1. Chapter 2 Observation and Assessment
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2. Assessment Definitions
Refers to the collection of information for the purpose of making educational decisions about children or a program
Methods should be developmentally appropriate
Should be aligned with desired outcomes or goals for children
State standards are often guiding assessment
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3. Assessment Definitions
Child Outcomes
What happens as a result of services provided to children
Measured by the attainment of different child development milestones or skills
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4. Purposes of Assessment
Provides information to stakeholders about expectations
Helps teachers in planning instruction
Helps administrators in improving programs
Identifies children who may require special interventions
Provides information for program accountability
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5. Reasons for Observing Children
To gain knowledge of age-appropriate behaviors
To gain knowledge of individual differences
To become aware of the total environment and influences on children
To identify specific strengths and difficult areas for individual children
To gather data to plan for individual children
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6. Reasons for Observing Children (continued)
To gain understanding of children’s stages of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and language development
To gain an appreciation of children’s abilities, interests, perceptions, and personalities
To gain knowledge of how children learn
To identify how individual children react/relate to a group situation
To become aware of positive (pro-social) and negative (anti-social) behaviors of children
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7. Authentic Assessment
Ongoing process to determine a child’s strengths and needs, which supports teacher planning by using the information and insights gained to evaluate teaching techniques and curriculum
Assessment data is gathered through observations, interviews, collections of children’s work and anecdotal records as children are actively involved in hands-on problem solving and investigation
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8. Authentic Assessment
Careful assessment is especially important when planning for ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse young children and for children with special needs or disabilities
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9. Reflect on This
Which is the best way to get valid information on children and their learning?
Standardized tests
Authentic assessment
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10. Guidelines for Recording the Behavior of Young Children
All information is confidential
Observe quietly with little or no interaction
Record objective observations in a clear, precise, and useful manner
Think of the child and respect her as she is, not as you think she should be
Be as familiar as possible with the age group before beginning to observe
Use the speaker’s exact words when recording conversation
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11. Meaningful Assessment
Strategies:
Collecting data by observing children in a natural setting
Using criteria that can assess children from birth to age eight all ability levels
Categorizing observation results by curriculum content areas and developmental domains
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12. Meaningful Assessment
Measures:
Observational data on children’s work in the areas of language and literacy, early math, social development, self-help, nature, science, and so on
Data is collected at the beginning of the year to document skills the children have at entry
Teachers update the information as the year progresses and then enter data at the end of the year
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13. Guidelines for Interpreting Behavior of a Young Child
Identify consistent patterns of behavior for a particular child over a specific period of time
Document patterns of behavior with specific examples of such behavior
Identify areas of difficulty and developmental delays as well as age- appropriate and accelerated development
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14. Guidelines for Interpreting Behavior of a Young Child
Remember not to make assumptions about the child’s family life as the cause of her behavior at school/center
Remember not to make assumptions about the child’s behavior away from the school/center
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15. Data Collection Tools Anecdotal record Checklist
Reflective log or diary
Case study
Portfolio assessment
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16. Anecdotal Record
Brief, informal narrative account describing an incident of a child’s behavior that is important to the observer
May apply to a specific child or to a group of children
One of the developmentally appropriate ways teachers can evaluate a child’s learning
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17. Anecdotal Record
Anecdotes describe the beginning and ending times of the observation, an objective, and a factual account of what occurred (telling how it happened, when and where it happened, and what was said and done)
Anecdotal records come only from direct observation and are written down promptly and accurately
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18. Checklist
A record of direct observation that involves selecting from a previously prepared list the statement that best describes the behavior observed, the conditions present, growth and development, or the equipment, supplies, and materials available
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19. Checklist
Checklists can be used to reflect common activities and expectations in classrooms structured around developmentally appropriate activities and based on national, state, and local standards
Easy to use and helpful in planning for individual or group needs
Eliminate the need to record all details of behavior
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20. Reflective Log or Diary
A teacher or administrator’s record of the most significant happenings, usually made at the end of the day or during an uninterrupted block of time
Includes what stood out as important facts to remember for the day, written in as much detail as possible, and extends over a long period of time
The diary description is an informal method of observation and is considered the oldest method in child development
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21. Case Study
A way of collecting and organizing all of the information gathered from various sources, including observations of and interviews with the child, to provide insights into the behavior of the individual child studied
Interpretations and recommendations are included
Main purposes are to discover causes and effects of behavior, child development research, and to plan for the individual child
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22. Portfolio Assessment
A systematic collection of information about a child’s ongoing development and the child’s work gathered by both the child and teacher over time from all available sources
Portfolios come in many shapes and sizes, such as expanding, accordion-type files, file folders, cardboard boxes, scrapbooks, three-ring binders, or unused pizza boxes
Teacher’s comments on each portfolio sample help document what the child knows, can do, and how she does it
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23. Portfolio is a Collection of Child-Produced Material
Creative drawings and paintings
Dictated stories
Lists of books and stories read
Product samples showing strengths and skills
Samples of a child’s self-initiated “work”
Photographs, audio and video tapes
Teacher objectives for the child
Anecdotal records, developmental checklists
Family interviews and comments
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24. Keeping Up with Assessment
Collecting data
Spend at least 10 minutes three times a week collecting different kinds of data that capture children’s level of engagement and understandings, including casual conversations, written observations, photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, and samples of their other work
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25. Keeping Up with Assessment
Analyzing data regularly
Time spent reflecting on your collection of documents will help you understand the growing skills and understandings of each child in your class
The more kinds of documents you have, the fuller the picture you will have of each individual
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