Pre-K Assessments for

Readiness, Writing,
Literacy & Math:
A Systematic Approach

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Objectives

• Understand the purpose of informal assessments in addition to maintaining

student portfolios.

• Examine and learn to implement three informal assessments for readiness,

writing, literacy, and math.

• Learn observational skills needed to assess students in the classroom.

• Use the collected information to focus on instruction and effectively

communicate to the families and others involved in the child’s education.

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Readiness & Writing Assessment

1. Pictures
2. Colors
3. Color 2 Pictures
4. Crayon Grip
5. Name and Trace Shapes
6. Shapes
7. Draw a Person
8. Name 10 Letters
9. Name 10 Numbers
10. Write Name

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Readiness & Writing: Observation Checklist C

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Directions: 1

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1. Fill in child’s name. 2

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2. Fill in observation date. 3

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3. Mark child’s progress.
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1. Participates mark
Participates in songs, finger plays,
and class activities date

2. Demonstrates mark
Demonstrates self care skills and desire
for independence (washes hands) date

3. Plays mark
Plays cooperatively, using words to
resolve most conflicts (sharing) date

4. Follows mark
Follows direction for class routines
and transitions date

5. Says mark
Says the alphabet and
counts to 10+ date 5
6. Uses mark 6
Uses names for colors, shapes, letters,
and numbers in play and conversation date
7. Establishes mark
Establishes hand preference and uses
correct grip for coloring and writing date
8. Holds mark
Holds paper with helping hand when
coloring, drawing, and writing date

9. Traces mark
Traces and copies shapes, letters, and
numbers, using correct formation habits date
10. Draws mark
Draws generally recognizable pictures
using simple shapes and lines date
Progress Marks
11. Writes mark
Writes name with left-to-right — early, emerging
directionality date

12. Writes 3 growing

mark
Writes letter-like forms, letters, or scribbles
date 3+ meets expectation
to represent words and ideas

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CHECK READINESS (See Readiness & Writing Pre–K Teacher’s Guide)
1. Name 6 Pictures Ask, “What is this?” Apple_____ Carrot_____ Banana_____ Tree_____ Jeans/pants_____ Grapes_____
2. Name 6 Colors Ask, “What color is this crayon?” Red_____ Orange_____ Yellow_____ Green_____ Blue_____ Purple_____
3. Color 2 Pictures Child uses “fill in” coloring: Yes_____ Somewhat_____ Not yet_____
Attempts to stay in lines: Yes_____ Somewhat_____ Not yet_____
4. Crayon Grip Standard_____ Alternate_____ Palm_____ Hand preference L_____ R_____ ?____________ Holds paper while coloring Yes_____ Sometimes_____ No_____

5. Name and Trace Shapes Ask, “What is this?” line_____ line_____ circle_____ cross_____ square_____ triangle_____
6. Copy Shapes Tell child, “Copy this here.” line_____ line_____ circle_____ cross_____ square_____ triangle_____

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 7. Draw a Person Use a blank page. Name and date the page. Say, “Draw a picture of you or someone else. Draw the whole person.”
Head_____ Eyes_____ Nose_____ Mouth_____ Ears or hair_____ Body_____ Arms_____ Hands_____ Legs_____ Feet_____
Extras? _______________________________________

8. Name 10 Letters Ask, “What letter is this?” E_____ O_____ A_____ T_____ N_____ S_____ H_____ I_____ L_____ R_____

E O A T N S H I L R
9. Name 10 numbers Ask, “What number is this?” 3_____ 5_____ I_____ 4_____ 8_____ 2_____ 10_____ 6_____ 7_____ 9_____

3 5 1 4 8 2 10 6 7 9
10. Try to Write Name—Say, “Write your name here. Use capital letters.” Put a dot where child begins each letter.

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 Language & Literacy Assessment

1. Name Capitals
2. Name Lowercase Letters
3. Describe and Compare
4. Nursery Rhymes and Rhyming
5. Words
6. Word Parts

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Get Set for School®
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Language & Literacy: Observation Checklist
1. N
Directions: Cap

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1. Fill in child’s name. reco

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2. Fill in observation date.

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3. Mark child’s progress.

1. Listens mark
Listens and responds to directions
and questions date

2. Engages mark
Engages in conversations using

E
sentences date

3. Uses mark
Uses words to express feelings
and needs date

4. Understands mark
Understands important signs in our
environment date

5. Recognizes mark
Recognizes parts of a book
(front cover, back cover, title, pictures, words) date

6. Imitates mark
Imitates reading books
(front to back, turns pages 1 by 1) date

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7. Recognizes mark
Recognizes own name and/or names
of friends and family in print date

8. Predicts mark
Predicts what will happen next
in a story date

9. Retells mark
Retells a familiar story
(beginning, middle, end) date

10. Tells mark

Tells steps for a simple activity
(take a bath, make a sandwich) date
Progress Marks

Y
11. Chooses mark
Chooses books for areas of interest and — early, emerging
uses specific vocabulary to talk about them date

12. Uses 3 growing

mark
Uses pictures and play writing to
date 3+ meets expectation
express words and ideas

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 Get Set for School® Language & Literacy: 1:1 Assessment
1. Name CAPITALS Preparation (Print to 100% scale) Directions
Capital letters are the first letters children • Fold on the dotted lines. • Say, Tell me the names of these letters.
recognize and name. Naming these letters • Next, unfold and use paper clips on the ends (Point to E, A, etc.)
in random order demonstrates both skills. to make a triangular display. • If the child cannot name letters, look for
• This printing will be folded inside. The display will an earlier skill, letter recognition. Ask,
show just one line of letters at a time. Which one is R? Which one is A? This shows
letter recognition, but not name recall.

Fold

E A R I O T N S
Fold

L U C D M P H G K
Fold

Y F W B Q V X J Z
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Get Set for School® Language & Literacy: 1:1 Assessment
2. Name lowercase let ters Preparation (Print to 100% scale) Directions
The first lowercase letters children can • Fold on the dotted lines. • Say, Tell me the names of these letters.
name are in their names or letters that • Next, unfold and use paper clips on the ends (Point to c, w, etc.)
look like capitals. Naming lowercase letters to make a triangular display. • If the child cannot name letters, look for
in random order shows both recognition • This printing will be folded inside. The display will an earlier skill, letter recognition. Ask, Which
and letter name memory. show just one line of letters at a time. one is w? Which one is x? This shows letter
recognition, but not name recall.

Fold

c w x t o s k z
Fold

u b a y h g v j r
Fold

m d e i p n f q l
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Get Set for School® Language & Literacy: 1:1 Assessment

3. Describe
When we tell children how things look, sound, feel, taste, and smell, we’re teaching them to describe.
Describing words (big, bumpy, furry) are adjectives.

Compare
When we describe how two things are alike or different, we’re teaching children how to compare.
Comparisons require noticing the same attribute (like size) that two things share. Opposites are a
wonderful way to introduce comparing.

Look at this elephant. Look at the bird, too. Let’s compare them.
• The elephant is big. The bird is (pause).
• The elephant picks up things with its trunk. The bird picks up things with its (pause).
• The elephant’s trunk is long. The bird’s beak is (pause).
• The elephant has 4 legs. The bird has (pause).
• The elephant is heavy. The bird is (pause).
• The elephant can walk. The bird can (pause).
• The elephant makes a big trumpet sound. The bird makes a (pause).
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Get Set for School® Language & Literacy: 1:1 Assessment

Nursery rhymes are a delightful way to develop vocabulary, memory, and speech sound awareness. They endure
because of their appealing content, rhythm, and rhyme. Familiarity with nursery rhymes often indicates a language-rich
home and school environment.

4. Nursery Rhyme Repeat (no pictures)

Say what I say. One, two, tie my shoe (pause) . Three, four, shut the door, (pause).________
Jack and Jill, went up the hill, (pause).
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, (pause) Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, (pause).

Rhyming words have the same ending sound. Noticing whether words have the same or different ending sounds is part
of phonological awareness.

Rhyme Or Not (no pictures)

Pig, dig rhyme. They have the same ending sounds: ig.
Pig, hat do not rhyme. They have different ending sounds: ig, at.
• Do bear and dog rhyme? • Do chair and cat rhyme?
• Do bear and chair rhyme? • Do chair and bear rhyme?

Rhyme Find (use pictures)

What is this? (point to bear, dog, chair, cat):
• Which one rhymes with hat? cat • Which one rhymes with hair? bear and/or chair
• Which one rhymes with frog? dog • Which one rhymes with mat? cat
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• Which one rhymes with log? dog

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 • Which one rhymes with log? dog
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Get Set for School® Language & Literacy: 1:1 Assessment

5. Words
To develop language, children need to hear people talking from the time they’re babies. They need people
to talk and read to them. The more words the better as spoken words gradually take on meaning.
Words (Use pictures)
What is this? __________car _________ banana _________ backpack __________jacket
Words in a category
• Which one do people drive? (pause) car
• Which one is used for carrying things? (pause) backpack
• Which one can people eat? (pause)_banana What foods do you eat? (pause)
• Which one do people wear? (pause)_jacket What clothes do you wear? (pause)

6. Word Parts (No pictures)

Spoken words have meaning, but they also have sound parts. The ability to hear and manipulate
sounds is called phonological awareness. This assessment looks at how children blend sounds together.
I will say word parts. You put the parts together.
I have the word fish. I have the word bowl. I put them together, fishbowl.
Compound word parts
hot + dog = (pause) hotdog back + pack = (pause) backpack cup + cake = (pause) cupcake
Syllables
ap + ple = (pause) apple car + toon = (pause) cartoon jack + et = (pause) jacket
Onset- rime
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/s/+ it = (pause) sit /r/ + un = (pause) run /k/ + ar = (pause) car

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 Get Set for School® Language & Literacy: 1:1 Assessment Record

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Name _______________________________________ DOB ____________________ Date ___________________

1. Name Capitals
E A R I O T N S EA R I OT N S L UC DM P H GK YFW BQV XJZ

Notes __________________________________________________________

2. Name Lowercase Letters

c w x t o s k z c w xt os kz u b a yh g vj r mde ip n f ql

Notes __________________________________________________________

3. Describe and Compare

Elephant is big, bird _____________ uses trunk, bird ________________
trunk is long, bird’s beak __________ has 4 legs, bird _______________
is heavy, bird ____________________ can walk, bird_________________
trumpet sound, bird ______________

Notes __________________________________________________________

4. Nursery Rhymes & Rhyming

Repeat q One, two, tie my shoe q Jack and Jill q Humpty Dumpty
Rhyme or not q bear/ dog q bear/chair q chair/cat q chair/bear
Rhyme find q hat q frog q log q hair q mat

Notes __________________________________________________________

5. Words
What is this? q car q banana q backpack q jacket

Which one do people drive?

Which one is used for carrying things? ______________________________

Which one can people eat? _______________________________________

What foods do you eat? __________________________________________

Which one do people wear? ______________________________________

What clothes do you wear? _______________________________________

6. Word Parts
Compound words q hot + dog q back + pack q cup + cake
Syllables q ap + ple q car + toon q jack + et
Onset – Rime q /s/ + it q /r/ + un q /k/ + ar

Notes __________________________________________________________
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Numbers & Math Assessment

1. Name Shapes
2. Rote Counting
3. Name Numbers
4. Object Counting and Comparing
5. Positions
6. Ordinal Numbers
7. Size
8. AB Pattern
9. Measuring
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Get Set for School®
Numbers & Math: Observation Checklist

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Directions:

am
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1. Fill in child’s name.

’s
ild
2. Fill in observation date.

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3. Mark child’s progress.
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1. Builds mark
Builds with blocks
or construction toys date

2. Completes mark
Completes shape puzzles
up to ___ pieces date Fo

3. Uses mark O
Uses position words
(top, bottom, front, back, etc.) date

4. Uses mark
Uses time of day and sequence words
(morning, night, before, etc.) date

5. Sorts mark
Sorts objects by attributes
(color, size, shape, type) date

6. Shares mark
Shares using strategies
(1 for you, 1 for me, divide dough in half) date

7. Compares mark
Compares 2 objects
(length, height, width, weight, capacity) date Fo

8. Counts mark O
Counts a set of objects accurately
up to ___ date
S
9. Makes mark
Makes a set of objects to match
a number date

10. Matches mark

Matches numerals and quantities
(matches 5 with picture of 5 birds) date
Progress Marks
11. Takes away mark
Takes away____ objects from a set of — early, emerging
____ and counts how many are left date

12. Writes 3 growing

mark
Writes numbers from 1-10 that start
date 3+ meets expectation
at the top and face correctly Fo

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 Name Shapes

Name Numbers

Fold
3 2 5 9 1 4 8 10 7
Object Counting and Comparing Positions

Fold

Ordinal Numbers

Size

Fold

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Numbers & Math: 1:1 Assessment Fold and tape to make a triangular display. getsetforschool.com/assessments 15
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Get Set for School® Numbers & Math: 1:1 Assessment Material
Use for Numbers & Math 1:1 Assessment items 8. AB Pattern and 9. Measuring Preparation.
Cut out 4 gray and 4 white squares. Places pieces randomly to begin item 8.

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 Get Set for School® Numbers & Math: 1:1 Assessment Record

Name _______________________________________________________ DOB ____________________________ Date ____________________________

Adapt this for nonverbal, English language learners, or children who can’t say names of shapes and numbers. Check their receptive understanding by letting them
point to their answers. Say the names of the shapes or numbers in random order. Indicate all adaptations to the assessment.
Materials: For items 1-7: Make Student Assessment Display (fold and tape to make a triangular display); For items 8 and 9: Cut out 4 gray and 4 white squares.

1. Name Shapes What shape is this?

q circle q heart q square q star q triangle q rectangle q crescent q diamond q octagon q oval
(moon) (stop sign)
Shapes

Number naming

3 6 2 5 9 1 4 8 10 7
2. Rote Counting (no form) q Count up to 5 q Can you count to 10? q to 20?

3. Name Numbers What number is this? 3 6 2 5 9 1 4 8 10 7

4. Object Counting _____________ 5. Positions

How many ladybugs _____________ Point to the block q in the middle.
How many bees _________________ q on top.
Object counting and comparing Positions
How many bugs all together _______ q on the bottom.

Notes ________________________________________ Which animal is on top of the blocks? q ant

______________________________________________ in front of the blocks? q bird
behind the blocks? q turtle
beside the blocks? q bear

6. Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers

Size
Five animals are walking. Which animal is q first q second
And now, which is q fourth q third q fifth
7. Size
Five animals are here. Which one is the biggest? ______________ Which one is the smallest? _____________
Which animal is bigger? q elephant q bear Which animal is smaller? q turtle q cat___

8. AB Pattern
Watch me start a pattern. Can you add to my pattern? q Y q N (If N, you may do together to teach.)

9. Measuring
Now use squares to measure. How long is this paper? This paper is ______ squares long.
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