Child Assessment Basics

In the field of early childhood education, teachers of young children must find ways to show that children are growing, developing, and learning.  Parents, as well as teachers, want to see proof of growth and development.  Appropriate assessment methods can provide that proof.  Assessment is defined as "taking stock of a situation".  It is important that teachers of young children understand the need for assessment in the classroom setting, evaluate children and take stock of their growth and development.

Authentic Assessment is defined as the process of documenting and evaluating growth and development in real-life situations over time.  It shows what children can do, what they know, and what they understand.  Rather than attempting to explain a child's performance based on one test, this type of assessment focuses on the progress and growth of a child over time.  Authentic assessment helps to paint a more accurate picture of who the child is and how the child is growing and learning.

The term assessment, when used in the context of early childhood education, is sometimes interchanged with the term observation.

Observation is one method of assessing student growth and development and is probably the best-known, most widely used way that teachers evaluate the progress of the young children they teach.

Teachers may wonder what to assess when working with young children.  Using multiple forms of assessment allows a teacher to reveal an accurate picture of the child.  Early childhood includes children from birth to age eight and is a very difficult period to assess because the rate of growth is so rapid.  Also, growth is highly influenced by nurturing parents, quality of care, and the learning environment.

Parents want to be assured that their child is ready for school.  In addition, teachers and administrators want to know if they are offering effective programs.  Therefore, assessment information is critical to the child, the parent, and the success of the program.

Assessment is a hot topic in the field of early childhood education as accountability becomes more important for teachers and schools.  As educators, we must find ways to show we are teaching and that children are learning.  It is imperative to find methods that illustrate growth and development over time, allowing children to be evaluated in real-life, everyday settings.  It is the teacher's responsibility to find methods of documentation that report success of children.

By understanding the basic developmental areas of the children you teach, assessment can be made simple.  Easy-to-learn methods of assessment will help you document the developmental growth of young children over time.

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