What is Early Childhood Assessment?
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Transcript What is Early Childhood Assessment?
Early Childhood Assessment:
Information for Educators
1
Overview
2
What and why it is important
Early Childhood vs. K-12 assessment
Types of child assessment systems
Training opportunities
Equipment, materials, resources
Parent Involvement
Role of Massachusetts Department of Early
Education and Care
What is Early Childhood Assessment?
3
Process of observing, recording, and
documenting work of children
Allows educators to make the best
decisions for the child
Methods can include standardized tests
observations, child portfolios, teacher or
parent checklists and child-parent
interviews
Child screening vs. assessment
Why is Early Childhood Assessment
Important?
Increasing attention to how children are
progressing
Measuring young children’s progress is
different from other ages
Improves interactions and
teaching
Identifies children
with special needs
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What about a child is assessed?
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Emotional/Social: expressing feelings, forming
friendships, resolving conflicts with others
Language: listening and talking
Physical: using pencils (fine motor skills),
climbing and running (gross motor skills)
Cognitive: numbers, colors, and patterns
Approaches to Learning: curiosity and
excitement about learning and ways of learning
new information
How does early childhood assessment
differ from K-12th grade assessment?
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K – 12th grade assessment places emphasis
on academic knowledge
Early childhood assessment places emphasis
on all aspects of a child’s development
How does early childhood assessment differ
from K-12th grade assessment continued…
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K-12th grade assessment uses mainly tests,
quizzes and standardized tests.
Early childhood assessment uses child
observations, developmental checklists and
child portfolios
Both are used to guide decisions about…
* Child interventions
* Resources
Types of Child Assessment Systems
Program-developed child
assessment tools
*Pros
*Cons
8
Types of Child Assessment Systems
cont…
Published (or packaged) child
assessment tools
*Pros
*Cons
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Training Opportunities on Early
Childhood Assessment
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Opportunities for staff to better
understand early childhood assessment
* College courses
* Training by publishers
* Offerings through local Child Care
Resource and Referral Agency
* EEC Professional Development
calendar:
www.eec.state.ma.us/ProfessionalDev
elopment/WebFindTraining.aspx
Suggested Equipment, Materials,
and Resources
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Equipment: computer, printer, digital
camera, high-speed internet
Materials: notebooks for portfolios,
photo paper, paper, clip boards, post-it
notes
Resources: assessment tool-kits,
books/articles on early childhood
assessment
How can Parents be Involved in the
Early Childhood Assessment
Process?
12
Enrollment
On-site developmental screenings
Parent Checklists
Parent/Teacher conferences
What is Massachusetts currently doing
around early childhood assessment?
Universal Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Project
*
13
Assessment Planning Grants
More information: www.eec.state.ma.us
UPK Eligible Child Assessment Tools
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Creative Curriculum’s Developmental
Continuum or CreativeCurriculum.net
Work Sampling System
High Scope Child Observation Record
Ages and Stages Questionnaire
In closing…
15
Suggested articles specific to early
childhood assessment
Contact at the Dept. of Early Education
and Care:
Jennifer Louis
Dept. of Early Education and Care
51 Sleeper St., 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02210
(617)988-6640
[email protected]