By Tamara Mitchell

1. Environments Project
By Tamara Manuel

2. Materials- 3 to 5 books in each category.
Pictures by Kaplan
Preschool (Whitener, p 6)
 Realistic
 Fantasy
 People
 Animals
Infant and Toddler- Board or
Cloth books (Whitener, p 7)
 Routines
 Familiar Objects
 Transportation
 People

3. Materials cont.
High Quality Standards for infants and toddlers:
 Toddlers are able to use books independently.
 Teachers engage in reading with children throughout the day. Picture by Kaplan
 Books are rotated monthly to engage children’s interest (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2003).
High Quality Standards for Preschool:
 Books must be rotated to maintain interest.
 Books available that relate to current themes (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2005).
 Include a variety of books such as wordless, picture books, story books, and Braille (make sure the
space is handicap accessible.)
 Include books in native language of ELL children (Gordon and Browne, 2017).
 Additional materials (at least 2) besides books such as flannel story boards or puppets (Cryer, Harms,
& Riley 2003).

4. Diversity
 Books with non-sexist pictures (Harms, Clifford, &
Cryer, 2003).
 Variety of activities that show cultural awareness
(various types of music, different holidays, and
different types of ethnic foods) (Harms, Clifford,
& Cryer, 2003).
 Diversity is celebrated as part of daily routines
(Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2005).
 Activities designed to promote the acceptance and
understanding of different cultures (Harms,
Clifford, & Cryer, 2005).
 Books about people with disabilities and the way
in which they use different aids such as glasses,
crutches, wheelchairs, and hearing aids (Cryer,
Harms, & Riley, 2003).
 Pictures by Kaplan

5. Skills and Ability
Infants and Toddler:
 It is vital that children are introduced to books at a very early age. When a child develops a good relationship
with books, they can learn to progress from studying pictures, to turning pages, to asking for certain books, to
anticipating the next part of a favorite story (p. 45)(Cryer, Harms, & Riley, 2004).
Preschool:
 Preschoolers and Kindergarteners literacy is dependent on them developing an enjoyable relationship with
reading. These children, when read to regularly, can progress from turning the pages and studying pictures
intently to selecting favorite stories. The children may even learn to tell the story themselves or learn to read
the story (p. 147) (Cryer, Harms, & Riley, 2003).
Cultural Differences and Special Needs:
 By providing books in different languages, children are able to feel included and language learning is promoted.
 Books with large print, books with different textures, and recorded stories are a good way to help children with
vision impairment to be able to read and expand their literacy skills (p. 152) (Cryer, Harms, & Riley, 2003).

6. Teachers Role
Picure by Google Images Children should be read to throughout the day and should
not be forced to participate.
 Teachers should make activities meaningful.
 There should be books related to current theme and
teachers need to have an activity available afterwards
(Whitener).
 Center needs to be accessible for a substantial part of the
day (p. 152).
 A diversity of language materials need to be used daily (p.
152).
 Reading center needs to be organized and wheelchair
accessible (p. 152).
 Materials need to be age appropriate (p. 152).
 Reading center needs to contain books on fantasy, fact,
science, different cultures and abilities (p. 151) (Cryer,
Harms, & Riley, 2003).

7. Milestones of Child Development
Approaches to Learning—the inclinations, dispositions, attitudes,
habits, and styles that reflect the many ways that children involve
themselves in learning.
 Strand 1: Persistence—Continued attentiveness that indicates the
ability to retain meaningful information and ideas and to use best
practices in future activities and situations.
o Indicator A10- Show growing capacity to maintain concentration over
time (p. 8).
 Strand 3: Creativity and Inventiveness—Characterized by
originality, fluency, flexibility, and the ability to extend existing
knowledge, using imagination and moving beyond conventional thinking.
o Indicator C10- Make changes to a familiar story (p. 10) (Milestones of
Child Development).

8. Milestones of Child Development cont.
Language and Literacy—the meaning and structure of words and sentences,
how to use words to convey meaning, and how to understand and use printed
materials.
 Strand 2: Phonological Awareness and Alphabetic Knowledge—The
ability to hear the different sounds of language and to understand how sounds
of spoken language can be segmented, combined, and manipulated.
o Indicator B12: Recognize that sounds are associated with letters of the
alphabet and that they form words (p. 14).
 Strand 3: Print Awareness and Concepts—The construction of meaning
from print and skills such as print convention, directionality, and the concepts
of the word, the sentence, and punctuation.
o Indicator C8: Recognize a word as a unit of print that is formed by individual
letters (p. 15) (Milestones of Child Development).

9. References:
Cryer, D, Harms, T, and Riley, C. (2003). All about the ECERS-R. New York, NY: Teacher’s
College Press.
Cryer, D, Harms, T, and Riley, C. (2004). All about the ITERS-R. New York, NY: Teacher’s
College Press.
Harms, T, Clifford, R, and Cryer, D. (2003). Infant toddler environmental rating scale.
New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
Harms, T, Clifford, R, and Cryer, D. (2005). Early childhood environmental rating scale.
New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
Teaching Supplies & Child Care Resources for Early Education Classrooms: Kaplan ELC. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.kaplanco.com/
Virginia Department of Social Services. Milestones of Child Development. Retrieved from
http://va.gapitc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Milestones_Revised2014.pdf
Whitener, C. (n.d.). Activities. [PowerPoint slides].
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://images.google.com/