Lexi Jones

ECE 251
Physical Environment Observation

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School: Childrens Learning Adventure Telephone: (702) 389-6135

Teacher: Ms. Christina Age/grade level: 4/Pre-K
Number children enrolled in the class: 17
List of all the centers and number of children each center can
accommodate (the only regularly set up center is the dramatic play
area, sensory table, and reading carpet, other than that centers are set
up each day on the four tables in the classroom so they change each

day):
a. Dramatic play: 4
b. Art: 6
c. Reading carpet: Whole class
d. Science/math: 6
e. Sensory table: 4
5. 1. Centers are clearly defined: The only centers that were clearly
defined were the dramatic play area in the back of the classroom, the
sensory table (which is not always open), and the reading carpet.
Other than that, all of the other centers double up as snack tables and
are different every day. It is only obvious that they are the art table
when there are art supplies set up.
2. Indoor space: there is plenty of room on the carpet for circle time
and enough chairs for everyone in the class at the tables. There is
natural lighting and light can be controlled in the classroom because
there are blinds over both windows. When it came to nap time, the

space seemed overcrowded with cots. Space is clean. Ventilation

cannot be controlled directly within the classroom as far as I saw.
3. Furnishings for care, play, and learning: Cots are in the teachers
closet within the classroom. All the furniture is clean and in good
repair, the teacher cleans the tables and chairs off nightly. All of the
furniture in the classroom is child-sized, there is no adult-sized
furniture. There is an easel for art and a sand-water table as the
sensory table.
4. Room arrangement for play and learning: The quiet area, reading
area, is separate from the other areas of the classroom where other
noisier centers might be located. The sinks are located kind of far from
the art table. Teacher can easily supervise entire classroom. All
centers, besides reading and dramatic play, have the same amount of
space.
5. Child-related display: There are two large boards in the classroom to
display art. I did not see any three-dimensional child-created work
being displayed, or observe the staff discussing the displayed art
during the day. Other than those two boards, the dcor on the walls of
the classroom remains the same throughout the year.
6. Space for gross motor play: There is no space for gross motor play
inside of the classroom, only outside there is a large playground and
fake grass.
7. Toileting/diapering: There are two stalls inside of the classroom for
the children to use. Children are allowed to use the toilet whenever
they need to and there are two sinks located directly across from the
restrooms. There is a good balance between privacy and the need to

supervise, there are little windows at the top of the stalls to look in on
the children if they need assistance. The toilets are child-sized.
8. Encouraging childrens use of books: There is a little shelf full of
books for the children, however there is no real comfy space for them
to sit in besides the floor to read. Books are accessible all day long.
9. Learning activities: this classroom has a ton of puzzles, legos,
pencils, paper, markers.
10. Art materials are accessible during center time at the art table, but
special art projects have to be completed with the teacher (like those
with paint). I would unfortunately say in this classroom no individual
expression is encouraged. All of the art projects on the walls appears to
look the same and like it is copied from a model.
11. Music and movement is done outside of the classroom during a
transition time where they go to the music room and there they play
music, dance, sing, and play with various instruments.
12. Dramatic play: There is a little kitchen area full of play food and
cooking items and also a dress up closet full of clothes for the dramatic
play in the back of the classroom. The teacher told me she rarely
opens it up for the children to go to as a center though.
13. Nature/science: Sand/water would be located in the sensory table if
they had it but the sensory table is not always open as a center. There
are no classroom pets. There is a bookshelf on the side of the
classroom that has things like magnifying glasses, measuring cups,
bottles of sand, baskets of various plastic animals. I did not observe
these items being used.

14. Math materials: There is a math center put out that has beads for
making patterns or little animals of different colors to make patterns
with.
7. Some ways I noticed the teacher representing the issue of diversity in her
classroom were using sign language for some words, she goes over a few
different sign language words during circle time. There are pictures painted
on the wall with different races of children. Children are allowed to follow
their interests, despite gender stereotypes (example: boys are not
discouraged to choose to color with a pink crayon).
8. I think that the room arrangement of furniture is perfect for the size of the
classroom. However, for 17 preschoolers I feel like the size of the classroom
should be a little bigger. Another thing I noticed is that half the time the
children do not get to pick the center they go to, it is assigned to them and
then they get bored and start asking if they can switch centers but are
occasionally told no. Sometimes they do get to choose though, the teacher
will pick the children who are listening and sitting quietly the best and one by
one they get to choose their center. The teacher does not allow children who
have a history of trouble with another child to sit together at centers. It does
not always seem like the centers keep the interests of the children, like they
always do the same puzzles. When the children start getting bored at their
tables and are not allowed to go to a different center, they appear to start
causing trouble/acting out. For example, I saw one child assigned to the
puzzle table and he really did not want to be at the puzzle table and after he

was told he could not move to the lego table, he went to use the restroom
and was just playing around in there. Also if the children are left at their
centers for too long I observed them start throwing the materials (at the lego
table). I think this classroom needs more space and also better activities for
the centers, all of the materials used at the centers appear to be over used
and are no longer exciting or interesting to the children.
9.

a. If I was the director/principal of this school, I would rate this

classroom a 2.
b. I do not think there are enough choices for the children. There art
projects on the walls appear to all be made to resemble a model and I
observed the teacher doing art projects with the students and they have to
be done a specific way. Also, half the time they do not even get to pick the
center they go to. While at the centers, I think there needs to be new
materials brought in based on the childrens interests. I do not think doing
the same puzzles or playing with legos everyday is too exciting for the
children and it shows because they start acting out and throwing things. I
also think the dramatic play area needs to be opened up more for the
children to use. A strength of this classroom is that it is laid out so that it is
easy for the teacher to watch over all of her students no matter where they
are.
c. Improvements I would like to see are: a cozy area made somewhere
in the classroom with blankets/pillows for the children to sit in, new materials

based on childrens interests for the centers, art projects done with more
freedom and materials to be used as the children', and always having the
sensory table and dramatic play area open during center times.