ECERS Analysis
The Early Childhood Environment Research Scale (ECERS) is an evaluation tool to assess the quality of a preschool classroom. ECERS is divided into six subscales (Space and Furnishings, Personal Care Routines, Language and Literacy, Learning Activities, Interaction, and Program Structure); each subscale, too, has individual items totaling thirty-three items across the entire scale. These items are scored on a scale from 1 to 7, with 1 denoting an inadequate implementation of the item and 7 denoting excellent implementation.
During my preschool observations, I observed both classrooms with ECERS-3 and specific attention toward The Creative Curriculum objectives as well. Here are some examples of the most enlightening experiences I observed and learned from my ECERS records.
Squirrel Friends - Language & Reasoning Skills
On the first exploratory lesson of the lights unit, the Squirrel Friends learned about flashlights and both how and when to use them. This ECERS excerpt is from the introductory circle time on the topic of flashlights before the students were given the opportunity to explore the classroom with light tools.
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Happy Horses - Informal Language
This is an ECERS excerpt from free play post snack time. There was one student silently drawing alone, so a teacher pulled up a chair and began drawing as well.
It is important to note that when the student said "all colors all mixed up", the student was pulling on their tie-dye t-shirt. I thought this interaction was especially insightful because the student had an idea and example of their desired outcome, but did not yet have the verbiage. The teacher restated the student invented definition and gave the student the proper terminology. The student seemed truly elated to now have the term "tie-dye" in their lexical toolbox -- the student later asked a peer if they "knew tie-dye". This interaction not only expanded upon a student's understanding, but also showcases the joy that comes from everyday, child-centered learning.
This interaction stood out to me because I loved how the teacher scaffolds reasoning skills by presenting the students with a hypothetical, open-ended question. The teacher had students reverse-engineer a problem that could be solved with a flashlight. This form of problem-solving is complex and requires children to both think reflectively and hypothetically.
Happy Horses - Space for Privacy
Given that ECERS pertains to the holistic learning environment, the Spaces and Furnishing items and indicators are thorough. The following is an excerpt from Space for Privacy.
This interaction highlighted the importance of prepping the classroom with attention to student needs. The student was disoriented and overwhelemed following nap and needed time to settle their mind and body. The teachers were able to get the student into the privacy area to focus on being present in school. Once the student took around 15 minutes in the privacy area, the student happily reengaged with the rest of the class.