“The authors of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale are pleased to welcome the Curricular Extension to the ECERS-R, commonly referred to as the ECERS-E, to our family of Environment Rating Scales. . . . We are hopeful that the use of these two related instruments will continue to facilitate the provision of engaging and productive learning environments for young children worldwide.”
—Thelma Harms, Lead author of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised

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 environment
• Book and literacy areas
• Adults reading with children
• Sounds in words
• Emergent writing/mark making
• Talking and listening

Mathematics Items:

• Counting and application of counting
• Reading and representing simple numbers
• Activities: Shape
• Activities: Sorting, matching and comparing

Science and Environment Items:

• Natural materials
• Areas featuring science/science materials
• Activities: Non living
• Activities: Living processes
• Activities: Food preparation

Diversity Items:

Planning for individual learning needs
• Gender equality and awareness
• Race equality and awareness

Kathy Sylva is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Oxford. She has researched extensively in the education and care of young children.
Iram Siraj-Blatchford is Professor of Early Childhood at the Institute of Education, University of London. Her research interests include early childhood curriculum and pedagogy. She has published widely on issues of Early Childhood quality and equality.