Focus is on projects that last days or even months. Emphasis is on creating play areas that protect children from injury. Outings are highly structured and supervised. Emphasis is on letting children explore their world, whether it's city streets or country fields. Adults are less protective.
Adults guide children toward the right answers, with focus on early reading, math and science.
Adults help children ask good questions and figure out ways to answer them. Children express what they learn in a variety of ways, with emphasis on art. They cover fewer subjects but in more depth, often returning to a topic later in the year. Children change teachers at least once a year. High turnover is a problem at most preschools and day cares.