Northville Public Schools' Early Childhood Program is excited to announce that Kate Holmes, a dedicated preschool teacher, has officially achieved her HighScope Teacher Certification! This accomplishment reflects her commitment to providing a high-quality educational experience for our youngest learners.
To earn this prestigious certification, Ms. Holmes met rigorous Preschool Quality Assessment (PQA) standards, submitted documentation including lesson plans, Child Observation Record (COR) assessments, and a professional narrative outlining her teaching practices. These requirements ensure that certified educators are highly skilled in implementing the HighScope approach, a comprehensive early childhood curriculum centered on active, hands-on learning.
Over the past three years, our Early Childhood Program has gradually incorporated the HighScope curriculum. Now, all of our preschool classrooms are fully engaged with the curriculum, thanks to the support of our Early Childhood Specialist. While many educators use HighScope, becoming HighScope certified is an additional step that highlights a teacher’s expertise and mastery of the program. Ms. Holmes’ dedication to pursuing this certification speaks volumes about her initiative and passion for early childhood education.
Small Group Time is a cornerstone of the HighScope daily routine, where teachers work closely with small, consistent groups of children. “Small Group Time is part of the HighScope daily routine where classroom teachers meet with a consistent group of 8 to 10 children to participate in a teacher-initiated, hands-on learning experience,” Ms. Holmes explains. “Both children and adults actively engage with materials and ideas in a variety of ways.”
Ms. Holmes recently led an experiment where children used water droppers and pennies to learn about prediction and experimentation. “First, we made predictions about how many drops of water would fit on a penny, and then the children tested their ideas,” she said. Activities like this support fine motor development and foster curiosity about the world around them.
As the children worked, Ms. Holmes carefully observed and recorded their interactions, noting how they engaged with the materials. These observations help inform future lessons and ensure that activities are tailored to each child’s unique learning journey.
We look forward to supporting more teachers through the certification process as we continue to provide high-quality preschool experiences for our students!