Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

Sara Millar
Seton Hill University

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

Classroom Atmosphere
The Head Start Program follows the requirements of Keystone Stars
and their expectations. The pre-k classroom is adjusted to fit the
accommodations and modifications of the children to make them more
comfortable and welcomed. With kind words and loving care, the children are
encouraged to maintain a positive attitude that can overrule any negative
situation that may occur. When you walk into the room, you can instantly feel
the warm welcomes and the genuine amounts of encouragement. One of my
favorite observations that I made while I was at Head Start was watching the
teachers promote problem solving. The teachers in the class give multiple
options for the children to chose from to help them solve their problem. It
allows for the children to think critically and decide what the right decisions
would be to solve their issues, either with other children or a problem of their
own. The children all play together in different areas of the room. There are
five content areas in the pre-k classroom: block area (along with music), art
area, dramatic play area, and reading area. The content areas are set up so
that noise does not become a distraction to children. The block area is
located in the opposite corner of the room than the reading area. The art
area is in a corner on a floor that is capable to being cleaned easily in case of
an accident.
The relationship between the children and the teacher is a bond that
becomes irreplaceable once so much time has been invested with one

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

another. This type of relationship is what makes the children want to come to
school and enjoy their time being there.

Classroom Strengths
The strengths within the classroom had to deal with the interactions
amongst the children and other staff. While evaluating the ECERS book,
subsection 29-33 received high ratings. These five sections included:
observation of gross motor activities, overall general supervision of the
children, discipline among the students, the interaction between staff and
the children, and the interactions among the children themselves. I enjoyed
that there was such a strong connection with all participants in the classroom
and the interaction they had with one another. There was an abundance of
encouragement with getting the children to communicate and using
language to develop different reasoning skills.
The greetings and interaction with children as soon as they step foot in
the door, is what is going to make the children have a wonderful day or not.
You must be as excited as they are to be in that classroom, and that is
exactly how the teachers acted towards the students. They encouraged the
students to keep a happy self, but they understood if they were sad. No
matter the mood of the child, the teacher adapted to them and found a way
to make them feel comfortable and hopefully brighten up their day.
Part of my observation that I havent seen before was the way that the
program designed their meals and snacks. As part of the day, the children

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

are responsible for pouring their own drinks, passing an item to another
student, cleaning up after themselves, and helping set the table. The Head
Start Program considers this family style. I loved that the children came
together as a class and had a family style meal together, in which
conversations were initiated by the children themselves. This way of
providing meals to the children has many positives that follow with it. Family
style meals give the children a sense of responsibility and understanding as
to what you are expected to do at a dinner table. This method also allows the
children to learn better table manners, or manners in general. The teachers
are also sitting at the table with the children while they eat and engage in
conversations with the children to promote a more satisfying conversation.
The teacher does not leave the table until the last student has finished and
cleaned up.
Areas for Improvement
Although Head Start is a very well designed program, I did notice a few
faults that may need improved. One of the biggest areas that would need
improvement is the gross motor equipment. Head Start does not have a
playground for the children to play on outside. They do however, have a
large gross motor room but the children do not use it often, if at all. For
children ages three to four, I feel that they need that playtime to release
their energy and frustration outside by kicking a ball around or running
around and playing tag.

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

Another improvement for the classroom itself would be to have a

science/nature area for the children. I walked around the classroom and
observed many different content areas, but none in which involved a science
area alone. I do understand that the age group may not meet the standards
for learning about science, but on the other hand, I feel that you can never
start to early to let a child explore different leaves, the study of bugs, or
different types of trees.
Action Plan for Improvements
As I had mentioned, the Head Start Program does not have a
playground or outdoor gross motor area. However, there is a playground
right down the street. I think that Head Start should get in touch with the city
that takes care of the playground and see if there is a way for them to fund
Head Start to so that they can fulfill the health standards that are necessary
to meet the requirements for the Keystone Stars. Playgrounds for children in
a daycare need to be assessed to satisfy the requirements for Public
Playground Safety. The policy requires that there be a critical height so that
there is no life threatening head injury if a child were to fall off the
playground, the playground must be protected by barriers the prevent a user
from passing through, and loose-fill surfacing material such as shredded
rubber.
The nature/science area is an easy fix. All that needs to be done is to
add nature and science items that are age appropriate and will be beneficial
to the children. Maybe add bugs, or leaves, or a book about trees. The

Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Evaluation

children should be able to experiment and learn while they play or observe
during their free-play.
Overall Evaluation
Overall, the observation that I made at Head Start was an amazing
atmosphere for the children in their early years of learning. Although there
are a few areas that need improvements, I understand that is hard to fulfill a
perfect seven in all areas. There are going to be areas that are not readily
available to the children because of different variables, whether it is a small
classroom or low-budget funding. Head Start follows the requirements of
Keystone Stars and is rated top notch in the rankings of preschools. The
requirements that are to be met are for the best interest of the children and
also the staff. The four-hour observation that I made was very beneficial for
me to see what must be involved to run a positive and effective preschool
that will guarantee the success of the children.