The long-anticipated new version of the internationally recognized Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, ECERS-3 focuses on the full range of needs of preschool- and kindergarten-aged children. This widely used, comprehensive assessment tool measures both environmental provisions and teacher-child interactions that affect the broad developmental needs of young children, including:
- Cognitive
- Social-emotional
- Physical
- Health and safety
ECERS-3 also includes additional Items assessing developmentally appropriate literacy and math activities. Designed for preschool, kindergarten, and child care classrooms serving children 3 through 5 years of age,
ECERS-3:
- Provides a smooth transition for those already using ECERS-R.
- Emphasizes the role of the teacher in creating an environment conducive to developmental gains.
- Is designed to predict child outcomes more accurately and with greater precision.
- Provides a stronger method of distinguishing between good and truly excellent programs.
- Offers a complete training program with ongoing support available at the Environment Rating Scales Institute (ERSI) website (www.ersi.info).
ECERS-3 is appropriate for state and district-wide QRIS and continuous improvement; program evaluation by directors and supervisors; teacher self-evaluation; monitoring by agency staff; and teacher education. The established reliability and long term evidence of validity of the ERS family of instruments make this new version of ECERS particularly useful for RTTT-ELC accountability and research.
Suitable for use in inclusive and culturally diverse programs, ECERS-3 subscales evaluate:
- Space and Furnishings
- Personal Care Routines
- Language and Literacy
- Learning Activities
- Interaction
- Program Structure
35 Items organized into 6 Subscales
Space and Furnishings
1. Indoor space
2. Furnishings for care, play, and learning
3. Room arrangement for play and learning
4. Space for privacy
5. Child-related display
6. Space for gross motor play
7. Gross motor equipment
Personal Care Routines8. Meals/snacks
9. Toileting/diapering
10. Health practices
11. Safety practices
Language and Literacy
12. Helping children expand vocabulary
13. Encouraging children to use language
14. Staff use of books with children
15. Encouraging children’s use of books
16. Becoming familiar with print
Learning Activities
17. Fine motor
18. Art
19. Music and movement
20. Blocks
21. Dramatic play
22. Nature/science
23. Math materials and activities
24. Math in daily events
25. Understanding written numbers
26. Promoting acceptance of diversity
27. Appropriate use of technology
Interaction
28. Supervision of gross motor
29. Individualized teaching and learning
30. Staff-child interaction
31. Peer interaction
32. Discipline
Program Structure
33. Transitions and waiting times
34. Free play
35. Whole-group activities for play and learning