Wisconsin Preschool Credential

Capstone Observation Checklist

The NAEYC criteria for National Accreditation are used for the Capstone Observation Checklist to demonstrate alignment with the Standards and to familiarize the student with this national accreditation process.

Note to “Qualified Observer” completing the Checklist – Each item must be scored- refer to the candidate’s Self Evaluation Checklist as you observe her/him in the classroom to guide you in rating her/his understanding, application and performance on each criterion. Candidate should provide you with a copy of their completed Self-Evaluation Checklist.

Competencies

  1. Implement strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives when working with children, families and community.
  2. Follow governmental regulations and professional standards as they apply to health, safety, and nutrition.
  3. Analyze social, cultural and economic influences on child development.
  4. Analyze the development of children age three through age five.
  5. Establish a developmentally appropriate environment.
  6. Develop activity plans that promote child development and learning.
  7. Document children’s behavior.
  8. Analyze factors that affect the behavior of children.
  9. Practice positive guidance strategies.
  10. Examine the critical role of play.
  11. Demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior as an early childhood education professional.
  12. Implement effective teaching strategies to promote the development and learning of children age 3-5.

COMPETENCY 1. Implement strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives when working with children, families and community.

(Provides examples of and observed behavior consistent with the following) / 2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
Strategies to counter bias in child attitudes and behavior
  1. Treating all children with equal respect and consideration.

  1. Offer activities and discussions to build positive self-identity and valuing of differences.

  1. Avoiding stereotypes in language references – firefighter instead of fireman, etc.

  1. Intervening when children tease or reject others.

Strategies to counter bias in materials and adult attitudes and behavior
  1. Multicultural materials (dolls, play props, books, pictures, posters, play food, clothing items, etc.) reflect the lives of the children and families as well as the diversity found in society, including gender, age, language, and abilities – no stereotypical representations (images of members of ethnic groups in only traditional garb or only females in nurturing roles, only males as construction workers or doctors, etc.), reflect range of diversity, especially children and families in the program.

  1. No observed use of stereotypical language or bias toward or against a child or group

Comments:

COMPETENCY 2. Follow governmental regulations and professional standards as they apply to health, safety, and nutrition.

2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
  1. Teacher supervises children by positioning self to see as many children as possible. Teacher is aware of children’s location at all times, and monitors by sound when they may be out of visual range (as when toileting, etc.). Teacher implements effective child tracking procedures.

  1. Proper hand-washing procedures are followed by teacher and children; teacher supervises children in hand-washing and provides assistance where needed.

  1. Regular cleaning and sanitizing of furnishings and equipment is scheduled and completed.

  1. Procedures for standard precautions are understood and used, including cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces, use of gloves and barriers to minimize contact with body fluids, cleaning spills as they occur, cleaning and sanitizing toys that have been mouthed or exposed to body fluids.

  1. Teacher is aware of children’s special health care needs, nutrition needs or allergies and conducts daily health checks as children arrive. (Child allergies or health concerns listed in room, informal health checks observed, etc.)

  1. Medications, and topical products (such as sunscreen, insect repellant, etc.) are handled, administered and recorded according to licensing regulations.(Review medical log and permission forms).

  1. Teacher uses care routines such as toileting, meal and nap routines as opportunities to build relationships, language, concepts (food classification, nutrition, healthy living, manners, etc.) and to build child’s self-awareness, social interaction and self-help skills.

  1. At meal and snack times, teacher sits and eats with children and engages them in conversation.

  1. Teacher handles and serves food using proper safety precautions and sanitary techniques.

  1. Teacher coaches and supports children as they learn to participate in daily cleanup and maintenance of the classroom.

  1. Toileting routines are conducted according to health and safety procedures – children using (and learning to use) toilets are supported in hygiene practices and practicing self-help skills.

  1. Nap routines are conducted according to safety procedures - cots are appropriately spaced, children are allowed to rest when tired and not made to stay on cots if unable to sleep, are appropriately supervised when sleeping, etc.

Comments:

COMPETENCY 3. Analyze social, cultural and economic influences on child development.

2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
Strategies to understand and honor family culture
  1. Process and tools in place to gather information from families (during intake and ongoing) to become acquainted with and learn from families about their family structure, preferred child-rearing practices; and information families wish to share about their socioeconomic, linguistic, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds. (Enrollment forms, intake interview, emails, phone calls, daily conversations, etc.)

  1. Process and tools in place to share information with families about teacher/program philosophy, curriculum, goals, and practices. (Enrollment/intake interview, emails, phone calls, texts, newsletters, bulletin board displays, daily conversations, etc.)

  1. Process and tools in place to promote regular, effective two-way communication between families and teacher about child’s needs, adjustment, activities and progress. (Informal conversations during arrival and departure, emails, phone calls, texts, newsletters, conferences, etc.)

  1. Family involvement opportunities within the classroom and/or program are provided in ways that respect family needs and perspectives. These opportunities consider each family’s interests and skills and the needs of the program staff.(Review newsletters, posted messages, etc.)

  1. Teacher’s daily interactions demonstrate knowledge of the children, children’s families, and the social, linguistic, and cultural context in which the children live.(Observe teacher interactions and comments, review self-evaluation examples.)

  1. Teacher plans curriculum and activities that incorporate the social, linguistic, and cultural context in which the children live. (Review lesson plans, self-evaluation examples.)

Comments:

COMPETENCY 4. Analyze the development of children age three through age five.

2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
Strategies to observe, analyze and adapt to children’s development
  1. Teacher uses assessments to obtain information on all areas of children’s development and learning in each domain (Utilizes developmental checklists, screening tools, observation records, child portfolios that are aligned with WMELS to analyze andidentify child’s current level of development across domains.)

  1. Teacher uses their knowledge of children’s social relationships, interests, ideas, and skills to tailor learning opportunities for groups and individuals. (Analyzesobservations to inform planning for curriculum activities.)

  1. Teacher uses their knowledge of individual children to modify strategies and materials to enhance children’s learning. (Adapts an activity for different children based on their interests or reactions.)

  1. Teacher uses a variety of tools at regular intervals to assess the developmental progress of each child across all domains and shares information with child’s family (Tracks child’s progress at regular intervals and schedules conferences with families to discuss developmental checklists, screening tools, observation records, child portfolios, etc.)

Comments:

COMPETENCY 5. Establish a developmentally appropriate environment.

2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
Materials and equipment
  1. Provide for children’s safety while being appropriately challenging – in good repair, age appropriate, addresses range of abilities of children in room, no safety hazards, etc.

  1. Rich in variety to encourage exploration, experimentation, and discovery – mix of open-ended and self-correcting, cause & effect, sensory appeal, construction, dramatic play, etc.

  1. Promote sensory exploration, creative expression, and fine motor learning –varying textures and materials (not all plastic), sand, water, art materials, writing implements, opportunities to practice a range of manipulative skills.

  1. Promote gross motor skill practice – space and equipment tostimulate a variety of skills, enhance sensory-motor integration, and develop controlled movement (balance, strength, coordination).

  1. Promote pretend play and interaction between children - promote communication (toy phone) and cooperation to operate (see-saw), and a variety of pretend play props, etc.

  1. Organized with appropriate materials to support range of curriculum areas – literacy, science/discovery, construction, art, etc.

  1. Arranged to support independent use– low, open shelves, bins or baskets, picture/word labels, etc.

  1. Rotated to reflect changing curriculum and to accommodate new interests and skill levels – storage space in center has materials to rotate into and out of room.

  1. Able to accommodate children’s special needs – as present in room, or modified if needed.

  1. Washablesoft elementsthat allow groups of children or child and adult to sit in close proximity for conversations or comforting – pillows, mats, couch, etc.

  1. Some play/learning materials created by teacher - made from variety of “found” natural, or “real” materials, or created to support curriculum topics.

  1. In sufficient quantities to occupy every child in activities that meet his or her needs.

Comments:
2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
Indoor space
  1. Protected places for children to play individually- defensible spaces to be alone.

  1. Places for children to play with peers– spaces divided by low shelves for partner play.

  1. Places for children to be all together– large open rug area, tables and chairs to sit together for meals, etc.

  1. Equipment such as tables and chairs are sized to the children using them – children’s feet touch floor and table top is about mid chest height, climbers not too big or too small for children.

  1. Space divided into areas that are supplied with materials organized to support play and learning.

  1. Areas have pathways for children to move between areas without disturbing other children.

  1. Has ways to moderate or minimize visual and auditory stimulation- window shades, curtains, dimmers, sound absorbing materials, etc.

  1. Places for displaying children’s work – artwork on walls or shelves, photos of activities, work samples, etc.

  1. Defined spaces for families to sign in and out, gather information about child’s day – parent info board with schedule posted, curriculum activities, parent pockets or bins for notes, clipboards, child notebooks, place to sit and write or for child to dress/undress, etc.

  1. Individual space for each child’s belongings - individual hooks for each child’s coat/backpack, a separate area to store extra clothing, children's things are individually stored to support organized access and independence.

  1. Teacher has comfortable adult sized places to sit while interacting with children during play, routines and teacher guided activities.

  1. Teacher is able to see children in all areas of room.

Comments:
Outdoor space
  1. Equipment designed for age and abilities of children using it.

  1. Teacher is attentive to children during outdoor time and promotes their exploration and discovery.

Comments:

COMPETENCY 6. Develop activity plans that promote child development and learning.

All criteria may not be observed during the visit. Refer to student documentation for items not observed. / 2
Observed one or more instances or examples / 1
Observed missed opportunities or partial evidence / 0
Observed evidence contrary to this criterion
Daily Schedule- predictable, yet flexible
  1. Posted in room

  1. Provides time and support for transitions

  1. Includes both indoor and outdoor experiences– with outdoor play scheduled at least twice each day

  1. Incorporates time for play, creative expression, large group, small group, and child-initiated activities.

Comments:
Health and Physical Development
  1. Teacher provides varied opportunities and materials that support fine-motor development.

  1. Teacher provides varied opportunities and materials that support large-motor experiences that stimulate a variety of skills,that range from familiar to new and challenging, enhance sensory-motor integration, and development of controlled movement (balance, strength, coordination) and enable children with varying abilities to have large motor experiences similar to those of their peers (if present in room) – meeting YoungStar criteria for a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

  1. Teacher leads varied opportunities to help children learn physical games with rules and structure, stimulate a variety of skills, enhance sensory-motor integration and development of controlled movement (balance, strength, coordination) – meeting YoungStar criteria for 15 minutes of teacher-led activities.

Comments:
Social and Emotional Development (See Competency 9 for related criteria)
  1. Teacher plans varied opportunities for children to recognize and name their own and other’s feelings.

  1. Teacher plans varied opportunities for children to practice regulation of their emotions, behavior and attention.

Comments:
Language Development and Communication
  1. Teacher plans varied opportunities for children to develop communication and vocabulary by responding to questions, communicating needs, thoughts, and experiences, describing things and events, conversations, and experiences such as field trips.

  1. Teacher supports the development and maintenance of the child’s home language whenever possible. (Use of familiar words, terms or phrases in child’s language, opportunities for child to see language in print, etc.)

  1. Teacher provides opportunities for children to become familiar with print by making print accessible throughout the classroom. Items belonging to a child are labeled with his or her name, materials are labeled, and print is used to describe some rules and routines.

  1. Teacher helps children recognize print and connect it to spoken words.

  1. Teacher provides children with varied opportunities with booksby reading books in an engaging manner in group or individualized settings at least twice a day in full-day programs and at least once daily in half-day programs. Teacher engages in conversations that help childrenunderstand the content of the book.

  1. Teacher allows children to explore books on their own and provides places that are conducive to the quiet enjoyment of books. Children have access to various types of books, including storybooks, factual books, books with rhymes, alphabet books, and wordless books.

  1. Teacher provides children with multiple and varied opportunities to write. Writing materials and activities are readily available in art, dramatic play, and other learning centers. Children are given the support they need to write on their own, including access to thealphabet (e.g., displayed at eye level or on laminated cards) and to printed words about topics of current interest.

  1. Teacher models functional use of writing and are helps children to discuss the many ways writing is used in daily life. Children have daily opportunities to write or dictate their ideas. Children are provided needed assistance in writing the words and messages they are trying to communicate. Various types of writing are supported, including scribbling, letter-like marks, and developmental spelling.

  1. Teacher provides children with multiple and varied opportunities to develop phonological awarenessthrough encouragement to play with the sounds of language, including syllables, word families, and phonemes, using rhymes, poems, songs, and finger plays, helpingto identify letters and the sounds they represent, to recognize and produce words that have the same beginning or ending sounds, and supporting children’s self-initiated efforts to write letters that represent the sounds of words.

Comments:
Approaches to Learning
  1. Teacher plans varied opportunities for children to develop a sense of competence and positive attitudes toward learning, such as persistence, engagement, curiosity, and mastery.

  1. Teacher provides children with varied opportunities to gain an appreciation of, and to learn new concepts and vocabulary, and express themselves creatively in ways that reflect diversity through art, music, drama and dance activities.

  1. Teacher provides a variety of art tools that are accessible to children to choose freely as well as during adult guided activities to develop and widen their repertoire of skills that support artistic expression.

Comments:
Cognition and General Knowledge
  1. Teacher provides children with varied opportunities and materials to explore math concepts such as size, shape, color, patterns, quantity, measurement, number awareness, counting, and time.

  1. Teacher provides children with varied opportunities and materials to explore science principles and concepts such as observation and investigation of the natural world, living and non-living things, weather, seasons, the five senses, properties of matter and materials (sink/float, liquids/solids/gasses, etc.), light and shadows, geologic features, etc. Children are encouraged to think, question, reason about observed phenomena, collect data and represent and document findings.

  1. Developmentally appropriate use of technology in the classroom such as media such as television, film, videotapes, and audiotapes is limited. (Limited/no use of TV, video, etc. and developmentally appropriate access to computers are reported and observed.)

Comments:

COMPETENCY 7. Document children’s behavior.