ECE250 Project

This is an evaluation of an early childhood setting (preschool – ages 3 or 4 in a typically developing

classroom, or early elementary – kindergarten through 2nd grade in a typically developing classroom).
The project requires you to do objective observations, interviews and use specific examples of
behaviors. For each area listed you are to gather information (documentation/examples – equipment
might be a listing of the equipment found in the classroom, room arrangement might be a description or
pictures of the classroom, philosophy would be a statement from both the center/school and teacher,
etc.). Evaluation of each section will be written from this information. (Be sure to include enough
information so that the instructor can have a complete picture of the classroom.)
*Evaluations MUST include references to SPECIFIC ideas/theories learned in class or through text.
DAP (Developmentally appropriate practice by NAEYC) MUST be referred to in the written evaluation
(include page and short quote). Use at least 3 references per section. Both appropriate and
inappropriate practices should be noted.
Form must be followed
Circle one age group/grade: 3-4 4-5 K 1st 2nd

Section 1. Physical Environment (this section may include pictures)

Documentation/examples (15 points)
A. Equipment (general listing of large items)
1. Indoors:
 Large Tables
 Chairs
 Play Kitchen
 Small Table and chairs
 Cubbies
 Couch
 2 Book Stands
 Rugs
 Bench
 2 Large rectangle shelf unit
 4 Medium rectangle shelf unit
 Medium shelf unit with drawers
 2 Small-low shelf rectangle unit
 Light Table

2. Outdoors:
 Riding Cars
 Riding Animals
 Teeter totter
 Play house
  Picnic Table
 Table and chairs
 Play bowls, cups, utensils
 Play Food
 Climber/slide
 Sand box/sand toys (shovels, pals, variety of animals)
 Water table/ water toys (boats, cups, spoons)
 Basketball Hoop
 Balls (basketballs, soccer balls, football, kick balls)
 Stepping Stones with different color shapes on top
 Bean Bags with numbers
 Parachute
 Cones (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue)

B. Room arrangement (drawing of room arrangement)

*On a separate attachment as a PDF labeled Classroom Arrangement

C. Centers (include type of each center and materials available to children within that center)
Block Center:
 Large Area Rug
 Wood Blocks
 Wood People (various family ethnicity, community helpers)
 Wood Cars
 Wood Road Signs
 Assortment of Animals (big and small)
 Music Instruments

Dramatic Center:
 Dolls (different races)
 Puppets
 Dress Up Clothes/Shoes (various colors, styles)
 Mirrors with mood on back

Home Goods:
 Play Kitchen
 Play Food (from different food groups, dairy, bread, meat, vegetables, fruit)
 Fabric material play food (can wash in the washing machine)
 Pots and Pans with Lids
 Utensils, Plates, Cups, Tea Cups, Saucers

Science Center:
 Light table
 Clear Blocks
 Measuring & Pouring Cups
  Tape Measure

Reading Center:
 Couch
 Pillows
 Books

Cozy Area:
 Clear Fabric Canopy
 Books
 Small pillow
 Sensory basket ( soft shapes,

Manipulative Area:
 Puzzles
 Lacing Beads
 Sorting Cube

Art Area:
 Crayons/Color Pencils/Markers/Pens
 Paint (various colors)
 Paint Brushes/water cans
 Scissors/Stencils/Glue
 Decorative materials (pom-poms, feathers, square fabric, stickers-various shapes & sizes,
jewels
 Drawing paper/Construction paper (various colors and sizes)
*D. EVALUATION (15 points)
1. Scientific study of children beginning in the 20th century led to an alternative view of childhood-the
competent child-the idea that children are active players in their own development and learning.
(Bredekamp, 2017, 44)
2. Preschoolers are extremely physical creatures-constantly moving, running, and jumping. They react
joyfully to opportunities for dancing, creative movement, physical dramatic play, and being outdoors
where they can move without constraint. (Copple & Bredekamp,2013,113)
3. Developmentally appropriate: Teachers create a learning environment that fosters children's initiative,
active exploration of materials, and sustained engagement with other children, adults, and activities. In
choosing materials and equipment, teachers consider children's developmental levels, interests, and
established social/cultural contexts (e.g., providing items and experiences familiar in their homes).
In Contrast: The environment is disorderly, with little structure or predictability Consequently, children's
behavior is frantic or disengage. The noise level is stressful for children and adults, making it hard to
focus or have a conversation. (Copple & Bredekamp, 2013,153)
Section 2. Curriculum (make appointment with teacher for interview)
Documentation/Examples (15 points)
A. Philosophy
1. Teacher's philosophy (interview of teacher):
"As a teacher I believe that children should be in an environment that has a schedule with
consistency. Children should be in a loving, safe environment and be allowed to explore their
environment. I try to provide a comfortable, stimulating, fun and educational environment, all
while following the daily schedule and curriculum."

2. Center/School philosophy (copy of statement):

"At Dee's Play and Learn Christian Academy, our philosophy is to provide a safe, stimulating
environment that fosters active learning through arts education, and support for the whole child,
while assuring our parent's/guardian's peace of mind in the care and service we render. Our
curriculum is designed to focus on the creative, emotional, intellectual, physical, spiritual and
social growth of each individual. The purpose of our approach is to foster competency in the
young child. While the emphasis is on children, family involvement is encouraged and
supported."
B. Goals (What children are expected to learn)
1. Program goals (should be found in parent handbook):
"Our goal is to provide for your child a loving, safe and enriching environment in which
he/she can grow and learn as an independent, secure and happy individual. We will do
our best to assist your child through their time in care in developing important values
(such as: good manners, caring, sharing, patience and responsibilities as well as
communication and teamwork. All aspects of the learning environment will be aimed
toward the physical, emotional and cognitive development of the individual based on
his/her needs."
2. Classroom goals (interview of teacher):
"My goal is to provide a place where children know that they are accepted, loved, protected, and
wanted; helping to instill in each child a strong sense of self-worth and purpose."
C. Lesson Plans (A copy of at least one weeks plans)
*On a separate attachment as a PDF labeled Lesson Plan
D. Individualization (interview of teacher concerning planning for individual children's needs/learning
styles/etc.)
"Get to know child's interests, needs, and abilities. Create opportunities for learning that build on
the child's interests. Monitor child's progress toward achieving goals."
*E. EVALUATION (15 points)
1. Curriculum content-what children are learning about-is vitally important. One of the strongest
predictors of preschool children's later academic success is their general understanding of the world-
what's happening in nature and what people do and say (Grissmer, Grimm, Aiyer, Murrah, & Steele,
2010). The achievement gap in our schools is now widely understood to be a knowledge gap that must
be addressed if all children are to reach their full potential (Christodoulou, 2014). Moreover, young
children want to learn. (Bredekamp, 2017, 229)
2. Developmentally appropriate: The curriculum is designed to help children explore and acquire the key
concepts (the "big ideas") and tools of inquiry of each discipline in ways that are effective for preschool
children (e.g., science experiences include opportunities in which children explore and directly observe
changes and phenomena).
In Contrast: The curriculum is developed by extending kindergarten expectations downward, rather than
by reflecting what preschool children are capable of-thus, expectations may be too high, too low, or
otherwise not a good fit for the children. (Copple & Bredekamp, 2013,160)
3. Developmentally appropriate: Teachers allocate extended time periods in learning centers (at least 60
minutes) so that children are able to get deeply involved in an activity and sustain dramatic play,
construction, and other activities at a complex level. Children have ample time and opportunity to
investigate what sparks their curiosity.
In contrast: Routines such as toileting or frequent transitions of activity take up excessive time in the day
or interrupt children's engagement and focus, preventing them from gaining maximum benefit from
sustained dramatic play, construction investigations, or other such activities. (Copple & Bredekamp,
2013,153)

Section 3. Guidance (3 specific objective observations for each)

Documentation/Examples (15 points)
A. Routines (specific objective observations of routines being carried out)
1. The teacher told the children after their 5 minutes, "It's time to clean -up and prepare for
lunch. Some of the children yelled "yeah" and begin to pick up the toys on the floor throughout
the classroom." The teacher started singing the clean-up song and a few of the children started
singing the song as well.
2. As the children transitioned to washing hands the children started walking, some running, a
few hopped to the bathroom. They all lined up on the side and one by one begin to wash their
hands. The teacher would remind them of the washing procedures as the children either said their
ABC's or counted to 20.
B. Classroom rules (specific objective observations of posted rules as and/or how children are
reminded of rules)
1. During free play a child was rolling a car on the floor, he then jumped up and ran after the car,
another child in the classroom saw him and said "Ollie! Use your walking feet!"
2. In the block area, 4 children were building blocks and had started getting really loud. The
teacher came over and asked them are you using your inside voice? And the little boy said no"
and the teacher asked where do we use our outside voice at? And two children in unison said
"Outside!"
C. Teacher Interactions (Specific objective observations of how teacher interacts with children during
regular activities/lessons)
 1. Children were getting ready to paint. Each child grabbed an aprons and handed it to the
teacher for her to help them put it on. A few children had already put their apron on and asked
the teacher, "Can you tie my apron please!" and the teacher said "Yes, I will, thank you for using
good manners and asking me to help you tie your apron!"
2. At the table, while children were painting, One child said "Look what I did!" And Ms. Dee
said "The colors you used on your paper really looks good! What did you make? and the little
girl said, "I made a swimming pool and I drew my mama, my sissy, and my nana!" Then Ms.
Dee said, "You did an amazing job creating your family members and painting a swimming
pool!"
3. During story time Ms. Dee grabbed a book from the shelf called "Clark The Shark" to read to
the children. As she read each page she would asked the children question such as "Why do you
think Clark is so excited?" One child said "Cause he's going outside to play."
D. Guidance Techniques (Specific objective observations of the teacher utilizing guidance)
1. A little boy and a little girl were building with the blocks on the carpet in the block area. They
were both building side by side and the little boys blocks fell over. He folded his arms, put his
head down and said "You knocked my blocks down!" And the little girl said "Sorry!" The boy
then asked "Can you move?" and the girl said "No." The boy folds his arms, and lets out a strong
breath of air. The teacher says to the boy "I see that you are frustrated, what do you think you
can do so that you both have room to build? And the little boy says "I don't know" and the
teacher says, " Why don't you move over more so that you can have room?" Then the little boy
says "No" Then he says to the girl, "Can you please move your blocks over?" and she said "yes".
The teacher says thank you for asking her nicely if she could move her blocks over. Then she
turns to the little girl and tells her thank you for moving your blocks over to allow him to build."
2. One child was sitting at the table working on a puzzle when another child comes over and
picks up a puzzle piece from his puzzle. In a loud voice he says "HEY! THATS MINES!" but
the other friend didn't put it down, but just looked at him and said I want to do it. Then he says
"NO!" the teacher says to the child that picked up the puzzle and said I know you want to help
your friend work on his puzzle but he doesn't want any help, he wants to try and work on it on
his own. There are more puzzles on the shelf if you want to work on a puzzle. Then the teacher
turns to the boy working on the puzzle and says "Your friend only wanted to help you work on
your puzzle. I think next time you should say to your friend, I want to work on the puzzle by
myself." And the little boy says "Okay."
3. A little girl was building in the block area and a boy comes over and knocks her blocks down
and starts laughing. The little girl says Hey! I don't like that!" The teacher says to the boy "Your
friend didn't like that you knocked her blocks down. It made her really sad. She spent a lot of
time stacking her blocks. If you really want to knock down blocks you should stack your own
blocks and knock them down, okay?" He nods. Then the little boy goes and starts stacking his
own blocks in the block area on the floor.
*E. EVALUATION (15 points)
1. Guiding children's behavior is something done throughout the day, not just when a child acts in a way
that is unsafe or unacceptable. You guide behavior by establishing predictable routines, setting clear
rules with children, and modeling kindness and respect. You are also attentive and aware of what is
going on. Together, these actions help children feel noticed, confident, and secure. Children experience
your attention and guidance as a caring embrace holding everything together. They know you're on their
team. (Dombro, Jablon, & Stetson 2011, 58)
2. Guidance is the process of teaching children the life skills they need to function productively. Instead
of punishments, children need adults to actively teach them positive behaviors to replace negative,
ineffective behaviors. Children must be taught important life skills, such appropriate expression of
negative emotions, getting along with others, and conflict resolution, using a variety of developmentally
appropriate learning experiences and teaching strategies. (Bredekamp, 2017, 206)

3. Developmentally Appropriate: Teachers model and encourage calm, patient behavior and facilitate
children's development of self-regulation by supporting them in thinking ahead, planning their activities,
and thinking about and using strategies to solve social problems. Teachers' support and scaffolding
move children toward more mature levels of dramatic play, which promotes their self-regulation.

In Contrast: Teachers are uncontrolled in their own behavior (e.g., showing irritation, stress, and
impulsive responses) with children and/or with other adults. Not knowing what children of this age are
capable of, teachers do not involve children in thinking through how to solve problems and learning to
control their own behavior. (Copple & Bredekamp, 2013,158)
References:
S. Bredekamp, 2017. ECE250 Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education.

C. Copple, & S. Bredekamp, 2013. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs,
Serving children from Birth through Age 8 Third Edition.

Dombro, A.L., J. Jablon, & C. Stetson, 2011. Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to
Extend Their Learning. Washington, DC:NAEYC.