Early Childhood Quality Rating Scale—Emergent Curriculum (ECQRS-EC)

Kathy Sylva is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Oxford. She has researched extensively in the education and care of young children, with a special interest in the effects of early education and also the role of education in combating social disadvantage. Iram Siraj is Professor of Child Development and Education at the University of Oxford, UK and Research Professor, University of Maynooth, Ireland. She is coauthor of each of the Curriculum, Leadership and Interaction Quality Rating Scales (CLIQRS) and has led several RCTs on effective professional learning. Brenda Taggart is an Honorary Senior Research Associate at University College London Institute of Education. She co-led on the Effective Pre-school, Primary, and Secondary Education (EPPSE 1997-2014). Her background is in teaching and research that explores the impact of educational initiatives. Denise Kingston is Senior Researcher at Oxford University and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sussex. She is a specialist in children’s development, with a background in educational psychology. Her research focus is effective professional development and early childhood pedagogy and practice.

Contents


Foreword by W. Steven Barnett and Ellen C. Frede  vii


Introduction to the Early Childhood Quality Rating Scale—Emergent Curriculum (ECQRS-EC)  1


The Underlying Principles of ECQRS-EC  3


Rationale for the Development of New Items and Indicators in the ECQRS-EC  5


Language and Emergent Literacy  5


Changes to and Additional Items in Emergent Mathematics  5


Emergent Science  7


The Overlap Between the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-Being Scale (SSTEW) and Mathematics and Science Items in ECQRS-EC  7


Supporting Diversity and Inclusion  8


Reliability and Validity  9


Content of the ECQRS-EC Scales  11


Preparing to Use the ECQRS-EC  13


Timing  13


Contextual Information on the Center  13


Definitions  13


Optional Scoring Systems  14


Conducting the Observation  15


Scoring the Scales  16


ECQRS-EC and the “Spirit of the Scales”  17


Cautions in Use  17


Using ECQRS-EC as a Self-Assessment and Improvement Tool  17


Making Judgments  18


Use of Supplementary (Nonobservation) Evidence  20


The Score Sheet, Joint Observation Sheet, and ECQRS-EC Profile  22


Content of the Scales  23


Subscale 1: Language and Emergent Literacy  24


Item 1: Environmental Print: Letters and Words  24


Item 2: Book and Literacy Areas  26


Item 3: Adults Reading With the Children  28


Item 4: Sounds in Words  30


Item 5: Emergent Writing/Mark Making  32


Item 6: Talking and Listening  34


Item 7: Words and Sentences  36


Subscale 2: Emergent Mathematics  38


Item 8: Counting and the Application of Counting  38


Item 9: Understanding and Representing Number  40


Item 10: Math Talk and Thinking Mathematically  44


Item 11a: Mathematical Activities: Shape  48


Item 11b: Mathematical Activities: Sorting, Matching, and Comparing  50


Item 11c: Mathematical Activities: Subitizing  52


Subscale 3: Emergent Science  56


Item 12: Natural Materials  56


Item 13: Areas Featuring Science/Science Resources  58


Item 14: Developing Scientific Thinking and the Scientific Process  60


Item 15a: Science Activities: Nonliving  62


Item 15b: Science Activities: Living Processes  64


Item 15c: Science Activities: Food Preparation  66


Subscale 4: Supporting Diversity and Inclusion  68


Item 16: Planning for and Supporting Individual Learning Needs  68


Item 17: Gender Equality and Awareness  70


Item 18: Race Equality and Awareness  72


The ECQRS-EC Information Sheet  74


Rough Plan of Indoor and/or Outdoor Areas Being Observed  75


Score Sheet  77


Joint Observation/Inter-Rater Reliability for the ECQRS-EC  83


ECQRS-EC Profile  84


References  85