The ECERS-3: Overview of the Scale, and What Makes Those Interest Centers So Special Deb Norris November 3, 2021

The ECERS-3 is an early childhood program evaluation tool that assesses how programs address the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive domains of preschoolers, and provide for the health and safety of the children in their care. The first of these two interactive sessions offers a broad overview of the ECERS-3. Participants will discuss the framework of the tool, and study the importance of how positive interactions and educational experiences are woven throughout the scale. The second day focuses on Interest Centers, and why the authors value this prescriptive level of classroom arrangement. By the end of this two-day training, participants will gain insight into how the scale is administered and scored, identify principle terms used throughout the scale, and learn the differences between play areas and Interest Centers. Participants will identify areas of their practice that need attention and how to enhance the quality of their programs.