1. A Comprehensive Approach to Early Childhood Assessment and Intervention Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Dempsey, J. University of Nebraska Omaha
NASP 2011: San Francisco

2. Acknowledgements and Appreciation
Papillion-LaVista Public School District, Omaha, NE
Especially Kristy Feden!
Sarpy County Head Start, NE
School Psychology Graduate Students
Many, many children and their families
University Committee on Research
Artwork by Julie K. Hart

3. What is Play Assessment?
An observation of a child’s skills in the context of play
Cognitive (thinking and problem-solving)
Social
Behavioral
A system that results in a description of a child’s competencies and areas of need
A method of monitoring a child’s progress in curriculum and intervention

4. Use of Play Assessments
Individual assessments to determine performance levels in developmental domains
Screening classes or groups to determine group performance
Progress monitoring of individuals, groups, and/or classrooms
Program evaluation to determine program effectiveness

5. What is play intervention?
An intervention process in which the areas of need that are identified in play assessment are addressed in the context of play

6. Why play interventions?
Teachers easily understand the intervention
Children are in their natural environment
Parents can learn how to conduct interventions

7. Conducting Play Assessments
Observational Approach
“how to”

8. Observation Sessions Determine setting
Laboratory
Classroom
Home
Select time of day (free play is ideal in classrooms)
Make sure that the toys can elicit a wide range of skills

9. Observation of Play
Observe at least 30 minutes to determine level of exploratory/pretend play
Document the amount of time for play behaviors (explained later)
For supplementary subdomains, observe until child reaches age appropriate levels of play or until you determine that the results are accurate
Validate from the teacher

10. Level of Facilitation Do not guide the child’s play
Do not let others guide the child’s play
For categories that were not observed, you can set up an opportunity – may need to ask teacher
If category never observed and no opportunities are available, ask teacher for input

11. Observation of Social/Behavior
Also note any social and/or behavioral strengths and possible areas of need
Initiation of play
Receptivity of play when others initiate
Variety of playmates
Adult vs. child play

12. Additional Developmental Domains
Can also note on the following
Language
Motor
Interests

13. Coding Play Forms and coding guidelines
How to analyze the observations

14. Assessment Forms Observation and Coding Summary and Progress PIECES
Developmental Progression of Play

15. What is measured…. Supplemental Play Skills –
Problem Solving Skills and Planning - measures cognitive development
Discrimination/ Classification Skills
Quantification Skills
Drawing Skills
Sequencing Abilities
Core Play Skills – measures cognitive development
Exploratory Play
Simple Pretend Play
Complex Pretend Play
Social Skills
Behavior
Language can be noted

16. Social: Play Partners
Number
Child(ren)/Adults

17. Social: Play Direction
Initiator – child initiates play with another child or adult
Follower – child follows play of another child or adult
Cooperative – child has cooperative play interchanges with another child or adult

18. Communication Language heard during play – document
This can be a conversation with an adult or another child or the target child could be talking to him/herself

19. Supplemental Areas of Assessment
Strategic Behavior and Problem Solving Skills
Discrimination/Classification Skills
Quantification Skills
Drawing Skills
Sequencing Abilities

20. Reporting results
Highest level of play coded for each subdomain (i.e., core and supplemental)
Percent of time in pretend vs. exploratory play
Number of steps in pretend play (when applicable)
Description of the variety of play acts, toys used, and level of facilitation
Social dimensions of play
Behaviors that may facilitate or interfere with play

21. Results of play assessment
Competencies
Student observed an age appropriate skill in the play subdomain
Reported skills
Teacher reported an age appropriate skill in the play subdomain but the skill was not observed
Emerging skills
Skill was observed rarely or only with facilitation
Areas of need
Skill was not observed or reported

22. Intervention System
Using the assessment data

23. System – Level 1
Screening of all children using the PIECES observation and coding system
Can be conducted 3-4 times per year
Purpose:
To determine group progress and program effectiveness
To determine which children need additional interventions
Must have a criteria for moving to Level 2

24. System – Level 2 Small group or individual interventions
Interventions are 1-2 times per week
Progress is monitored 1-2 times per week
Evaluate progress every 4-6 weeks
Establish a criteria for moving from Level 2 to Level 3 and from Level 2 to Level 1

25. System – Level 3 Level 3 – Individual or small group interventions
Progress is monitored 2-3 times per week
Interventions are 3-5 times per week
Evaluate progress every 4-6 weeks

26. Play Interventions Determine from assessment results
Intensity depends on need
Small group or individual interventions can be used
Frequent progress monitoring is required because young children change very quickly
Peer comparisons are helpful in determining if improvement is due to development or the intervention

27. Play Interventions can include
Parents*
Teachers
Peers
Siblings
Older children in a school – if applicable
*Hart found that parents are knowledgeable about play and believe it is important to development but their child’s play level did not reflect the belief

28. Interventions Individual and group intervention strategies
Teach new skills
Model
Add ons
Increase emerging skills
Verbal prompts
Play partners
Use verbal praise and encouragement throughout intervention

29. References
Cherney, I. C., Kelly-Vance, L., Gill, K., Ruane, A., & Ryalls, B. O. (2003). The effects of stereotyped toys and gender on play assessment in month old children. Educational Psychology, 22,
Kelly-Vance, L., Needelman, H., Troia, K., & Ryalls, B. O. (1999). Early childhood assessment: A comparison of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and a Play-Based Technique. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 27, 1-15.
Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2008). Best practices in play assessment and intervention. In J. Grimes & A. Thomas, (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V, vol. 2,
Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2005). A systematic, reliable approach to play assessment in preschoolers. School Psychology International, 26,
Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Glover, K. G. (2002). The use of play assessment to evaluate the cognitive skills of two- and three-year old children. School Psychology International, 23,
Mallory, J., Kelly-Vance, L, & Ryalls, B. O. (2010). Incorporating divergent thinking into play interventions for preschool children with developmental risk factors. The International Journal of Creativity and Problem Solving, 20,

30. Contact Information
Lisa Kelly-Vance
Brigette Ryalls
Jessica Dempsey