Natalie Grebe A key component of a program’s sustained quality that may not receive consistent attention is the director’s observations of classrooms. It is best practice for directors to observe classrooms and review their findings with teachers. Most directors will say the biggest reason for not being able to do this as well as they...Read More

By Kitty Syster   What is the DERS? The Developmental Environment Rating Scale, DERS, is a program observation instrument to evaluate your classroom environment. The DERS is based on Montessori philosophy which measures qualities such as patience and persistence in children, precision and clarity in lessons, and order in the environment, which support the development...Read More

By Regina Wright Close your eyes. Now use four of your five senses. Without opening your eyes, listen to the sounds of spring. What do you hear? Listen as the birds sing. Feel the heat as the sun shines brightly beneath the wind.  Now reach out with your hands and feel the textures that are...Read More

By: Stefanie Camoni Scientists use observation to collect and record data, which enables them to construct and then test hypotheses and theories. The same holds true in our classrooms. The more you observe the children, the better you can plan for their needs and interests. Beyond the classroom teacher, an outside observer such as a...Read More

Beth Simon *Before conducting the experiments below, make sure to check with parents and guardians about children’s allergies. Hands-on activities and experiments are a great activity to build into your curriculum. What do hands-on experiments teach children? Well, a lot of things. They will learn how to build a hypothesis or prediction of what will...Read More

Kitty Syster  The Inclusive Classroom Profile, commonly referred to as the ICP, is a program observation instrument used to assess the quality of daily classroom practices that support the developmental needs of children with disabilities. This instrument is designed to be used in preschool classrooms that have at least one child with a disability. The ICP is designed to complement existing classroom quality measures...Read More

by Bobbi Philson It was exciting and thought-provoking to talk ECERS-3 with almost 75 ECE professionals at the 2017 ECE Summit. We heard from some of the group that they would like more information about the 3-hour observation-only approach of the ECERS-3, so we’ll tackle it in a series of blog posts.Read More