Families and Communities

Introduction to Early Childhood

Assessment

Early childhood assessment involves the assessment and documentation of children’s learning and development.

 It is a process that is both structured and unstructured in that it aims at monitoring developmental progress.

Helps to detect problems as soon as possible to address child’s requirements.

Formative assessments are used to track progress while summative assessments are used to assess the results.

Observational assessments give information about a child’s behaviors and skills in actual life situations.

Why Early Childhood

Assessment is Important

 It assists in the identification of developmental delays, special needs, or giftedness at an early age.

 Individual education programs promote the development of each child based on his or her individual needs.

 Helps children get ready for future school and academic achievement.

 It facilitates cooperation between families, educators, and the community to achieve better results.

 Promotes early interventions as this enhances the future developmental patterns of the individuals.

What is Assessed in Early Childhood

 Physical development: the development of motor skills, coordination and general health achievements.

 Cognitive development: cognitive skills such as problem solving, memory and the start of logical thinking.

 Language development: comprehension, use of words, and comprehension of expressive language.

 Social-emotional development: communication, behaviour regulation, and affect display.

 Adaptive behavior: Independence and the capacity to engage in daily living tasks.

Child Screening

vs. Assessment

Screening is useful in giving initial

indication of any development

problem or delay.

It helps to define areas in which

children may need additional testing or

examination.

It consists of a broad approach on how

children should be assessed from one period to another.

Some of the techniques employed include;

observing, testing, and checklist method.

Formal and informal form of check allows having more detailed concerns about each child’s development.

Parental Involvement

Early Childhood Educational Assessment

Parents play a crucial role in observing and reporting their child’s development and progression in early years at home.

Such meetings ensure that both parents and teachers of the child engage in a continuous dialogue over the child’s progress.

The child’s curriculum, progress and everything that relates to learning is communicated to the parents.

The program supports more child focused and more inclusive approach to assessment procedures.

 Universal Pre-K initiative in my State helps in increasing coverage of early childhood education programs.

Monitoring Child

Development

Continuous observation in natural settings helps monitor developmental milestones.

Teachers refer to developmental milestones to assess children’s development.

 Integration with specialists proves beneficial to children with developmental Needs or developmental issues.

Observations enable the identification of each child’s learning progress as it evolves in the year.

Teachers supervise areas of development and offer intervention as needed.

Methods of Measuring

Growth and Development

Teachers use checklists to track children’s progress in developmental milestones.

Developmental scales help monitor specific areas like language or motor skills.

Teachers maintain portfolios documenting each child’s growth and learning.

Standardized tests ensure that assessments are age-appropriate and reliable.

Documentation includes pictures, videos, and work samples showing progress.

Sharing Results

with Parents

Regular meetings provide parents with updates on their child’s development.

Written reports summarize key developmental milestones and areas of concern.

Portfolios, photos, and work samples visually display children’s learning progress.

Parent-teacher conferences allow for in-depth discussions on child development.

Teachers offer feedback on children’s strengths, challenges, and improvement plans.

Parent Participation in

Assessment

Parents are interviewe d to gather

valuable observatio

ns about their child at home.

Checklists and surveys

provide parents a

structured way to report

behaviors.

Parents collaborate

with teachers to set learning

and developme ntal goals.

Continuous dialogue ensures

home and school jointly

support children’s learning.

Parents are actively

involved in reviewing

and understand

ing their child’s

progress.

REFERENCES

❖Brookhart, S. M. (2018). Appropriate criteria: Key to effective rubrics.. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2018.0002

❖Stanford School Redesign Network. (2008). What is performance based assessment? Retrieved from https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/events/mat erials/2011-06-linked-learning-performance-based- assessment.pdf

❖Vargason, D. (2019, July 9). Making sense of early childhood assessment – Four things to consider. Teach.Learn.Grow. https://www.nwea.org/blog/2019/making-sense-of-early- childhood-assessment-four-things-to-consider/

❖Wortham, S. C., & Hardin, B. J. (2020). Assessment in early childhood education (8th ed.). Pearson.