Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition

Brigham Young University - Idaho

McKenzie Foster and Becca Meagher

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale

 The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale is made to observe and assess the
environment and care of an early childhood classroom. The ECRS is the most widely used early
childhood environment quality assessment instrument in the United States and worldwide.
(Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (2015)). It assesses six different areas: space and
furnishings, personal care routines, language and literacy, learning activities, interaction, and
program structure. The chosen classroom is meant to be observed over a 3 hours time span. Each
of the areas are observed in subscales that contain a variety of questions about each area. When
finished being observed the amount of subscales used are divided by the number of items scored
to come up with an average for each section. With those numbers the teachers are able to see
what areas in their classroom need to improve the most.

How observation was completed

Those who observed from the booth and in class were Becca Meagher and McKenzie
Foster. We observed for an overall total of four hours. We both took turns observing different
sections and items from the ECERS. All the sectioned over lapped to ensure accuracy, for the
final score. Each one of us took turns observing, as the other one was working with the children
during lab time. We both took time after lab to evaluate the environment.
As a team, the two of us met for a total of four hours in the span of two days. The first
meeting was the morning of Friday February 21, 2020 for two hours. The second meeting was
the afternoon of Monday February 24, 2020 for two hours. The observation took place over the
span of two lab days. The first one took place on Tuesday February 18, 2020 and the second one
was on Wednesday February 19, 2020. There was some variation of the scores between the two
of us before we got together to discuss what we observed. These differences mainly came from
our interpretation of the question and how activities were carried out during the lab periods.
Many of these variations of team member scores were resolved as we discussed as a team, and as
we checked the meaning of each question in the ECERS.

Summary of Area Scores Graph

 Strengths
Our top scores were for personal care routines and interactions. We received perfect
scores for both.
❖ Item 1 indoor space- This item received a score of 6, because there is a lot of room for the
children to play and explore. There is a lot of natural light that comes from the windows
and doors. The space is clean and the space is accessible to all of the children and adults
who are in there.
❖ Item 13 encouraging children to use language- This item received a score of 7, because
there were many teacher-child conversations during free play, the teachers were
encouraging the children to communicate with each other, and the teachers asked many
questions that requires a longer response from the children.
❖ Item 21 dramatic play- This item scored a 7, because there were enough materials for all
of the children who were or wanted to play in that area, the teachers were talking to the
children about print and numbers in dramatic play in a way that is meaningful to the
children, and the children had access to dramatic play for at least a hour.
❖ Item 31 peer interaction- This item scored a 7, because the teachers pointed out children’s
positive social behaviors towards one another, the teachers helped the children avoid
conflicts when it came to sharing, and the teachers gave children the opportunities to
work together with self-selected and small focus activities.
❖ Item 34 free play- This item scored a 7, because the materials that were placed out related
to the topic, the teachers had a general awareness of the whole group, even when working
with one child or a small group, and the free play took place for at least one hour during
the observation.
 Areas of improvement
Two areas that we scored the lowest on are language and literacy and learning activities.
❖ Item 5 child-related display- This item scored a 1, because, during the observation, the
teachers did not talk about the displays on the wall, most of the artwork on the walls were
done by children, however, it was not related to any topic, and the teachers did not use
the displays for conversations with the children.
❖ Item 15 Encouraging children’s use of book- This item scored a 2, because, during the
observation, there were not 15 books out for 25 minutes, the children did not show
interest in the books, and there was not a wide variety of books for the children to pick
from.
❖ Item 16 becoming familiar with print- This item scored a 2, because, during the
observation, there was no print with pictures around the room, none of the pictures had
any captions, and teachers did not write anything on the children’s picture besides the
child’s name.
❖ Item 19 music and movement- This item scored a 2, because, during the observation,
there was no music materials accessible to the children at all, there was no music
materials during free play, and the teachers did not point out any rhyming words in the
songs, or while reading stories.
❖ Item 22 nature/science- This item scored a 2 because, during the observation, there was
no sand or water for the children to play with, and there was no activity that included
measuring, comparing, or sorting.
❖ Item 24 math in daily events- This item scored a 2 because, during the observation, the
teachers did not connect printed numbers or shaped with everyday use in the
environment, there weren't any conversations about math in non-math areas, and math
was not related to everyday life.
❖ Item 25 understanding written numbers- This item scored a 2 because, during the
observation, there were no printed numbers in display materials that were accompanied
by pictures that show what the numbers mean, and the teachers did not show the children
how to use materials and talk about printed numbers.
❖ Item 26 promoting acceptance of diversity- This item scored a 2 because, during the
observation, the materials didn’t show diversity, the classroom materials did not include
diversity and there was no observed learning about diversity.

ECERS improvement plan

Date February 24, 2020
Lab Preschool Lab 1
Observers McKenzie Foster and Becca Meagher
 Assessment Specific Indicators Explanation Plan for
Subscale Area within this Item Improvement

Space and 5.Child- Related Teachers should be More art or posters

Furnishings Display talking with children around the room.
about the art and Encourage teachers
other displays to spend more time
around the talking about what
classroom. There the children see
should be more of a around the room.
variety of displays
on the walls and
around the
classroom

Language and 15. Encourage The children at age 4 We will be changing

Literacy children’s use of like to read books the variety of books
books but after the first day throughout the unit.
they have read all of Each day new books
the options offered. will be added to our
To improve their book area.
reading, we are
going to change out
the books more often
within each unit.

Language and 16. Becoming Currently in our There will be more

Literacy familiar with print classroom we have literacy items added
very few signs or around the
labels hanging. The classroom: Ex: Signs
children should start and Labels
being able to
recognize words and
letters that make up
the words.

Learning Activities 19. Musical In our classroom A variety of musical

material there are no musical material will be
 instruments offered added to free play
in an everyday each day.
setting.

Learning Activities 24. Math and daily A math self-selected We will be adding
events activity is set up math that can relate
each day in our to everyday life.
classroom but it is More math in the
not a real-life dramatic play area or
activity. in the block area.

Resources

Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (2015). Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (3rd
ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.