Observation Date & Time: March 15, 2018 at 9am Teacher's Name: Palwasha Salam

Name of Facility/School: CSN ECE Lab Program

Address & Telephone #: 6375 W. Charleston Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89146 & 702-651-7390

Ages & Number of Children: 3-5 years old & 6 children

SECTION 1: PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Classroom:

1. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Book Area

a. Number of children: 6 children

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Book shelve with books, puppets,

CD player, headphones, CDS and audio tapes; pillows, cushions, rug and a bench.

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Literacy skills development including

phonemic awareness, awareness of print, vocabulary, spelling, and reading

comprehension; social emotional development including emotional self-

regulation, communication with peers, listening skills development; language

development including speaking and retelling stories

2. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Safe Place

a. Number of children: 2

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Teepee tent with cushions, pillows,

stuff animals, and describing feelings word cards

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Social emotional development

including self-regulation, identifying emotions, developing emotional safe

relationships and conflict resolution; language development including speech and

self-expression through verbal communication

3. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Writing Center

a. Number of children: 4

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Desk, chairs, clipboards, sign in

sheet, pencil holder, pencils, shelve with containers, markers, pencil sharpener,

tape, scissors, construction paper, individual notebooks, crayons, colored pencils,

dot markers, glue, paper craft supplies including cut up paper, googly eyes, tissue

paper, and foam

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Fine motor skills development

including object manipulation, and holding a writing utensil; social emotional

development including self-expression through creative expression and self-

emotional regulation; eye-hand coordination; language skills development

including early writing skills development

4. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Block Area

a. Number of children: 3

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Shelves with bins, blocks of various

shapes, cars, people, animals, legos, table and chairs

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Mathematical skill development

including counting, one to one correspondence, number sense, representation,

spatial sense, measurement, estimation, patterns, and problem solving; creative

expression through dramatic play; social emotional development including self-

emotional regulation; fine motor and gross motor development through building

and constructing

5. Type/ Name of Learning Center: House Area

 a. Number of children: 4

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Baby carriers, crib, strollers, baby

dolls, blankets, baby toys, bottles, cookbooks, spices, play kitchen with

refrigerator, shelving, oven, sink, stove, cabinets; mirrors, closet, bags, hats, cash

register, dress up clothes, table, chairs, mats, food, rug, tool area, tools, hardhats,

aprons, blocks, work desk, and tool boxes

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Creative expression through dramatic

play; social emotional development including self-emotional regulation, conflict

resolution and establishing relationships with peers; literacy skills development

including language, listening, and speech development through verbal

communication; fine and gross motor skill development

6. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Art Area

a. Number of children: 2

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Paint, paint brushes, painting

utensils, cups, cardboard, paper, art wall, art easel

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Fine motor skill development; creative

expression through visual arts; social emotional development including self-

emotional regulation and self-expression; artistic development

7. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Math Area

a. Number of children: 8

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Table, chairs, ABC monkeys,

platters, dominoes, puzzles, scales, matching games, abacus

 c. Types of learning experiences possible: Mathematical skill development

including counting, one to one correspondence, number sense, representation,

spatial sense, measurement, estimation, patterns, and problem solving; social

emotional development including self-emotional regulation and collaboration;

fine motor skills development; language development

8. Type/ Name of Learning Center: Science Center

a. Number of children: 6

b. List of equipment/ material and furniture: Herbs, books, shells, shelves,

pinecones, cylinders, plants, sensory table with sand, tools, animals, rocks,

magnifying glass

c. Types of learning experiences possible: Mathematical skill development

including counting, one to one correspondence, number sense, representation,

spatial sense, measurement, estimation, patterns, and problem solving; fine motor

skill development; social-emotional development including collaboration and

self-emotional development; supports science-based skills including exploration,

questioning, and curiosity

Outdoors:

1. Available equipment: Dinosaurs, animals, playhouse (2), trucks, play structure with

slide, tunnel, stairs (3), wagons, bins with sand toys including shovels, spoons, cups,

tables (4), hoses, seesaw, chairs, bins, bats, balls, cones, helmets, basketball hoop, mega

blocks, rug, large blocks

2. Fixed Components: Coverings (3), play structure, and bridge type play structure

3. Natural features: Trees (6), grass areas, sand areas, and concrete areas
 d. Types of learning experiences: Social Emotional Development; creative

expression through dramatic and block play; literacy skills development including

language development; mathematical skill development including counting, one

to one correspondence, number sense, representation, spatial sense, measurement,

estimation, patterns, and problem solving; supports science skills through

exploration

Evaluation: To engage children actively in a variety of learning experiences, teachers create

interest areas and furnish these with materials based on program goals and knowledge of

children's varying interests and abilities (DAP, 154). The indoor and outdoor classroom

environment included multiple areas and centers for a diverse range of students. The classroom

included reading and writing areas, science and math centers, a large dramatic play area, and a

designated area for blocks and art, along with an area dedicated to individual space. According to

Maslow's hierarchy of needs for children to reach different levels of needs, basic needs such as

food and water need to be meet first. The second level from bottom to top is safety needs.

Having a safe area in the classroom aids children in reaching higher levels of the pyramid by

meeting the need of feeling secure and safe. Each center featured labels with pictures and words

to describe the center, with labels in both English and Spanish. "Teachers create a classroom that

reflects the diversity of the community and society and involves every child's home culture and

language in the shared culture of the group (DAP, 152). The classroom featured also child sized

furniture to welcome the children. "The teacher’s first duty is to watch over the environment, and

this takes precedence over all the rest. It’s influence is indirect, but unless it be well done there

will be no effective and permanent results of any kind, physical, intellectual or spiritual.” Maria

Montessori believed that that the classroom should allow child to move freely to explore and
give them the ability to make their own choices. A large portion of the classroom environment

was dedicated to dramatic play including a wide rate of props for a diverse range of children.

"According to Vygotsky (1978), make-believe play is the leading activity in children's

development from about ages 2 to 5 (Education, 96). I did not observe any inappropriate

practices.

SECTION 2: CURRICULUM

1. Philosophy

a. Center/ School: "The ECE Lab provides participants with education and

resources that focus on the unique period of early childhood, and provides

students, participating parents and the local ECE community opportunities for

educational observation and practice. Administered with thoughtful respect for

each person's uniqueness, a shared commitment to build positive relationships,

and guided by the principles of developmentally appropriate practice, the program

provides children and adults with rich learning experiences to foster all areas of

development and education."

b. Teacher: "To provide a nurturing loving environment for children to discover,

learn, and explore."

2. Goals

a. Program Goals: " Some of the goals for children are: To help children develop

positive social relationships with adults and peers. To encourage active learning

and creative thinking. To promote a lifelong love of learning". " The ECE Lab

Program involves and supports families by: Promoting mutual respect, common

goals, and shared responsibility. Hosting special family events. Providing

 resources that link to the community. Providing workshops and seminars of

interest".

b. Classroom Goals: " No set expectations, every child is unique and different. I

want them to be hands on and be able to meet individual differences. Mainly I

want to be inclusive and have the children explore through child directed play."

3. Classroom Schedule:

"Child Directed Play as Children Arrive (Outside/ combined classrooms) at 7:30

Morning Gathering at 9:00

Child Choice Time (Snack, table activity, and open centers) at 9:15

Clean Up at 10:15

Story at 10:25

Outside Time at 10:45

Transition inside/ Large Group Time at 11:15

Transition Game to wash hands/ Lunch at 11:30

Transition into Rest Time/ children going home at 12:00

Quiet Activities/ Rest Time at 12:30

Wake up/ Snack/ Table Activity 2:45

Playground Activities (Combined classrooms) at 3:30

Stories (table activities, and open centers) at 4:00

Going Home/ Extended Care Begins at 5:30

Center Closes at 6:00

*Schedule is flexible due to the children's needs and interests."

4. Lesson Plans:
5. Individualization:

a. Children w/ Identified Special Needs: " Some of my students have speech

needs. I include the child and family by using what they learned in speech therapy

to help the child in regular classroom routines."

b. Typically Developing Children: " I try to meet the needs of children who have

difficulty by practicing cutting, fine motor skills, sitting, having interesting books,

and being consistent with a daily routine."

6. Evaluation:" In preschool, integration across subject matter areas is the primary planning

strategy, although at times the curriculum will focus on one area such as math or early

literacy (Pearson, 237). Child can learn across multiple areas of subject at the same time

in the classroom. For example, if they were to go to the science area they will still be able

to learn about math such as sorting, patterns, and counting. The classroom schedule

supports Maria Montessori's theory regarding play because child directed play is given

more amount of time than majority of classroom task. "Teachers allocate extended time

periods in learning centers (at least 60 minutes) so that children are able to get deeply

involved in an activity and sustain dramatic play, construction, and other activities at a

complex level (DAP, 153)." The teacher believed that child directed play was just as

important as adult directed and focused our creating a classroom community and routine

that reflected this. "Teachers recognize the importance of both child-guided and adult

guided learning experiences (DAP, 155). I did not observe any inappropriate practices.

7. SECTION 3: GUIDANCE

1. Routines:

a. Clean up Transition. Teacher turns lights off and then said, "hands up, clean up",

followed by turning the lights on. Students then begin singing a form of a cleanup song

and cleans up.

b. When transitioning from outdoor play to lunch time, children sit in a circle and sing a

song, taking breaks to call on someone to do a dance and go wash their hands before

lunch.

2. Classroom Rules: " Keep yourself safe, keep others safe, keep materials safe."
 #1. The teacher stood close by with her hands placed on a chair, watching a student with

their arms extended overhead, hands attached to a tree branch above, swinging their body

front to back. While the child on the branch continued to keep their arms extended overhead,

hands attached to the tree branch above, swinging their body back and forth, another child

who was looking up at the child swinging began to step one leg at a time closer to the child

swinging. The teacher looked away from the swinging child and directed her eyes to the child

stepping closer to the child swinging. The teacher then stated," Move back, you don't want to

get hit." The student who was stepping closer looked at the teacher and stepped one foot at a

time backward till they were no longer in range of the swinging child. The swinging child

with arms extended released her hands from the branch above her, dropping down with both

feet hitting the ground. The teacher then removed her hands from the chair and looking

forward toward the children moved her body and legs forward. The children looked up at the

teacher as she then stated, "Remember you need to keep yourself safe and take turns on the

tree so you don't get hurt."

#2. When a child stopped pedaling on a bike on the bike course midway and began

looking down, another student continued looking ahead of themselves and pedaling on their

bike toward the stalled child. The teacher looked toward the child stopped with their head

down and then the other child pedaling toward the stopped child. The teacher then said,

"Slow down, there is someone in front of you" as she walked toward the race course and

stopped child. The child stopped pedaling next to the stopped child as the teacher stood next

to both children. Both children looked up at the teacher as she said, " We need to be careful

of the smaller kids and keep others safe, by slowing down when someone is stopped." The

older boy continued looking at the teacher and said "okay."

3. Teacher Interactions:

#1. Before leaving for outdoor time, the teacher asked a student if they wanted to switch

the daily routine chart. The child said yes and went over to the daily routine chart and

removed a small orange ball from the chart. They then stuck the orange ball on a Velcro tab

on the chart labeled below "Lunch Time".

#2. During story time, the teacher read a book about how every family is different. She

then paused after every page to ask each student a related question about the text, which was

about their family.

4. Social-Emotional Guidance Techniques:

#1. A child on a tricycle stopped pedaling, then looked down at their feet, and moved

their mouth downward. The teacher looks at the child and begins walking toward them. The

teacher continues looking at the child and places her right hand on the child's shoulder, while

leaning her own body in a downward curve. The teacher then moved the rest of her body

down into a squatting position. She then stated to the child, "Are you okay?" The child

continued looking down and said, " I need help, it's too hard." The teacher still looking at the

child, squatted down with her hand on their shoulder states, " Do you want to try a different

bike?" The child still looking down with a downward mouth expression replies "No". The

teacher then said looking at the child, "Let's go take a break in the safe area, if we are upset".

The child then looks up at the teacher and said "Okay" and gets off the bike and holding the

teacher's hand while she guides him away.

#2. A child continues to look forward and turn their back on a smaller child. The smaller

child then begins to move their mouth downward as tears begin to move down their face. The

older child said "Leave me alone" to the younger child as she crosses her arms. The teacher
looks toward the children and asks, "What's wrong". The older child said, " My little sister

won't leave me alone and wants to hug me". The teacher then squats down next to the smaller

child, placing her hand on their back. She then looks at the older child and said," she feels

sad" The teacher then looks toward the small child who is now looking at her and said," Your

sister wants some space" She then looks at the older child and said," How can we work this

out?" The older child looks at the teacher and said, "I can give her a hug" The teacher then

nods while looking at the older child and the older sister hugs her sister and said, "I'm sorry I

wasn't being nice. Do you want to go play with me?"

5. Evaluation: The teacher chooses to display classroom rules that were easy to read,

understand, and view. "Teachers actively foster children's understanding of democratic

processes and attitudes in concrete, experiential ways that young children are able to

understand, such as making and discussing rules, solving together the problems that arise

in the classroom community, and learning to listen to other's ideas and perspectives

(DAP, 175). The teacher also chooses materials such as ones that discussed family

differences and related to the diversity of the students. "Teachers plan experiences and

use the daily life of the classroom to foster that learning (DAP, 174)." Children aren't

born with the ability to get along well with other people and regulate their own strong

emotions (Education, 205). The classroom used redirection often when children

displayed unacceptable behavior and supported children in times of need of emotional

support. I did not observe any inappropriate practices.