Iram Siraj-Blatchford

ECERS-E is designed to be used with the Early Childhood Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R), an internationally recognized measure of quality in education and care written by Thelma Harms, Richard M. Clifford, and Debby Cryer. It not only complements the ECERS-R but extends the scales to provide additional insights into important aspects of literacy, mathematics, science and environment, as well as practices related to issues of diversity. Given the current focus on emerging literacy and numeracy skills, the ECERS-E provides unique guidance on the kinds of environments that enhance learning in preschool settings. The curriculum domains within the scales bear important relationships to children’s (age 3–5) cognitive and social/behavioral developmental outcomes. Using the ECERS-E alongside the ECERS-R gives users a more complete picture of what a high-quality early childhood education program can look like. It can be used by program directors, teaching staff, agency staff, and in teacher training programs. Convenient organization:Literacy Items:Print in the environmentBook and literacy areasAdults reading with childrenSounds in wordsEmergent writing/mark makingTalking and listeningMathematics Items:Counting and application of countingReading and representing simple numbersActivities: ShapeActivities: Sorting, matching and comparingScience and Environment Items:Natural materialsAreas featuring science/science materialsActivities: Non livingActivities: Living processesActivities: Food preparationDiversity Items:Planning for individual learning needsGender equality and awarenessRace equality and awareness

The ECERS-E is an instrument for measuring quality in literacy, numeracy, science and diversity as observable in pre-school in relation to child cognitive and social/behavioural developmental outcomes for children age 3-5. This book offers guidance on providing a quality environment in which young children and their learning can flourish.

This book provides the main ingredients for professional development in working with young children in a diverse society. It fills the gap that most early years training neglects, that is, how to work with children in developing a positive disposition towards themselves regardless of their differences. By helping children to develop a strong self-identity and good self-esteem we set the foundations for positive attitudes towards others and towards learning. Practical advice, real examples and staff activities bring the book to life. The book provides clear evidence and practical guidance on how to develop young children's emerging language, especially those children who have English as an additional language, and how to generate, activate and assess curriculum for diversity. The book focuses on all children's learning for cultural diversity. Culture is used as a broad term to include language, ethnicity, social class and gender. Each chapter offers a clear combination of theory and practice and ends with excellent staff development activities and further readings. The book will be important reading for all students and practitioners working with young children.