Space and Furnishings Look for Yes/All Yes/Some No N/A Additional Notes Peeling Paint? Noticeable water damage? Ceiling tiles secure? Rug/floor clean? Soft furnishings clean and in good repair? Furniture in good repair? Furniture suitable for individual care of infants and children? Group feeding tables used Adult seating used for routine care? Cozy area present? Many soft toys accessible? Many colorful pictures where children can see them? Visible signs Not staining or obvious mold Ceiling tiles not caved, appear stable No obvious stains or excessive dirt Not ripped or torn No signs of broken/unstable furniture No group feeding table, tables for small groups of Adult size or preschool (if appropriate) chair present (not a toddler chair turned on its side) Substantial amount of softness-- (may be book area) 10 or 2/child if more than 5 kids Not too high, some within children s reach Cozy area must be accessible for much of the day, and be protected from the active play of others. At least 2 times the number of children over 12 months of age currently enrolled. For example if there are 3 children over 12 months of age, then at least 6 pieces of the work is required. 1
Display includes hanging object or mobile? Blinds/shades on windows? Quiet and active areas separate? 2 examples, crib gym or mobile over crib does not count, hanging plant OK Blinds and/or curtains can be pulled close Blocks and dramatic play should be separated from quiet and book areas. Personal Care Routines Look for Yes/All Yes/Some No N/A Additional Notes Cribs and mats must be 36 inches apart? Solid barriers not acceptable--must be 36 inches Solid barriers used to separate mats less than 36, are no longer given credit unless they extend the full height of a wall. Toys stored in cribs used by children? Toys should not be stored in cribs while not in use Sand outdoors covered? Sand outdoors must be covered Obvious safety issues inside? Safety issues outside? Bleach within reach, 6 inch edge on diapering table, no blankets in cribs for infants under 12 mos., no stacking cribs if children can sit up, no separate sleeping areas that are not directly supervised, no cribs with sliding sides, infant not placed to sleep on stomach, loose hanging cords, choking hazards, crib sheets fit snuggly Unfenced area, inappropriate toddler and infant equipment, broken equipment, inadequate 2
cushioning, fall zones for Language and Reasoning Look for Yes/All Yes/Some No N/A Additional Notes Books accessible? 12 books or at least 2/child A wide selection of books is accessible daily for much of the day. Note: A wide selection includes books about people of varying races, ages, and abilities; animals; familiar routines Books in good repair? No more than 3 in poor repair Should not have pages or cover ripped or pages missing Activities Look for Yes/All Yes/Some No N/A Additional Notes Many and varied fine motor materials present and accessible? Accessible on low shelves or bins (not covered or in hard to open containers)-- 10 for 5 infants, 15 for 5 plus 1 for each additional child Examples of many and varied include: Infant: rattles, grasping toys, busy boxes, nesting cups, containers to fill and dump, textured toys, cradle gyms, household items such as graduated measuring cups, pots with lids. Toddler: shape sorting games, large stringing beads, big pegs with peg boards, simple puzzles, pop beads, stacking rings, nesting toys, medium or large interlocking blocks, chunky crayons. Outdoor play at least 3 x Including winter per week? Space for g. motor daily No long waits for with enough equipment? equipment 2 sets of blocks accessible? 10 blocks/set, n/a if all children under 12 mos. Blocks and accessories (ex. such as containers to fill and dump, toy trucks or cars; people and animals) must be organized by type and accessible for much of the day. 3
Space for block play out of traffic? Art 3x/week for young, daily for older Math and number materials present and accessible Dramatic play area present and accessible Evidence of diversity? Many and varied musical and pleasant sound instruments? N/A if all under 12 mos-- check schedule May not be in own area-- may be mixed with other materials Must include dress ups and some child-sized play furniture for (Ex. small sink or stove, baby stroller, shopping cart). **Note: if all the children are under the age of 12 months, than the requirement for some play-sized furniture is not necessary and may be scored as N/A. Consider display, books, DP--Dolls need to represent 3 races Need at least 10 accessible daily for much of the day All materials must be non-toxic and safe. Edible material (such as chocolate pudding, dried pasta, popcorn, and so forth) cannot be counted. Examples of appropriate materials: crayons (they MUST be chunky), water color markers, brush and finger paints, playdoh, collage materials of different textures. Many and varied age-appropriate dramatic play materials must be accessible daily. Infants and require 3 to 5 examples from the following list: Dolls, Soft animals, Toy telephones, Pots & Pans; only require 2 or more of each example from the following list: dress-up, child-sized play furniture, Play foods, Dishes/eating utensils, Small play buildings & accessories) Home-made instruments such as shakers made of plastic bottles filled with sand or pebbles, with caps securely fastened 4
(taping around the cap is helpful) can count as an instrument. NO TV or computer with children under 24 mos. Science materials present and accessible Sand/water 1X per week (even in winter) Must be accessible on open shelves or table (not covered or in hard to open containers) N/A fi all under 18 mos. NO dried beans, cornmeal, flour, small rock or potential choke hazards There must be some pictures, books, or toys that represent nature realistically. Some daily experiences with living plants or animals indoors is required. There must be a variety of toys used for sand/water play (Ex. kitchen utensils, shovel and bucket, small cars and trucks, floating toys, plastic containers. Sand and water activities must be set up to facilitate play (ex. enough sand/water for play; not too crowded for toys; enough space for the number of children participating). Interactions Look for Yes/All Yes/Some No N/A Additional Notes No forced group activities Including art and group time Children are never forced to participate in group play/activities; alternative activities are accessible for children not participating in group 5