Observing and Assessing Young Children Chapter 6 Observing and Assessing Young Children

Observing and Assessing Young Child Assessment is viewed as an important component of the educational process. Teachers collect information on the children they teach and the programs in which they teach, in order to make important educational decisions, and to communicate information to families and early childhood education stakeholders. This chapter reviews the ways assessment and observation are used in early learning environments. Upon completion of the chapter, you will be able to explain how assessment of children and programs impact early childhood education programs.

Understanding Assessment Assessment is the process of collecting information or data on children’s development and learning. Assessment involves: Assessment Collecting data and information on children Determining the significance of that information Using the information for individual and program planning Communicating finding to families and other stakeholders

Purposes of Assessment Assessment serves the following purposes Assessment provides data and information for individual and group instructional planning; Assessment provides data and information that is used to communicate with families about their children; Assessment allows teachers and others to identify children in need of special services or intervention; Assessment provides information to inform program development. See Figure 6.1 for more detail on the purposes of assessment.

General Principles of Assessment Assessment policy should reflect the fact that reliability and validity increase with children’s age Assessment should be valid, reliable, and fair, and be tailored to a specific purpose Assessment must clearly benefit the child or quality of education Parents should be valued as both a source and audience of assessment Assessment should be linguistically appropriate Assessment should be age appropriate in content and method of data collection

Communicating with Parents When communicating assessment information to families, remember to: be honest and realistic about the information being communicated; Avoid jargon—communicate with parents in language they understand; share ideas, information, and resources that will help parents help their children learn.

Observation Observation is the systematic and intentional act of watching children’s behavior in a particular setting or situation. Observation is used to: determine children’s cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development; identify children's interests and learning styles; plan for activities; meet the needs of individual children; determine children's progress; provide information to parents; provide professional insights.

Observation Information can be gathered that cannot be gathered using other means Observation is ideal for learning about children in play settings Teachers can learn about children’s pro-social behavior and peer interaction Using observation as a tool for gathering data has the following advantages: Teachers can learn what children are capable of developmentally Teachers can learn about children’s performance over time Teachers have concrete information to share with parents

Types of Assessment Authentic Assessment Authentic or performance assessment is the evaluation of children’s actual learning instructional situations. It is based on children’s actual work It is curriculum-based Teachers learn about the whole child It allows for ongoing assessment Many different tools can be used to assess children It assesses what individual children can do Children & parents are involved Assessment is part of the learning process

Types of Assessment Traditional Assessment Traditional assessment refers to standardized or teacher- made test where there is usually one correct answer to specific test items. (See Figure 6.4 for differences between traditional and authentic assessment.)

Formal and Informal Assessment Normally uses traditional tests that have set instructions for administration of the test. Children’s performance is normally compared to that of other children. Informal Assessment Procedures are used to make judgments about children's learning, behavior, and development that do not include standardized tests.

Formal Assessment Screening is an example of formal assessment. Screening identifies physical, social, linguistic, or cognitive needs of a child. Screening provides information for: initial instruction agency referral the need for further testing

Informal Assessments Informal Assessments: Checklists –tool for observing and collecting information of a wide range of children’s behaviors. Portfolios-compilation of samples of children’s work, artifacts, and teacher observations. Anecdotal records –written description of children’s behavior. Running records-detailed narrative of a child’s behavior over time. Time sampling –recording of events or behaviors over continuous time intervals. Event Sampling- recording of behavior observed during a particular event. Rating scales- numeric scales that contain a list of descriptors for behavior. Interviews- process of engaging children in conversation in order to collect information.

Appropriate Assessment Appropriate assessment reflects the following: Developmentally appropriate Culturally and linguistically appropriate Tied to children’ s daily activities Includes families Connected to clearly identified and specific purposes. (See pgs. 164- 166 for indicators of effective assessment)

Assessment for Accountability The use of standardized test to measure of accountability has increased. The general public, along with parents believe assessment is a means for making schools and teachers accountable for teaching children. Assessment also plays a critical role in educational reform. High-stakes testing takes place when assessments are used to make important and life-influencing decisions. Early childhood professionals are opposed to high-stakes testing because young children develop too rapidly to make important decisions based on performance of a single test.

What’s next After reviewing this presentation and reading Chapter 6, Observing and Assessing Young Children, check your understanding of the terms and concepts listed below. You will then be ready to complete the Chapter 6quiz. Meaning of assessment Purposes of assessment Principles of assessment Parents and assessment Meaning of observation Uses of observation Advantages of observation as an assessment strategy Authentic/performance assessment Traditional assessment Formal and informal assessment Examples of informal and formal assessments Assessment and accountability High-stakes testing