Michelle Long Picture yourself sitting on bleachers. How is your posture? Are you wishing this game was at a stadium equipped with seats with backs? Picture yourself at a crowded café. The only stool left
Bobbi Philson The authors of the Environment Rating Scales assess the safety of playgrounds using information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The information is condensed and easily understandable in the document Playground Information
By Kitty Syster The focus on math has become increasingly important in early childhood over the past few years. Research has led the Environment Rating Scale authors to put a greater emphasis on math. The
Leah Zabari Mud pies, hide and seek, climbing trees, grass stains, and ripped jeans. Oh! The fun childhood memories when freedom to explore the world through adventures and imagination went on from sun up to
Lisa Mulliken The display in any early childhood classroom is an important part of a thoughtfully prepared learning environment and provides insight into the children and teachers who spend their day there and their current
Stefanie Camoni Summary reports provide a snapshot of what occurs in the classroom on a typical day. They include objective information about what was observed and provide areas for improvement. After the ERS window ends,
Natalie Grebe Imagine walking into a classroom and observing the children moving seamlessly from one activity to the next. No temper tantrums, no challenging behaviors. It’s as if the children practiced how they were going
Angel Avery-Wright Sometimes when assessors reach a center, it is easy to find. There is a big sign out front and the door to enter is clearly visible. Other times when the assessor arrives, she
By Barbara Bredell-Searle The words, “It is time to clean up,” are used daily in many classrooms throughout all types of Pennsylvania child care programs, yet teachers still have difficulty getting the children to CLEAN
By Michelle Mallonee Long When the Program Quality Assessor provides the four-week window for your facility’s assessments, you are allowed to select up to four black-out dates (days the assessor will not show up for