Tasks

1. Contact and arrange a visit at a licensed child care site. I recommend that youstart contacting sites ASAP since it may take weeks to arrange a visit:
   
   
   
   • Can be a State licensed child care center or family child care home.
   
   
   • Must have infants or toddlers (under 36 months or 3 years)
   
   
   
   


2. Schedule at least an hour and ask to see both outsides and inside


3. You can use the Whatcom County Approved Sites List or contact the ECE department at your college to see if they have a similar list for your location.You can also contact the local Child Care Aware (resource & referral) to find local licensed child care.


4. Read the information from the two textbook chapters on environment and Appendix B


5. Read the "Babes in the Woods" article (find under the weekly readings) for more information on outdoor environments.


6. Review these environmental checklists or use a different assessment tool of your choice (for example, if your center uses a certain one or you already have a favorite.) Here are some options:

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  • 
    environment assessments(Links to an external site.)(infant-toddler parts only) OR
  
  
  • thischecklist(Links to an external site.)OR
  
  
  • 
    this one
    
  
  
  
  

7. Observe at licensed child care on date/time arranged.

• Print off the environmental assessment of your choice and bring along with a clip board and pen to fill out while you’re there.You do not have to fill out completely if the assessment is very lengthy.Put an X by what you’re seen and an R if it’s something you didn’t observe but were told.


• Be sure to observe the social environment as well as the physical (even if not on your form)


• Assess the outdoor environment as well as the indoor

6. Turn in a 2-4 page paper(550-1500 words) that includes these two parts (but may be integrated into one):

• A brief summary of your findings based on your observation and environmental assessment.


• A list of three or more specific recommendations for improving the early childhood learning environment of the site.These should be based on;
  
  
  • Recommendations from the textbook and other reading materials.
  
  
  • And/or other citations of your choosing (for example if you are at a center that uses ECERS or ITERS, you can include that.)
  
  
  • You can photo or scan the checklist to include in your assignment.
  
  
  • Include at least 1 extra recommendation that focus on the social environment and identifies one way adults can foster identity, self-image and/or self-esteem.
  
  
  
  


• Be write up in essay form with an introduction and a conclusion/summary and include your own experiences and reflections.

Suggestions

Writing Tips:

• Be sure to carefully proofreading your writing for both content and grammar/spelling, submit your assignment.


• Writing should demonstrate understanding of the reading and your ability to make connections with course materials and concepts


• Includes your personalreflections and assessment of experience


• Hint: use paragraphs in your writing and remember spell check doesn’t catch everything


• If you live in a place where you are unable to locate a licensed center or family home to observe, please contact me ASAP.

Criteria

Full credit will be awarded if

• The assignment has been completed (e.g. required ages observed, checklist, observation, recommendations, and all questions)


• Report fulfills genre expectations (introduction, conclusion, analysis, and summary).


• Report covers the physical environment (indoor and outdoor) and social environment


• College-level writing (acceptable clarity, correctness, organization, and basic formatting).


• At least 500 words


• Student’s experience and reflection on the assignment is included.


• Write-up shows familiarity with quality environments for infants and toddlers andan understanding of course concepts


• Assignment is in 12-point font, dark ink, and double-spaced.

Send me the paper and filled out checklist via Canvas by the deadline.