Indoor and outdoor play are essential aspects of a child’s growth and development. Through play, a child learns to interact with other children, learns to understand feelings and emotions, learns to make choices, and finds that they can create, expand, build, and so much more. In order for young children to be their best, they must learn in a safe, engaging, and equitable environment. As early childhood educators, we must be able to assess indoor and outdoor environments for risk, engagement, and equity.
In this assignment, you will be evaluating indoor or outdoor environments for safety and for opportunities to take risks. While environments must be welcoming and engaging for each child, these environments must, above all else, be safe. Children also need opportunities to engage with one another and the environment.
Therefore, educators may need to be creative when setting up the environment to help foster child-to-child interactions and child-adult interactions. Finally, educators must ensure that environments are equitable and allow for inclusive opportunities.
Directions
For this assignment, you will need to observe an early childhood environment.
Step 1: Environment Rating Scales
Go to the following website and review Environment Rating Scales
Select the rating scale that best describes the age group and/or location you plan to visit and observe. Review the items and subscales. NOTE: You are not completing the actual rating system tool, but simply using the items and subscales to guide your observation.
Step 2: Observe and Rate an Environment
Select an early childhood environment to visit.
Your early childhood environment can be a center playground or outdoor space, community playground, indoor playground or play space, in-home playroom, center classroom or family childcare space.
Complete your observation of your selected environment.
Use the items and subscales for your chosen rating system during your visit. NOTE: You are not completing the actual rating system tool, but simply using the items and subscales to guide your observation.
Document your observations and take notes.
Step 3: Summary of Findings
Based on your observation and findings, write a 2–3-page analysis following this format.
Briefly describe the environment
Include the type of location, approximate age of the children, length of observation, and time of day.
Discuss the following three items:
Safety & Risk: Do you see potential hazards? If so, discuss them. If not, discuss why this area is safe. Also, does the space offer opportunities for children to take risks? If so, then discuss this area. If not, discuss what you might add and why.
Engagement: Is the area arranged so that children can easily interact with one another? Or, is the area arranged in such a way that conflicts may occur? What might you change or keep?
Equity: Is every child and family within the classroom represented? Does everything seem equal? Is there enough of everything for everyone? Are there any changes you might make?
Additional insights or observations based on the Environment Rating Scale items and subscales.
Make sure to:
Include APA citations to all sources used for this assignment, including a title page and reference page in APA format. Also include in text citations, if appropriate. As part of your references, you will need to include a citation for the Environment Rating Scale web page.
All work should be formatted professionally and use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
