Carlena Lowell

SEI 529 ELLCO Report

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Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Report
Carlena Lowell
April 10, 2013
SEI 529












Carlena Lowell
SEI 529 ELLCO Report
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Background Information
This Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation assessment was conducted
in Classroom A at the Wiscasset Head Start. There are two classrooms at this Head
Start, A and B. Classroom A is a first year collaborative classroom between Child
Development Services and Head Start which runs 8:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday
through Thursday. It is an inclusive classroom serving 13 children, four girls and nine
boys, ranging in age from three years six months to five years two months. Five
children currently receive services through CDS, one receives privately funded services,
and two are in the referral process with CDS. There are two teachers in this classroom,
an early childhood special educator from CDS and an early childhood educator from
Head Start. In addition, there is a float teacher who splits time between the two
classrooms, a full time one to one aide to support one of the children, and often parent
volunteers to help with meal times. On Tuesdays, a speech and language pathologist is
present for the entire morning, as well as an occupational therapist for one hour. The
primary language spoken by the teachers, as well as all of the families, is English.
Summary of Findings
The first distinct area of the ELLCO is the General Classroom Environment, which
includes two sections, Classroom Structure and Curriculum. The second distinct area is
Language and Literacy and includes three sections, The Language Environment, Books
and Book Reading, and Print and Early Writing. Within the five sections there are 19
items each scored on a scale of one to five, five being exemplary and one being
deficient.
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General Classroom Environment
Average subscale score: 3.86
I. Classroom Structure
Organization of the Classroom: 3
In this classroom, there is an appropriate amount of child sized furnishings. In the book
area, there is one small chair with cushions, a large pillow, and a small table set. The
book area is adjacent from the block area, and there is nothing in the middle to prevent
a runway. The art area and writing center are in one common area as opposed to two
separate. The art area is across the room from the sink, as that was the closest
available wall spot for the easels.
Contents of the Classroom: 3
The areas in the classroom are well defined and include a book area, blocks, dramatic
play, art, two sensory tables, a puzzle shelf, a manipulatives shelf, a science area, and
a play dough table. The materials are well organized in the block area, dramatic play
area, puzzles, and manipulatives. The block area and dramatic play area are well
labeled; however, the puzzle and manipulatives shelves could be better labeled. The
art area doubles as the writing center, and is fairly unorganized. Materials in the
science area are somewhat random and do not seem to fit any theme, except 13
homemade chia pets called grass heads. There is a lack of cozy things in the book
area. There is a double sided book shelf that holds roughly 45 books; the only other
books in the classroom are two tattered paperback cookbooks in dramatic play.
Overall, the materials are in good repair.
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Classroom Management: 4
Classroom rules were developed in September with the children, are phrased in positive
terms, and are posted with words and pictures. The teachers intervene in conflicts with
calm and nonthreatening voices, and often use Solution Cards from CSEFEL to
encourage children to resolve conflicts. A quiet area deemed the Tuck and Think Box
is always available to children. The teachers focus on teaching empathy daily.
Although the children appear to know the rules, teachers need to remind the children of
them frequently. Positive reinforcement is used often to promote appropriate behavior.
Personnel: 5
There are two teachers in the classroom at all times, an ECSE and an ECE. In addition
there is a float teacher who spends time in both of the centers classrooms. The floater
teacher does routines such as meal clean up, tooth brushing and toileting so the
classroom teachers can spend as much time with the children as possible. On this day,
there were two therapists, as well as a parent volunteer to assist with the meal time
prep and clean up. There is a one to one aid who is there to support one child;
however, interacts well with all of the children. Adults acted respectfully toward each
other and with focus on the childrens learning.
II. Curriculum
Approached to Curriculum: 3
Together the teachers plan for and change themes every week to two weeks; the
current theme is spring. Small group activities are planned for; however, not always
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carried out during free play. The themes are not necessarily integrated throughout the
entire classroom. Teachers make a concerted effort to value the childrens interests in
their planning. The Head Start teacher takes many anecdotals on children every month
in order to show learning over time.
Opportunities for Child Choice and Initiative: 4
Although there are many transitions in the daily schedule, the free play time is one hour,
and outdoor play is at least 30 minutes as long as the temperature is above 15 degrees.
The teachers play an active role in facilitating childrens learning as they move from
area to area throughout free play. Family style meal times are filled with meaningful
conversations. Part way through this year, the teachers concluded certain areas often
had too many children in them, resulting in many conflicts. After an attempt to make the
areas larger to accommodate a higher number of children, they developed a system of
mini mes (a photo and written name of each child in a hard plastic baseball card
sleeve and Velcro) in order to limit the number of children per area. When waiting lists
are created, children take an active part of their names.
Recognizing Diversity in the Classroom: 5
Head Start prides itself on having strong home and school connections. The teachers
in this inclusive classroom strive to learn about each childs interests at home through
conversations with the child, daily interactions with the parents, and home visits
completed twice a year. This year the teachers have created a classroom community
book that includes a page for all of the children and teachers regularly involved in the
classroom. Once a month the classroom participates in the Read with Me program in
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which parents come to. The parent group sometimes holds special events with the
children; for example, the make-a-plate day and a planting day.
Language and Literacy
Average subscale score: 3.08
III. The Language Environment
Discourse Climate: 5
Teacher having conversations and facilitating conversations between children are heard
throughout the day. The teachers frequently ask open ended questions to all children.
During meal times, the teachers are sure to ask each child at least one question, and
encourage the others to listen to each other. Particularly during circle time, the teachers
repeat what children say verbatim to the rest of the class in case not everyone heard.
Teachers often repeat what children with speech delays say in order to ensure they are
understood by others, and also so they know they are understood.
Opportunities for Extended Conversations: 4
Conversations focused on what children are doing are often heard throughout the day.
The teachers often include all of the children in the given area in conversations.
Sometimes the teachers create lists at circle time or in the dramatic play area.
Teachers encourage conversations with multiple exchanges. There is room for
improvement in encouraging children to analyze, predict, and reflect on learning, which
is sometimes heard, but not frequently.

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Efforts to Build Vocabulary: 2
New words are often introduced without purpose. When a teacher says or reads a word
that is unfamiliar to the children, she does explain what it means in terms the children
can understand; however, this word is not revisited with intent. This is an area that
would benefit from more intentional instruction.
Phonological Awareness: 2
The teachers are often heard rhyming with the children, and while doing so they use
and explain the word rhyme. However, other phonological awareness activities such as
counting syllables and using alliterations are rarely done. Wait times during transitions
are usually filled with a song simply sung, or by doing physical patterns. The children in
this class would greatly benefit from more phonological awareness activities.
IV. Books and Book Reading
Organization of the Book Area: 3
The book area is in a nook in the classroom. As mentioned before, there is a double
sided book shelf filled with about 45 books, most of which are in good repair. The book
shelf stands as a barrier; however, there is a good sized runway from the block area
into the book area that children do often run in. There is a cushioned chair, a large floor
pillow, and a small table with two chairs. There are a few pieces of childrens art work
on the walls. The book area is open during free play, as well as at drop off and pick up
times (times when most other areas are not available for play). The book area is often
seen as a pit stop in other pretend play during free play.
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Characteristics of Books: 3
Although the books in the book area are predominantly fiction, they include a wide
range of topics including, but not limited to, family, social emotional topics, animals,
search and find books, books made in our classroom, and books about our recent,
various themes. Books do not seem to be rotated as often as they should be. The
books do vary in difficultly in the texts and graphics. The range of diversity represented
in the books currently on the book shelf is somewhat limited.
Books for Learning: 2
There are two somewhat tattered paperback cookbooks in the dramatic play area and a
book about the human body in the science area. The cookbooks often make their way
to the book shelf in the book area, indicating their purpose may not be known.
Teachers always read a book related to the theme or social emotional development at
the second circle. However, books are intermittently used during free play.
Approaches to Book Reading: 3
There is always at least one full book read during the morning, and on most days,
nearly all of the children are engaged in listening it. The book area is often open to
children. The classroom community book is often selected to be read independently by
children or in a small group. Books children enjoy are sometimes reread; for example,
Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck and Think, which is a social story read with the use a
Tucker Turtle puppet.

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Quality of Book Reading: 4
The teachers strive to make book reading engaging for all children, which it most often
is. The books selected for reading are generally at an appropriate level and of high
quality for young children. What, when, who, where, why, and how questions, as well
as thought provoking comments are frequently made during read aloud times; although
more advanced planning and preparation could be done sometimes. The teachers are
excellent at referring to the text and pictures in a book. The teachers also discuss the
roles of the author, illustrator, and title daily. Children are encouraged to comment
throughout books.
V: Print and Early Writing
Early Writing Environment: 3
Every morning the children sign in with a dry erase marker on a laminated name card
that has their name written out, then written in dotted lines, and finally a space for them
to write it with no prompt. Over the past few months, significant improvements in name
writing abilities have been seen with many of the children in the class. The writing area
and the art area are combined in one area with divided and somewhat labeled shelves
for supplies. Several children are often seen using this area during free play; however,
the majority of the children tend to play in the block area and dramatic play, which often
has writing utensils.


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Support for Childrens Writing: 4
Teachers often write dictations from children on their art work, and occasionally in the
form of lists. Teachers often help children with letter recognition and formation when
writing their names in the aforementioned sign in routine. Some children also write
their names on waiting lists. There are noticeable differences in degrees to which all of
the children engage in writing activities. No matter what the children write, the teachers
always use positive reinforcement and encouraging words.
Environmental Print: 2
Labels and signs can be found on shelves throughout the classroom; however, not on
everything. On the daily schedule, Boardmaker pictures are paired with words;
however, the print is not consistent in size and is rarely pointed out when discussing the
schedule daily. Areas are labeled with consistency and with appropriate print
conventions. Overall, there is limited evidence to support environment print.
Interpretation of Findings
This assessment was conducted in the assessors own classroom as a means to reflect
on the language and literacy environment, to identify areas in need of improvement, and
to develop ways in which to make those improvements. The assessor feels as though
the way in which the items were scored and described in this report are typical for this
classroom, and were reached in an objective manner. The areas of strength in this
classroom are Classroom Management, Personnel, Opportunities for Child Choice and
Initiative, Recognizing Diversity in the Classroom, the Discourse Climate, Opportunities
for Extended Conversations, Quality of Book reading, and Support for Childrens
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Writing. The areas in need most of improvement are Efforts to Build Vocabulary,
Phonological Awareness, Books for Learning, and Environmental Print.
Recommendations
1. Create a more inviting book area atmosphere by placing more soft furnishings in
it, as well as decorating the walls in an attractive, yet uncluttered, manner.
2. Block the runway between the block and book areas in order to prevent the
undesired behaviors of running in the classroom.
3. Diversify the classroom books by including many genres of books, rotating the
books more often, and adding books to every area of the room. Teach the
children the use of books in every area; for example, teach referencing books for
information in the science area and looking up phone numbers in a phone book
in dramatic play.
4. Intentionally encourage children to analyze, make predictions, and reflect on
learning more often.
5. Encourage emergent literacy skills by creating more labels, adding more
environmental print, and having better organization in the classroom.
6. Create separate art and writing centers in order to foster childrens writing to a
greater extent.
7. Plan for, introduce, and often use new words in order to build the childrens
vocabulary. Plan books to read, and words to define within the books, in
advance.
8. Add more phonological awareness activities to the daily routine, including the use
of alliterations and syllable counting, particularly during transition times.