ECERS Supports

"The preschool classroom is a microcosm of the world. So much that is meaningful can take place in this setting. It is imperative that all rooms where young children gather be places where experimentation is honored and children feel free to take chances," writes Carol Hillman in The Art of Leadership: Cultivating Curriculum in Early Childhood Organizations.

"It is here, in this safe environment, that children can learn the pleasures of a deep work ethic and become stronger within themselves through the work that they have accomplished."

NOTES FROM Newsletters & EMAILS:

From email dated 12/10/1012:

While we have been focusing heavily on the classroom set-up of the ECERS monitoring visits since that is something we can control, there is another VERY important area that we as Pre-K staff also have control over and that is indicator 17, Using language to develop reasoning skills (pg. 37 in the Spiral Book and pg. 169-175 in the All About ECERS-R book). To receive a score of ‘7’, staff must give students opportunities to reason throughout the day in real situations and introduce concepts based on the interest or needs of students. For some of us these types of conversations come easily. Others will have to consciously train ourselves to talk with students about their reasoning and engage them in meaningful conversations to get them ‘thinking about their thinking’ (metacognition).

Some helpful prompts to use when talking with children about their work may include, “Tell me about your….”, “Why did you…”, “How might you … differently next time?”, “How are these alike/different?”, etc. Asking ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions give students opportunities to explain their thinking.

When interacting with students, instead of ‘telling’ students exactly what to do, you may also begin using the prompt, “I wonder…’. For example, if students are sorting bears/vehicles/dinosaurs by color at the manipulatives center you could sit with them and ask them about their work. After they finish explaining you could ask, “Is there another way you could sort those?” If they do not respond with a logical answer, instead of telling them how to sort the objects, use the prompt, “I wonder if you could sort them by size/type?” Give them time to digest the question and watch how they respond. (The All About ECERS-R book gives more examples for this indicator.)

Engaging students in these types of conversations in a variety of settings throughout the day encourages their development of language and reasoning skills.

From email dated 12/03/1012:

Please place a copy of this email in your spiral ECERS book

You may use the following products in place of 'bleach mixtures' that your custodian may have or can order:

Disinfectant~Quat 256 (except for the classrooms where they are doing multiple diaper changes, then they will use NABC) NOTE: Custodians may already have this in their inventory.

Sanitizer~Sani Tyze NOTE: This product is probably not at your schools, but is approved for sanitation purposes for our Pre-K classrooms.

Soapy Water~Teachers may mix "Go Jo Foam" and water in labeled spray bottles.

You may also want to check with your custodian to see if any of these products are available for use at your school or if they can support you with the necessary products to disinfect/sanitize your classroom.

All these products need to be kept out of the reach of children and/or locked away if possible.

September:

ECERS INFORMATION: According to the new ECERS standards, hand sanitizer with 60-95% alcohol may be used with students as long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. So, if anyone enters your room, they may either wash their hands with soap and water or they may use hand sanitizer. If hands are visibly dirty, you must use soap and water and they must rub their hands together for at least 20 seconds. Finally, anti-bacterial soaps SHOULD NOT be used according to the new guidelines.

Some have also asked about products that must be locked up. If a product says, “Keep out of reach of children”, then it needs to be locked up in your classroom.

November:

ECERS MATERIALS CHECKLIST: This week in the newsletter the Music and Listening, Dramatic Play, and the Science Centers were highlighted. I plan to give you feedback on these centers next Thursday or Friday.

Music Center: This indicator is about producing and listening to music and having opportunities to do both prescribe and create large movement activities. This is an area that is easy to get a score of 6 or 7. Is requires a lot of accessible opportunities within the center. As you read section 21 in your ECERS manual you will see that you need a lot more added but it only has to be open 1 hour daily.

Dramatic Play Center: There must be props for two themes at all times. Themes include housekeeping, work, leisure and/or fantasy. All dress-up clothes must be organized neatly on a rack or hook, not in a container. Writing materials should be integrated in the center appropriately and all materials must be organized and labeled. It is OK to group materials in containers as long as the containers are labeled appropriately and there are labels on the shelves where the containers belong. Appropriate labels for dishes, pots, pans, cups, etc. include outlines of the items taped to the shelf in the cupboard/ stove or photo of the shelf with the items in the appropriate place.

Science Center: There should be “many” developmentally appropriate games, materials and activities from three categories accessible. “Many” means approximately 3-5 examples of three categories. The categories are: natural objects, living things, nature/science books, games or toys, and nature/science activities. You may cover this category by having more than 3-5 of other categories and fewer living things. Please see page 258-59 in the All About ECERS-R book for clarification. “Many” means approximately3-5 examples of three categories.

December:

COZY CORNER

• Is the Cozy Corner a 'center' or an area in the classroom? It can count as both. The important issue is that the cozy area has the amount of softness required, that it is protected from active play, and that it is accessible for substantial portion of the day.

• Can the Cozy Corner 'share' some space/materials with the Book/Library Center? (books, soft toys) Yes, the cozy corner can share some space/materials with books/library.

SAND AND WATER

• Is observing students washing hands before and after interacting with the materials in the Sand and Water table enough 'evidence' or should there be some other way to show evidence? Handwashing needs to be observed in order to ensure proper procedures are used and that it is actually carried out.

• Can a variety of accessible toys available for play be located IN the sand/water table or do the toys have to be accessible UNDER each table for sanitary/organizational purposes? A variety of toys can be located in either space or both spaces.

• If there are a variety of accessible toys IN the sand/water table, does there have to be other accessible toys UNDER the sand/water table? Not necessarily as long as there is enough variety in the toys accessible IN the water/sand table.

BLOCKS

• Do pictures/photos of people with disabilities/diverse cultures posted in the area count in the block center? Sure. I look for pictures/photos all around the room. The only thing to keep in mind about pictures is that enrolled children and their families are counted under Display for Children and NOT in Multicultural item, even if the children enrolled (and their families) are diverse.

• Can blocks with picture cut-outs of people with disabilities/diverse cultures taped to blocks substitute for 'people/doll' accessories? No, I think that would count as a picture. I'll check with folks in Chapel Hill though. I'm going up there next week for training.

NOTE: Manipulatives & Books~Materials listed in these areas may be found throughout the classroom and not just at the manipulatives or book/library center.

Manipulatives:For ‘fine motor’ examples see pages 189 in the All All About ECERS-Rbook and the clarifications on pg. 39 in the spiral bound book. For Math and Number examples see page 267 in the All About ECERS-R book and pg. 52 in the spiral book.

Books:An explanation of the ‘categories’ for the variety of books expected in a Pre-K classroom may be found on page 150 of the All About ECERS-Rbook and in the clarifications on page 35 of the spiral book. Although ‘variety’ does take into account the entire accessible books in the classroom, your book/library center should still have an appropriate variety of books accessible to the students as well (pg. 151, All About ECERS-Rbook).

January:

SCIENCE CENTER: I started adding Science Center ideas to the Science page of my wiki and will continue to add new ideas as they become available. Please use the information as needed to help you as you gather materials and plan activities for your Science Center. If you come across any great Science ideas please let me know, I would love to include them on this page as well.

ART CENTER: I know I am a little slow : ), but as I was completing the ECERS-R Checklist in the classrooms I realized the need to focus more of our attention on intentionally planning 3-D art and extended art experiences for our students. While the piñata provided us an opportunity for both during Unit 2, the curriculum typically doesn’t lend itself to creating these types of experiences for our students. If you have any 3-D or extended art experience ideas, please share them with me and I will include them on my wiki for all to reference.

ART CENTER: ECERS-R, page 204: “Three-dimensional means that the art objects that have been created have height, depth and width. Gluing small three-dimensional objects (such as Styrofoam chips, pieces of egg cartons, arts sticks) to a flat surface does not count as three-dimensional work, unless the work is built up substantially, away from the base surface. Art materials used to create three-dimensional objects include modeling clay, play dough, paper mache’, woodwork, and ‘junk’ (such as cardboard tubes, paper boxes, packing materials, etc.) to make sculptures.” As you work on your plans here are some 3-D art experiences you may want to incorporate:

• the creation of a hat~A Hat for Minerva Louise

• paper mache’ animal/character masks~ A Hat for Minerva Louise; One Dark Night; Rabbits and Raindrops

• musical instruments to add to the music/listening center (papertowel/toilet paper roll shakers)

• wind sock~Gilberto and the Wind

• white clay/playdough ‘snow’ sculptures~The Snowy Day

• sculptures made from recycled materials.

Remember to date all art projects before displaying them around the room.

ECERS~20. ART: 5.2 “Much individual expression” means that 85% of the time when art materials are used, children can do “free art” and are not required to follow an example. Observe to see whether children have access to the art materials. Art materials on art shelf should meet requirements of the ECERS check list and be available for use each day.

ECERS REVIEW: Language-Reasoning (15, 16, 17, 18)

Last year, when we reflected on the ECERS ratings for our Pre-K classrooms we discovered this indicator had the lowest overall scores. Over the next few weeks I will review the items for this indicator and give you a ‘task’ to complete so that we can improve on our practice this year.

15. BOOKS AND PICTURES: A wide variety of books from each of the following categories: fantasy, factual, animals, people, disability, multi-cultural. These books should be available for a substantial portion of the day (SPOD) and should include titles from the current theme. While these books may be found in a book center, they may also be found in other areas of the classroom. Children should also have access to additional language materials (recorded stories and songs, picture card games, flannel board props, language experience charts, etc). Finally, the most important one that many of us missed, staff should intentionally create opportunities to read informally to children at some time during the day (center time or quiet time).

TASK: Please take time this week to talk with your instructional partner about how you might intentionally plan times to read informally with students. Then check your classroom for appropriate books in each of the 6 categories mentioned above. Other language materials may be added to the classroom once students are more familiar with taking care of the books in the classroom.

16. ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO COMMUNICATE and 18. INFORMAL USE OF LANGUAGE: At the highest level staff balance listening and talking appropriately for age and abilities of the children and encourage children to communicate during both free play and group times. Staff and student interactions are conversational and individual conversations happen with most children. Students are encouraged to give longer and more complex answers/responses during a natural conversation. Staff also use dictation to record children’s oral communication.

INTERACTIONS: “The things you say and the things you do when you interact with children each day make a big difference in their lives.”http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/TYC_V4N1_Powerful_Interactions.pdf

**http://www.powerfulinteractions.com/new.html*

TASKS: (1) Read and discuss the article with your teaching partner. Plan times to intentionally interact with students in meaningful ways as described in the article (first link) above. (2) Intentionally set aside time each day/week to take dictation of students ‘stories’.

Of all the indicators in this section, this one is the one that was neglected the most but is one of the easiest to implement.

17. USING LANGUAGE TO DEVELOP REASONING SKILLS: This indicator requires that staff explain the concept illustrated in particular materials that are designed to stimulate reasoning and staff must encourage children to explain their reasoning when they have solved a logical problem. There must be at least one observed instance of staff explaining such concepts to children and two observed instances of staff encouraging children to explain their reasoning when solving problems.

For example, if a child has sorted red, blue, and green counting bears in a bowl, the teacher might ask why the red, blue, green bears were put in separate bowls. By listening to the child’s explanation, the teacher will know how much about the concept the child understands.

TASKS: Sit at the puzzles and manipulatives table and ask students ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions as they work with the materials. If a student is having trouble completing a puzzle, you could ‘think aloud’ how you use strategies to put a puzzle together (edges first, turn and fit, matching colors, etc.). When you do this you are helping them think logically and you are providing them with language that will help eventually them explain their own reasoning.

OUTSIDE TIME

A Pre-K/ECERS-R expectation is that all children will have 60 minutes of outside/gross motor time a day. This does not include transition times. On those rainy days, extra center time does not count as outside/gross motor time. Here are some ideas that you may want to implement in your classroom on those days when the conditions are not favorable for outside for gross motor play.

Outside Temperature Chart

Create an obstacle course in your classroom, set up group rotations, or do the activities individually: (Foundations HPD 2 and 4)

• Balance Challenge: See how long you can balancing on one foot; walk on a ‘balance beam’ (line of tape on the floor)

• Hula Hoop Hop: Place 3-4 hula hoops on the floor and have them hop/jump into each one; hula hoop

• Tumbling: Place a tumbling mat on the floor and have them stop, drop and roll or teach them to do a forward roll.

• Bean Bag Toss (to a container, to each other), scarf toss, parachute activities if you have a small parachute

Technology

Articles~

• The Impact of Technology on Child Sensory and Motor Development by Cris Rowan, OTR

• Touch and Grow Learning and Exploring Using Tablets

• Using Technology Appropriately in the Preschool Classroom

Slide Show: Engaging the 21st Century 4 Year Old Through Technology

IPAD APPS

grasshopperapps.com has some appropriate FREE apps and read-along books, submitted by Rebecca Query, Piney Grove 2014

A Snapshot of Kids' Language and Literacy Apps (Part 3)

http://www.edcentral.org/literacy-appspart-3/