Comparision of HighScope and Montesori Childhood Education...

HighScope was founded in America by David Weikart and colleagues in 1960s. It was originally developed for low income families and children. Weikart and his colleagues proposed an intervention for three and 4 year olds to prepare them for school. The HighScope approach to Early Childhood Education recognizes the benefits of active participatory learning. Therefore its programme is structured around the concept of learning through play. HighScope programme has eight curriculum areas of which one is Mathematics. HighScope Mathematics include concepts such umber words and symbols, counting, shapes, measuring, and pattern. In classroom there are enough materials for everyone which allows experimenting. Children acquire mathematics skills and concepts through adult – guided experiences that respect children’s concrete thinking and need to learn through exploration. One such adult-guided experience would be, for example, when children spontaneously use numbers in their play adult makes comments using words and phrases like ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘a lot’, the same as’. Throughout the day children are exposed to various concepts in the area of mathematics and these examples are: At Small Group Time children may notice or an adult points out that there is one or more children missing and the conversation might continue about how many chairs and activity sets (i.e. jigsaws) might be required for the number of children at the table. At Planning Time when children sign the planning sheet and