ECERS and Summary

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Lethbridge College *

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2264

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Communications

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Jan 9, 2024

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RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 1 ECE-2264-D01 Pre-School Programming Assignment #2 – Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Summary

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 2 Introduction I administered this scale in my workplace. It is a childcare center for children 12 months to 6 years of age. There are 5 children under the age of 3, and 17 over the age of 3. Most or all the 5 year old children attend kindergarten during the morning, afternoons, or alternating full days. The childcare center has materials developmentally appropriate for each age group in attendance. Space and Furnishings As I was observing the layout of the classroom, I was able to answer each question accordingly. There was adequate amount of indoor and outdoor space for children to have routines administered, play, and learn in developmentally appropriate ways. I looked for areas where furnishings or children may be crowded, or where the access is for certain materials (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2015) . This allows children to have the space to use their imaginations and not feel limited in any means. The children have space to walk around all tables, chairs, walking paths are clear, and toys are organized in specific bins on the shelves. There are also ample amounts of natural light coming through 3 different large windows and through full panes of glass on the doors. The light is controlled at nap time with blinds and curtains to allow children to sleep in a darker setting. There are no apparent minor or major hazards in the classroom. Ventilation is adequate with windows that slide open for fresh air. Throughout the daycare there are many materials and furnishing that encourage growth and development. The materials and furniture were in good condition and were at the children’s level. “A substantial amount of softness” (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2015) was available for the children in order to satisfy their need of feeling warm and comfortable throughout the day. This

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 3 is also relaxing for children who may have disabilities or processing disorders. The room is arranged in different curriculum areas that support the children’s ability to go from area to area freely. This is developmentally appropriate for the children to go around the classroom learning about different skills and materials that challenge their growth and engage their interests (Feeney, Moravcik, & Nolte, 2019) . The classroom did not have a calendar at the children’s level. They had many posters with different emotions on children’s faces and corresponding words for each emotion. They had children’s work displayed around the classroom. However, I did not observe the staff that were working talk about the displays or read them to the children. There is a large area available for gross motor play. The children use the block area and the dramatic play area for gross motor play. There were no soft play surfaces available in the block area at the time of the observation. There was indoor and outdoor gross motor equipment available for the children to ride on and manipulate. There is a couch located in the literacy and music area. As for access for children who may have a disability, there are large steps going down to the basement but no ramp. There is a ramp through the back of the building however, but it may not be the easiest to access if a wheelchair is needed to get into the childcare center. There are handrails available and a doorbell. The door is not power operated. I feel the daycare has done a great job in having enough space in the classroom for children to learn and play throughout the day. The only recommendation I have for this section would be to incorporate soft blocks or materials in the gross motor play area that the children can

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RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 4 sit on, jump on, or lounge on. This creates another dimension to their gross motor and rough and tumble play (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009) . Personal Care Routines As I observed the snack time, bathroom routine, and health and safety practices, I was able to answer each question effectively. This childcare center has a great menu with foods that support children’s growth and development and has nutritional value. The teachers are on-top of the sanitary and safety practices when it comes to cleaning and preparing play areas or tabletops. The chemicals are kept out of reach or locked behind cupboards or doors and away from children’s view. This is a great practice so that children are not tempted by something in their view that may be dangerous. Convenient is not always the safest option (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2015) . The children are still encouraged to help with cleaning routines, but dangerous substances are kept out of reach of children. The bathroom routine is discussed with each child daily as they go into the bathroom. The teacher stands at the doorway and invites the children to wash their hands with soap and water to keep their hands clean from germs and unwanted substances. Children’s diapers or pull- ups were checked on a regular basis during the observation. The older children were prompted or encouraged to use the toilet at certain times of the day, and proper sanitary requirements are followed during every visit to the bathroom. Language and Literacy I found this section difficult to observe as the teachers were involved and engaged with the children, but I did not hear them using encouraging phrases that can expand a child’s learning experience or vocabulary. I felt that maybe the teachers present wanted to say the right thing, or

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 5 not say the wrong thing as I was observing. Sometimes when we are being observed we don’t always act the same as when no one is watching. It can be a lot of pressure to some people. I think my presence in the classroom with my scoresheet may have made the teachers feel anxious about their words and behavior. I think this impacted what they said and how they acted during my observation. It was interesting to see my co-workers interacting with the children while I observed. There were many books available to the children with different illustrations, categories, and sizes. However, I did not find any books that related to their current themes in the classroom – cooking and ramps were the main themes displayed in the classroom. Dramatic play had many materials that related to the theme of cooking, I think that 5-10 books could be placed in the dramatic play area that are related to the theme of cooking. This would enhance children’s play as they learn about cooking (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009) . It can help children form ideas and invite other children into their play. Many of the books related to the main curriculum areas like water, sand, art, and block play. But few were related to the actual materials within each curriculum area. The staff had meaningful and engaging interactions with the children even though they didn’t always use phrases that expanded the child’s play and learning. A recommendation I would give for this section is to remind the teachers that engaging socially with children is just as important as creatively engaging through play (Makovichuk, Hewes, Lirette, & Thomas, 2014) . When we talk about the materials, it can bring up new and exciting ideas for the children and teach them new words to increase their experience (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2015) . Expansions to statements made by the children are a great way to start socially becoming more engaged with the children.

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 6 It would have been great to see songs, the alphabet, colors and numbers used in the interactions between the teachers and the students. This is another recommendation I would give. There were many teacher-child interactions, but few were focused on expanding the child’s thinking. As we talk with children, we can offer simple open-ended phrases like: “What colors are they? Where else do we see that in our world? How else can we stack the blocks? What other ways can you move our arms?” Phrases like these help children to think more openly and categorize and pair thoughts together schematically. Learning Activities Within the manipulatives play area which is situated close to the tabletops, there were many different activities and materials for the children to participate in. These included bristle blocks, Lincoln logs, connecting shapes, tweezers and pompoms, puzzles, and sensory bins. Although the teachers did not actively engage with the children that were using these materials, the children were engaged in their own solitary and parallel play alongside the other children. The art area had adequate amounts of supplies and materials that were developmentally appropriate for the children. There were many conversations between the teachers and the children at the art table. Most of the conversations were child-led as they talked about what they were creating and what materials they were touching and using. When the teachers engaged socially, most of their talk were statements and close ended phrases. A recommendation I would have for the teachers would be to ask the children questions that expand their thinking and engage them in the activity with different senses. Instead of saying “I like the color you chose”, one could say: “What do you think of when you see this color that you chose?” Questions that are open ended help the children exchange ideas between others and challenge their thinking and creativity.

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RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 7 I observed the children accessing the musical instruments on their own, but there was no engagement from the teachers. Sometimes we want to engage with the children, but as we assess the situation, we see that it can also interrupt their play. It is up to our personal judgement of the situation to engage or to observe what the child is playing with. There were about 5-7 instruments and musical materials available to the children during open play. For a short amount of time, there was soft music playing in the background. Depending on what time of day it is and what children are already engaged in, it can be interesting to see how children respond to music and movement. A recommendation I would have for this section would be to have a more diverse amount of musical materials available. Also having natural resources and materials for music is a great way to incorporate natural materials in the classroom. There were plenty of blocks and block props available for the children. Although there was only one type of unit blocks, the children still seemed interested in building structures and ramps with the props that were in the area. The theme during my observation time was ‘ramps. The teachers had provided long pieces of cardboard, plastic ramps, and balls and cars for the children to use. These support children’s development as they learn about speed, velocity and gravity. There were great provocations available for the children to explore. The space of the block area was used in a way that supported the children’s need for quiet and uninterrupted play from the other areas of the classroom. The area was slightly blocked off with a storage shelf that was about 2.5 feet high so that the children could still see over it and that teachers would be able to supervise accordingly. This shelf acted as storage for blocks and props, and a divider amongst play areas.

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 8 The dramatic play area was designed with a staircase leading up to a loft where children can sit and relax and look over the whole classroom. There is also a puppet theatre stand at the entrance of the play area that acts as a divider. This allows children to separate their play from other areas, but still have access to materials from around the classroom to enhance their ideas and their play. There were many materials available like: a kitchen set for cooking, a table and chairs, cleaning, dress up, dolls, pushing carts around, a crib, a stroller for the dolls, and other supporting props like hats, helmets, gloves, stuffed animals, and pillows and blankets. There was little to no nature/science materials in the classroom. I think that sometimes nature and science materials seem hard to find or incorporate in the classroom. When really, it can be books, pictures, natural or recycled materials and resources from the environments, sand and water toys, shells, leaves, twigs and many other loose parts. I would strongly recommend that the childcare center revamp their nature/science play area. There were few math materials as well. Number boards or charts should be posted at a child’s level so they can start seeing and recognizing numbers. There is an alphabet chart at the children’s level. Helping children recognize and learn their numbers, letters, and shapes can help them connect with their environment as they look for these symbols throughout their play experiences (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009) . It also helps them develop skills in counting and sorting and organizing. The children weren’t actively engaged in promoting diversity. There were many materials around the classroom that supported the acceptance of different races, cultures and lifestyles. There were dolls of different races, diverse books about different types of people and lifestyles, musical instruments from around the world like drums, maracas, and a rain stick. When children learn about different cultures and races, it helps them gain a knowledge of other cultures and respect for their classmates (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2015) .

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 9 There is no technology used on a regular basis at this center. Occasionally on Fridays there is a movie played in the afternoon during pick up and open play hours. The children are free to watch the movie or engage in play throughout the classroom. The movie is developmentally appropriate and teaches skills that the children can use in their lives. It is often a short film related to a theme or interest of the children. Interaction Throughout my observation time, I noticed the teachers interacting positively with the children and offering problem-solving techniques that were developmentally appropriate. Children were informed of rules and expectations and were kindly reminded of them throughout the day – such as – washing hands before meals, speaking in a normal voice and not a yelling voice, using their words to interact with other children during conflict, teachers used appropriate phrases during transitions that helped the children move from one activity to the next. There were often small group gatherings that were child-initiated like reading books, or cooking play at the dramatic play area. There are no specific group activities or circle times planned as they can interrupt or disturb a child’s play if not delivered appropriately. All the interactions and conversations between the teachers and the children were positive and uplifting. The teachers modeled appropriate behavior through example and lead. The teachers invited the children to start helping clean up the classroom after snack time. They started sweeping and clearing tables and verbally invited the children to help by saying “Can you please put the cups in the bin and the napkins in the garbage?” For the subsection ‘discipline’ I observed the teachers using positive communication and developmentally appropriate techniques. These included helping children problem-solve and use

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RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 10 their words to interact with their peers. In one specific interaction between two children, a child hit the other child because their toy was taken. The teachers advised the child to ask for a turn with the toy instead of taking it away. They advised the other child to use their words and say “I’m using this right now” instead of hitting the other child. This teaches great skills to children for real world experiences and situations. Program Structure There are a few children who have behavioral challenges in this childcare centre who need extra help and attention. As I observed the transitions throughout the afternoon, I noticed that the teachers handled the situations patiently and smoothly. They involved the children in the transitions and helped teach them cleaning skills and putting on their own outside gear. This centre has a free play schedule for most of the day. Snack time is open for an hour and the children can come sit down and serve themselves when they are ready. Small group activities happen as the teachers made provocations throughout the observation and invited the children to participate. One teacher put pieces of paper out on the art table and added containers of paint, glue, and pompoms. There were children close by who were watching, and they came and sat down at the table. As teachers use materials around the classrooms to engage children in activities, it enhances their play and allows them to be creative (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009) .

RUNNING HEAD: EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE SUMMARY 11 References Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Washington: NAEYC. Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (2015). Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale . New York: Teachers College Press. Makovichuk, L., Hewes, J., Lirette, P., & Thomas, N. (2014). Play, Participation, and Possibilities: An early learning and child care curriculum framework for Alberta. Canada: www.childcareframework.com. Robins, A., & Callan, S. (2009). Managing Early Years Settings: Supporting and Leading Teams. London: SAGE. Yeates, M., McKenna, D., Warberg, C., & Chandler, K. (2001). Administering Early Childhood Settings: The Canadian Perspective. Toronto: Prentice Hall.

ECERS and Summary

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