Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R)

SEI 513, Spring 2014

Kara St.Hilaire
University of Maine






















Background Information:
My practicum site and full time job as a special educator, otherwise known as
a developmental specialist, is located at the Childrens Center in Augusta, Maine.
The center has 4 inclusive classrooms including an infant room, Seedlings, Little
Sprouts, for children 18 months to 2 years, Growing Buds, for children 2 to
4, and Bursting Blossoms, for children ages 4 and 5. These four classrooms offer
childcare as well as group and individual services. The center also has a classroom
for children with low functioning autism spectrum disorders called Stepping
Stones, as well as a small-specialized program for children identified with
emotional disorders or challenging behaviors, called Busy Bees. Additionally, the
Childrens Center provides speech and occupational therapy, targeted case
management, home and community services, and parent education.
In January 2014, I was moved from my role as a special educator in the
Bursting Blossoms inclusive classroom, to a teacher in the specialized Busy Bees
classroom. The classroom currently serves nine children identified with autism,
posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. The classroom is over seen by a
clinician who is in charge of the kids plans, provides therapy, and assists with
behavior strategies and techniques. With four other co-teachers, we are responsible
for implementing activities, modifying those activities to meet the developmental
needs of the children, tracking and monitoring progress, and for fostering social and
emotional growth.

Assessment
www.karasthilaire.weebly.com
SEI 513 ECERS-R Score Sheets

Summary/Recommendations
The observation was done in the Busy Bees classroom February 26 2014, on
a typical Wednesday, with no children absent. All typical staff members were
present.
Identified strengths of the Busy Bees classroom based on the evaluation
started in the area of gross motor. Because we have occupational therapists on site,
there are various types of portable equipment that can be used that work a variety
of skills. Along with equipment, the padded OT room is also available to use anytime
a session is not in progress. Most classrooms at the center, including Bust Bees, has
a door to outside, providing direct access to our spacious playground. Another
strength of the classroom and center as a whole was in the personal care routines
section. We are very lucky to have a food program with a wonderful cook who
provides three healthy meals a day for the children. During this time I observed a
family style meal with all of the staff members and children sitting around the table.
The staff members encouraged children to help one another clean and set the table,
counting out how many settings they needed. The children demonstrated
independence while self-serving and pouring, and waited until all the children had
food on their plates, they began eating. During this time, staff members prompted
many conversations, and used it as a time for the children to engage in discussion,
while working on table manners, trying new foods, and using utensils functionally.
While the Busy Bees classroom exemplified strengths, there were also some
areas that needed improvement. For starters, the classroom environment was
missing some critical elements. There was no area for comfort relaxation, or space
for a child to go if they needed time alone. The two bulletin boards in the classroom
had classroom rules, and birthdays, but they were too high for children to observe,
and there was no original artwork done by the children displayed on the walls. The
dramatic play area was extremely cluttered and had multiple themes: a kitchen, a
tool bench, and a baby doll pretend play area, along with other sporadic materials
such as dress up clothes (including many that do not pertain to dramatic play area
themes) a cash register with money, a telephone, purses, hats, and items from a play
doctor kit. During my observation the tool bench was used, and the other dramatic
play units were turned towards the wall. The classroom also had no designated
reading area; In fact, there were no books available for children to look at in the
environment at all. During circle time a book on tape was used, picked out by the
children. The Busy Bees classroom did not score well in the areas of discipline and
staff-child interactions. Due to the nature of the classroom, each child has their own
specific behavior plan. Some children are held to a much higher standard based on
the severity of the behaviors, or their history. During my observation I noticed that a
two out of the four teachers teachers primarily interacted with children for
behavior or redirection purposes, counting only a handful of times positive
techniques or praise were used.
Based on the findings from the ECERS-R, I would recommend the Busy Bees
staff take a look at each section of the classroom and determine its purpose, then
adapt that area to fit best practice standards. For example, what is the theme in the
dramatic play area? If it is babies than the only materials in that area should be
consistent with the theme: dolls, bottles, wipes, diapers, bibs, etc. While a clinician
who primarily uses a behavior model to address the needs of the children oversees
the classroom, alternative strategies should be discussed and explored such as play
therapy, positive reinforcement, and using interest based methods. I also
recommend more language and literacy is incorporated into the daily routine;
especially for children who come from adverse backgrounds, enhancing their
language and literacy skills is crucial for their development. The classroom can start
this by adding a cozy book area to the classroom. With a few adjustments to the
classroom environment, schedule, and techniques used, the classroom has great
potential inside of a wonderful comprehensive early intervention program.