The ability to create and maintain effective early childhood education programs that support and engage every child requires knowledge of individual children;knowledge of quality environmental design

Child-Centered Classroom Assessment and Interview Form

Name and Type of Program:

Ages of Children Served:

Before you begin, thank the professional and provide a brief overview of your assignment.

Part 1: Observation

For each of the following factors, indicate supporting evidence in the right-hand column. If absent, please indicate. Add the two factors you have chosen at the bottom of the chart.

Note: If you do not see any of the factors below, make a note to ask the teacher in your interview about whether they are a part of the program.

Factor	Evidence
Learning experiences encourage creative self-expression
Children have choices with regard to activities in which they engage
Learning materials are relevant to children’s life experiences (open-ended but purposeful)
Time is provided for children to initiate and take part in activities
Teaching and learning experiences are integrated rather than blocks of time separated subject by subject/content area by content area (literacy, math, social studies, science as separate entities)
Open-ended opportunities for creative exploration are provided
Learning centers are well organized and filled with objects based on children’s interests
Learning centers provide a broad range of activities to accommodate varying interests and levels of development
Multi-level activities to accommodate children’s varying abilities are provided
Opportunities to create and experiment abound
Schedules and child-created lists promote self-regulation
Provided materials complement and extend classroom activities
There are opportunities to explore and document nature
Children are engaged in both free and directed play and/or exploration
[The additional factor that you have chosen to observe]
[The additional factor that you have chosen to observe]

Part 2: Questions for the Professional

Professional’s Role in Program:

Interview Questions:

What does the term child-centered mean to you?

What strategies do you use to get to know children’s interests and support children’s engagement and learning in your environment?

What roles do discovery, exploration, and building on children’s interests have in your curriculum?

What do you see as the role of play and exploration in early childhood classrooms?

What do you see as potential challenges, if any, associated with implementing curriculum based on children’s individual interests?

Is there anything else you would like to share with regard to the ways in which you effectively foster healthy development and learning that meet the strengths and needs of every child in your setting?