Observing and Assessing young children

Question 1

What is assessment and why is it important?

Answer 1

A series of steps done continuously to collect information about children’s development. It is used to make appropriate decisions on how to​ educate them

Question 2

Why is assessment information needed?

Answer 2

Teachers need assessment information to plan instructions for teaching and learning, and to inform parents the progress of their child. This is important as it could help parents to assist their child at home

Some programmes use assessment for the diagnosis of disabilities or developmental delays

Question 3

List the purposes of assessment for the children

Answer 3

• To identify prior knowledge and understanding
• To identify their special needs
• To determine appropriate placement or refer to appropriate services

Question 4

List the purposes of assessment for families

Answer 4

• To provide information on children’s progress
• To relate school activities to home experiences
• To enable collaboration between teachers and parents

Question 5

List the purposes of assessment for the teachers

Answer 5

• To inform lesson and activity plans and establishing goals
• To create new arrangement in classrooms
• To assist in selecting appropriate materials
• To improve the teaching and learning process

Question 6

List the purposes of assessment towards early childhood programmes

Answer 6

• To group instructions according to children’s abilities

Question 7

What are the types of assessments?

Answer 7

• Formal
• Informal
• Authentic

Question 8

List the purposes of assessment for the public

Answer 8

• To assist in establishing appropriate policies
• To assess quality of programs
• To ensure curriculum is relevant to children
• To monitor children achievements
• To provide useful statistical information
• To provide as a basis of public policies

Question 9

What types of formal tests are there?

Answer 9

• Achievement tests
• Developmental screening tests
• Intelligence tests
• Diagnostic tests

Question 10

What is formal assessment?

Answer 10

Standardised tests given according o approved time limits, instructions, grading procedures, and administration guidelines

Question 11

What is informal assessment?

Answer 11

Not standardised tests, but observations & work samples that are continually done and focused on the child’s performance, learning processes and products over a selected period of time and in various contexts. Portfolio systems are normally used

Question 12

What is authentic assessment?

Answer 12

It’s a concept that shows that students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills as they are being used in the real world outside of school

Question 13

What are authentic work samples?

Answer 13

Authentic work samples are children’s work that reflect real-life circumstances and problems which are addressed in the learning environment. It needs to rely on informal procedures

Question 14

What are some children’s work samples?

Answer 14

• Drawings
• Writing of stories
• Regular recorded observations of children’s interactions and comments

Question 15

What are the characteristics of authentic assessment? (8 are written)

Answer 15

• Ongoing throughout the whole school year
• All areas of development are assessed
• Uses multiple ways to assess children’s achievement
• It’s part of everyday learning activities that occur in the classroom
• It’s curriculum embedded where children are assessed only on what they are actually learning and doing
• It takes into account every child’s development, social, cultural and language status and other needs as children mature at different rates
• It’s a cooperative process that involves children, teachers, parents and other professionals

Question 16

What is another way to refer to authentic assessment?

Answer 16

Assessment based on performance

Question 17

How is authentic assessment useful?

Answer 17

It’s useful when teaching children who are from different backgrounds as well as for children with disabilities

Question 18

What are the methods of authentic assessment?

Answer 18

• Observation
• Anecdotal
• Running record
• Event sampling
• Time sampling
• Rating scale
• Checklist
• Work sample
• Portfolio
• Interview

Question 19

What is anecdotal?

Answer 19

Written records of a teacher’s observations

Question 20

What are guidelines for authentic assessment?

Answer 20

• Assess children based on their work
• Assess children based on what they are actually doing and through the curriculum
• Assess what each individual child can do or already learned, rather than comparing one child with another
• Make assessment part of the learning process. Encourage children to show what they know through presentations and participations
• Learn about the child as a whole
• Involve children and parents in a cooperative assessment process. Authentic assessment is child centred
• Provide ongoing assessment over the entire school year
• Use developmentally appropriate assessments and techniques

Question 21

What is the importance of observation?

Answer 21

It’s a vital tool useful in investigating children children as individuals. It is the basis of reflection

Question 22

How do you conduct an observation?

Answer 22

Give the child a task to do and see how they perform

Question 23

What are the objectives in assessment?

Answer 23

• To determine progress on significant developmental achievements
• To decide placement or promotion decisions in schools
• To understand and determine learning and teaching problems
• To help in instruction and curriculum decisions
• To serve as a basis for reporting to parents
• To assist a child for assessing their own progress

Question 24

What are the advantages of an intentionally, systematic observation?

Answer 24

• Opportunities for teachers to look for information from other sources
• More appropriate as children learn naturally through play
• Reveals children’s prosocial development and peer interaction
• Useful when children refuse to respond
• Provides a good mode of assessment of what children are developmentally able to do
• Useful to assess children’s performance over time
• Provides concrete information that could be used as evidence during conferencing with parents

Question 25

What to do when a child doesn’t respond to an activity?

Answer 25

Analyse on why they don’t respond and how to make it better to make them respond

Question 26

What are the steps to conducting an observation?

Answer 26

• Plan for observation
• Conduct the observation
• Interpret the data
• Implement a plan

Question 27

How do you plan for observation?

Answer 27

• Who, what, where and how will you observe
• Set a goal for the observation

Question 28

What are possible objectives to observation?

Answer 28

• The physical classroom environment or effectiveness
• Social interactions
• Improvement to children’s learning activities

Question 29

How do you conduct the observation?

Answer 29

Through note-taking, a checklist, a sketch of an indoor and outdoor environment, videotaping or tape recording

Question 30

What is meant by interpreting data?

Answer 30

Drawing conclusions about what has been observed and making recommendations for the actions that you will take

Question 31

What is an example of interpreting data?

Answer 31

Eg: Mark is able to identify colours but not shapes. He is able to obtain the knowledge but is unsure of how to utilise it

Question 32

What are the functions of interpreting data?

Answer 32

• Helps to apply professional knowledge to understand what’s been seen
• Helps to anticipate behaviours which are associated with normal growth and development, as well as what isn’t
• Provides direction for the implementation of programmes and curriculum

Question 33

How do you​ meet the responsibility of reporting assessment information to​ parents?​

Answer 33

• Be honest and realistic with parents
• Communicating and explaining results to parents so that they can understand
• Share student’s work samples and portfolios with parents
• Provide parents with ideas and information that will help them help their children learn

Question 34

What is a portfolio?

Answer 34

A compilation of academic & professional materials that are an example of your beliefs, skills, qualifications, education, training, and experiences

Question 35

How does assessment help in identifying children with disabilities?

Answer 35

Assessment also helps determine delay or learning problems in children. They can help identify disabilities and have the child have the necessary arrangement for their learning experience

Question 36

How does assessment support children with disabilities?

Answer 36

• To provide information for appropriate decisions to be made about the child’s educational placement
• To develop and plan instruction appropriate to the child’s special needs
• Evaluating learners’ progress