PEERS                                          Preschool Educational Environment Rating System  (staat volledig op Internet)

Susan B. Neuman, New York University

Keuze voor uitgebalanceerd kleuteronderwijs : combinatie van leerling-geïnitieerde activiteiten en leerkracht-gedirigeerde. Leerkracht-gestuurde: b.v. dosis expliciete taalstimulering naast impliciete.   Wat dit laatste betreft lezen we o.a.: In particular, sociocultural theory highlights the importance of adult guidance as children work to master skills they cannot yet understand on their own, but can learn with support and guidance (Vygotsky, 1978). 

The Preschool Educational Environment Rating System (PEERS) is a measure designed to examine the quality of instruction in preschool settings.  Unlike other rating scales, it not only measures the environment, it also examines both how teachers construct their classroom for instruction and the quality of the enactment of instruction.  Designed on behalf of the Albert Shanker Institute for a collaboration with the Saint Louis Public School System (SLPSS), the PEERS is an evidence-based measure that can be used as an observational tool by administrators to more fully understand and assess the environments and instruction they provide to their students, with the ultimate goal of improving children’s academic outcomes. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURE

The PEERS is a high quality, evidence-based measure of preschool quality. It is informed by several theoretical perspectives, primarily that of ecological psychology (Day, 1983; Gump, 1989). This perspective suggests that the organization and complexity of the environment plays a central role in a child’s learning and development. The PEERS is also grounded in the assumptions of attachment theory and sociocultural theory. The former emphasizes the importance of inter-personal relationships to the development of children’s social, emotional,  and cognitive abilities (Bowlby, 2008). The latter stresses the importance of interactions between developing children and their cultural surroundings. In particular, sociocultural theory highlights the importance of adult guidance as children work to master skills they cannot yet understand on their own, but can learn with support and guidance (Vygotsky, 1978).

In line with these theoretical perspectives, the PEERS is designed to gather information about two essential aspects of the preschool classroom: the environment in which children are learning, and the instruction they receive. Within these broad categories, nine sub-categories are housed. The items included in the PEERS are based firmly in recent rigorous research, and measure factors that have been strongly linked to the development of core skills (especially literacy) and/or later academic performance, as detailed below.

PEERS Categories

The PEERS begins with an observation record, which allows for the collection of basic information required for data review and analysis. This includes classroom information (teacher, school, district, number of adults and children in the room, etc.) and information about the observation (observer name, date, time, etc.) It also includes space for the observer to add comments or notes. Following the observation record, the PEERS contains items organized into two large sections: the environment and instruction.

Environment

In line with the assumptions of ecological psychology, a large body of research indicates the powerful impact of the environment on a child’s learning and development. In particular, it has been found that both patterns of activity and engagement are influenced by access to materials, as well as the organization and complexity of the setting.

Within the environment section of the measure, items are grouped into the following five sub-sections: classroom organization and environment; planning and documentation; lesson plans; materials and displays; and books and computers. Each of these sub-sections contains measures that highlight recent research in that area. For example, a body of studies suggests the importance of classroom organization, the first aspect of classroom quality measured in the environment portion of the PEERS. Research has long indicated that the arrangement and organization of physical spaces influence human behavior (Greenman, 1988; Mcgrew, 1970; Phyfe-Perkins, 1980). Studies on the design of early childhood classrooms also indicate the importance of a safe and child-centered environment to the development of competency (Trancik & Evans, 1995), as well as the importance of offering both large and small-group instruction (e.g., Foorman & Torgesen, 2001; Montie, Claxton, & Lockhart, 2007; Morrow & Smith, 1990).

The next sub-section of the PEERS asks assessors to observe aspects of classroom planning and documentation. Items in this sub-section highlight the importance of offering a wide variety of learning activities in preschools. For instance, child-directed and child-initiated activities arehave been found to be crucial to learning (Marcon, 1999), particularly when it comes to language development (Montie et al., 2007). Additionally, the benefits of deep, ongoing, teacher-led investigations are also captured in this section of the PEERS. Finally, when considering classroom planning and documentation, it is important to assess the extent to which portfolios and similar assessments are used to monitor children’s progress; research suggests that such methods are beneficial to tracking and fostering children’s learning (Gronlund & Engel, 2001; Lynch & A., 2001; Mills, 1994).

The third sub-section of the PEERS gathers information about lesson plans, examining in more detail the types of instructional activities presented to preschoolers. Items align with research about activities that promote young children’s learning, including shared book reading (Crain- Thoreson & Dale, 1999; Mol, Bus, & de Jong, 2009) and opportunities to engage with emergent writing, which has been shown to predict later reading and writing ability (Moody, Justice, & Cabell, 2010; Whitehurst & Lonigan, 2003). Additional items in this sub-section are designed to capture the extent to which other subject areas that are important for future success are integrated into the daily plan and aligned with both the curriculum and broader learning goals.

These include math (Cross, Woods, & Schweingruber, 2009; National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008; Sarama & Clements, 2009; Sarama, Lange, Clements, & Wolfe, 2012), science (Chaille & Britain, 1997; Gallas, 1995; Zimmerman, 2000), music (Campbell & Scott-Kassner, 2013; Črnčec, Wilson, & Prior, 2006; Strait, Parbery-Clark, O’Connell, & Kraus, 2013), art (E. P. Cohen & Gainer, 1995; Thompson, 1995), and movement (Campbell & Scott-Kassner, 2013; Lorenzo-Lasa, Ideishi, & Ideishi, 2007).

The sub-section of the PEERS designed to capture the materials and displays also includes items that highlight recent research. For example, research indicates that children in preschools with a greater number and variety of accessible materials have been found to have higher cognitive scores (Montie et al., 2007). This may be in part explained by studies indicating that children in classrooms that include a wide variety of accessible tools, books, and materials both read more (Neuman & Roskos, 1992) and increase their literacy abilities (Neuman & Roskos, 1990). It is generally understood that children are more likely to constructively use materials that are readily accessible to them and organized into conceptually related groups, promoting development across learning domains. A body of research indicates that well-organized settings foster development and learning, supporting this understanding (D. K. Cohen, Raudenbush, & Ball, 2003; Tharp & Gallimore, 1989; Wachs, 1987). Another key item in this sub-section measures the extent to which environmental print exists throughout the classroom (e.g., objects labeled at eye level, print included for both functional and play purposes). A body of research supports this item. Indeed, environmental print has repeatedly been found to promote literacy activities (Morrow & Smith, 1990; Neuman, Celano, Greco, & Shue, 2001; Prior & Gerard, 2004; Wolfersberger, Reutzel, Sudweeks, & Fawson, 2004), particularly when adults actively engage children with print in the classroom (Neuman & Roskos, 1993).

Instruction

Along with elements of the classroom environment, the instruction provided to children has repeatedly been demonstrated to affect their development and learning across content areas. Within the second half of the PEERS, items are grouped into the following four sub-sections: supervision and management; climate; responsive instruction; and facilitating home support for learning. In line with the assumptions of attachment theory and sociocultural theory, the evidence for most items in this portion of the measure is derived from the interactions and relationships between teachers and their students.

The first sub-section in the instruction portion of the PEERS evaluates the supervision and management of the classroom. Several key items that are known to influence learning are measured through observation of the behaviors and interactions of children and teachers in the classroom, as well as classroom rules and routines. For example, children’s internalization of rules and routines, and their peaceful movement through the day are evaluated. Although little research has been done on the topic in preschool classrooms, studies focused on classroom management in the upper elementary grades indicate the importance of a peaceful and well-run classroom (see Carter & Doyle, 2006). Along the same lines, the quality of teacher intervention has been shown to affect children’s ability to independently, peacefully, and effectively resolve conflicts with their peers (see Slaby, 1995). When preschoolers can employ social problem- solving skills, more time is left for play and learning.

Next, the PEERS builds on research showing the importance of the classroom climate . For example, the observer is directed to gauge the active listening and empathy of the teacher. Teacher-child interactions rich in these elements foster children’s socio-emotional competence. This, in turn, provides a foundation that supports development. More specifically, high-quality interactions with teachers and other caregivers foster children’s capacity for intimacy and empathy, self-esteem, impulse control and self-regulation, creativity, language acquisition, and ability to problem-solve (Ostrosky, Gaffney, & Thomas, 2006, p. 183). Research indicates that these developmental gains then translate into academic success. The work of Robert Pianta (e.g., Hamre & Pianta, 2001; R. Pianta, Belsky, Houts, Morrison, & the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Early Child Care Research Network, 2007; R. Pianta et al., 2005; R. C. Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004) has been particularly influential, spearheading a body of work in this area. The PEERS also measures the engagement, happiness, trust and respect that children demonstrate as a result of these interactions.

Warm and responsive instruction, also measured by the PEERS, has been found to promote learning as well. For example, Connor and colleagues found that first grade children with more responsive teachers demonstrated stronger vocabulary and decoding skills at the end of the year (Connor, Son, Hindman, & Morrison, 2005; see also Graue, Clements, Reynolds, & Niles, 2004). Intentional efforts to expand children’s vocabulary also play an important role in facilitating learning. A body of work indicates that such efforts can increase children’s vocabulary  knowledge (Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000; Marulis & Neuman, 2010; Neuman, Newman, & Dwyer, 2011; Robbins & Ehri, 1994). This increased vocabulary ability then aids in early reading ability, which, in turn, bootstraps achievement across school subjects. Key research by Keith Stanovich suggesting a reciprocal relationship between reading and cognitive efficiency may well explain this phenomenon (Stanovich, 1986; West, Stanovich, & Mitchell, 1993).

Bijlage: Neuman wijst ook op belang van voldoende expliciete taalinstructie

Ook dosis expliciete taalstimulering (woordenschat e.d.) is belangrijk Marulis & Neuman : Vocabulary Intervention : uit review-studie blijkt dat ook voldoende expliciete stimulering heel belangrijk is

 Review of Educational Research September 2010, Vol. 80, No. 3, pp. 300–335

 The Effects of Vocabulary Intervention on Young Children’s Word Learning: A Meta-Analysis Loren M. Marulis and Susan B. Neuman University of Michigan

 This meta-analysis examines the effects of vocabulary interventions on pre-K and kindergarten children’s oral language development. The authors quantitatively reviewed 67 studies and 216 effect sizes to better understand the impact of training on word learning. Results indicated an overall effect size of .88, demonstrating, on average, a gain of nearly one standard deviation on vocabulary measures. Moderator analyses reported greater effects for trained adults in providing the treatment, combined pedagogical strategies that included explicit and implicit instruction, and author-created measures compared to standardized measures.

Turning to the instructional features of these vocabulary interventions, our analysis revealed that pedagogical approach appeared to make a difference. Programs that used explicit instruction deliberately either through explanation of words or key examples were associated with larger effect sizes than those that taught words implicitly. In addition, programs that combined explicit and implicit instruction, enabling students to be introduced to words followed by meaningful practice and review, demonstrated even larger effects. These studies stand in contrast to those that used implicit instruction alone, which was found to be less effective. They confirm the recommendations of the National Reading Panel (2000), which called for providing direct instruction in vocabulary with multiple exposures in rich contexts. Given that this meta-analysis focused on many different training programs, these results should generalize across specific types of programs. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest the benefits of explicit instruction may not be limited to word learning (Klahr & Nigam, 2004; Rittle-Johnson, 2006; Star & Rittle-Johnson, 2008).