tools to support these efforts.