Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/what-assessment-means-to-early-childhood-educators/5015972/
Two-year-old Sean doesn’t talk as well as other children of his same age. He communicates using gestures and a few one-word phrases, and his articulation is difficult to understand. Is his language delayed? Does he need special services?Four-year-old Sakara has difficulty paying attention and completing a task. What can teachers do to help her stay more focused?
Teachers in the toddler and preschool rooms of a child care center recently introduced a 15-minute picture book reading time into the daily schedule. Will the increased picture book reading time have an impact on the children’s language and literacy development?
These are questions educators might have about the children and families in their programs and about curricula and instructional strategies they use in their classrooms. Observing children and reflecting on educational practices are integral to high-quality care and education programs. A sound assessment system can be a useful tool for guiding early childhood professionals in this process.
What is assessment and why is it important?
Assessment can be defined as the process of gathering ongoing and comprehensive information about specific aspects of a child’s knowledge, behavior, skill level, or personality for the purpose of making evaluative decisions (Meisels, 2001). Assessments can be conducted for different purposes. ...