chapter 2 observation and assessment ©2015 cengage learning. all rights reserved

Chapter 2Observation and

Assessment

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Assessment Definitions Assessment

Refers to the collection of information for the purpose of making educational decisions about children or a program

Methods should be developmentally appropriate

Should be aligned with desired outcomes or goals for children

State standards are often guiding assessment


Assessment Definitions Child Outcomes

What happens as a result of services provided to children

Measured by the attainment of different child development milestones or skills


Purposes of Assessment Provides information to stakeholders

about expectations Helps teachers in planning instruction Helps administrators in improving

programs Identifies children who may require

special interventions Provides information for program

accountability


Reasons for Observing Children To gain knowledge of age-appropriate

behaviors To gain knowledge of individual

differences To become aware of the total

environment and influences on children To identify specific strengths and

difficult areas for individual children To gather data to plan for individual

children


Reasons for Observing Children (continued)

To gain understanding of children’s stages of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and language development

To gain an appreciation of children’s abilities, interests, perceptions, and personalities

To gain knowledge of how children learn To identify how individual children

react/relate to a group situation To become aware of positive (pro-social) and

negative (anti-social) behaviors of children


Authentic Assessment Ongoing process to determine a child’s

strengths and needs, which supports teacher planning by using the information and insights gained to evaluate teaching techniques and curriculum

Assessment data is gathered through observations, interviews, collections of children’s work and anecdotal records as children are actively involved in hands-on problem solving and investigation


Authentic Assessment Careful assessment is especially

important when planning for ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse young children and for children with special needs or disabilities


Reflect on This

Which is the best way to get valid information on children and their learning? Standardized tests Authentic assessment


Guidelines for Recording the Behavior of Young Children All information is confidential Observe quietly with little or no interaction Record objective observations in a clear,

precise, and useful manner Think of the child and respect her as she

is, not as you think she should be Be as familiar as possible with the age

group before beginning to observe Use the speaker’s exact words when

recording conversation


Meaningful Assessment Strategies:

Collecting data by observing children in a natural setting

Using criteria that can assess children from birth to age eight all ability levels

Categorizing observation results by curriculum content areas and developmental domains


Meaningful Assessment Measures:

Observational data on children’s work in the areas of language and literacy, early math, social development, self-help, nature, science, and so on

Data is collected at the beginning of the year to document skills the children have at entry

Teachers update the information as the year progresses and then enter data at the end of the year


Guidelines for Interpreting Behavior of a Young Child Identify consistent patterns of

behavior for a particular child over a specific period of time

Document patterns of behavior with specific examples of such behavior

Identify areas of difficulty and developmental delays as well as age-appropriate and accelerated development


Guidelines for Interpreting Behavior of a Young Child Remember not to make assumptions

about the child’s family life as the cause of her behavior at school/center

Remember not to make assumptions about the child’s behavior away from the school/center


Data Collection Tools

Anecdotal record Checklist Reflective log or

diary Case study Portfolio

assessment


Anecdotal Record Brief, informal narrative account

describing an incident of a child’s behavior that is important to the observer May apply to a specific child or to a group

of children

One of the developmentally appropriate ways teachers can evaluate a child’s learning


Anecdotal Record Anecdotes describe the beginning and

ending times of the observation, an objective, and a factual account of what occurred (telling how it happened, when and where it happened, and what was said and done)

Anecdotal records come only from direct observation and are written down promptly and accurately


Checklist A record of direct observation that

involves selecting from a previously prepared list the statement that best describes the behavior observed, the conditions present, growth and development, or the equipment, supplies, and materials available


Checklist Checklists can be used to reflect

common activities and expectations in classrooms structured around developmentally appropriate activities and based on national, state, and local standards

Easy to use and helpful in planning for individual or group needs

Eliminate the need to record all details of behavior


Reflective Log or Diary A teacher or administrator’s record of the

most significant happenings, usually made at the end of the day or during an uninterrupted block of time

Includes what stood out as important facts to remember for the day, written in as much detail as possible, and extends over a long period of time

The diary description is an informal method of observation and is considered the oldest method in child development


Case Study A way of collecting and organizing all of the

information gathered from various sources, including observations of and interviews with the child, to provide insights into the behavior of the individual child studied Interpretations and recommendations are

included

Main purposes are to discover causes and effects of behavior, child development research, and to plan for the individual child


Portfolio Assessment A systematic collection of information about

a child’s ongoing development and the child’s work gathered by both the child and teacher over time from all available sources

Portfolios come in many shapes and sizes, such as expanding, accordion-type files, file folders, cardboard boxes, scrapbooks, three-ring binders, or unused pizza boxes

Teacher’s comments on each portfolio sample help document what the child knows, can do, and how she does it


Portfolio is a Collection of Child-Produced Material Creative drawings and paintings Dictated stories Lists of books and stories read Product samples showing strengths and skills Samples of a child’s self-initiated “work” Photographs, audio and video tapes Teacher objectives for the child Anecdotal records, developmental checklists Family interviews and comments


Keeping Up with Assessment Collecting data

Spend at least 10 minutes three times a week collecting different kinds of data that capture children’s level of engagement and understandings, including casual conversations, written observations, photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, and samples of their other work


Keeping Up with Assessment Analyzing data regularly

Time spent reflecting on your collection of documents will help you understand the growing skills and understandings of each child in your class

The more kinds of documents you have, the fuller the picture you will have of each individual


chapter 2 observation and assessment ©2015 cengage learning. all rights reserved

Documents

skills2015 cengage learning

children learnto

programsidentifies children

diverse young children

individual childrento

valid information

collection of information

personalitiesto gain