Challenges in Assessing Young Children

07/02/2007

Challenges in Assessing Young Children

We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.
Sandra Day O'Connor

In the Exchange article that serves as the basis for the Out of the Box Training Kit "What Assessment Means to Early Childhood Educators", Angela Notari-Syverson and Angela Losardo describe issues and approaches to using assessments appropriately in early childhood settings. In one part of their article, they discuss the challenges in assessing young children....

"Early childhood programs are increasingly being asked to adopt accountability approaches that stress results, particularly child outcomes. For example, children in Head Start programs are now being tested for school readiness in early literacy, language, and math skills using the National Reporting System on Child Outcomes, a battery of standardized assessment instruments. It is important that programs carefully consider what methods and tools are most appropriate for young preschool-age children who may not have yet acquired the skills necessary for taking tests (e.g., following directions, answering questions).

"The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recommends assessment systems that include multiple assessment methods, measures, and sources of information. A single test administered at one point in time is not likely to yield accurate information about a child’s knowledge and skills. Young children can be easily distracted and may have difficulty controlling their behavior during testing situations. Standardized measures used with preschool children have poorer reliability and validity than when used with school-age children. It is important to remember that young children develop at variable rates, not in the linear incremental process assumed by norm-referenced tests."

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