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Early Childhood Assessment

Early childhood assessment is a tool used to gather and provide educators,
parents, and families with critical information about a child’s development and
growth. In Massachusetts, licensed early childhood programs are now required to
include a child assessment component in their programs. Here we have included
information and resources to inform educators on early childhood assessment
programs.

What is childhood assessment?

Childhood assessment is a process of gathering information about a child,

reviewing the information, and then using the information to plan educational
activities that are at a level the child can understand and is able to learn from.

Assessment is a critical part of a high-quality, early childhood program. When

educators do an assessment, they observe a child to get information about what
he knows and what he can do.

Observing and documenting a child’s work and performance over the course of a
year allows an educator to accumulate a record of the child’s growth and
development. With this information, educators can begin to plan appropriate
curriculum and effective individualized instruction for each child.

This assessment record is also a great tool to share with parents so they can
follow their child’s progress at school, understand their child’s strengths and
challenges, and plan how they can help extend the learning into their homes.

Why is assessment important?

Assessment provides educators, parents, and families with critical information

about a child’s development and growth. Assessment can:

 Provide a record of growth in all developmental areas: cognitive,

physical/motor, language, social-emotional, and approaches to learning.
 Identify children who may need additional support and determine if there is a
need for intervention or support services.
 Help educators plan individualized instruction for a child or for a group of
children that are at the same stage of development.
 Identify the strengths and weaknesses within a program and information on
how well the program meets the goals and needs of the children.
 Provide a common ground between educators and parents or families to use
in collaborating on a strategy to support their child.

What are different child assessment methods?

Methods of child assessment can be informal (conducting natural observations,

collecting data and children’s work for portfolios, using educator and teacher
ratings) and formal (using assessment tools such as questionnaires and
standardized testing). Both methods are effective and can help inform educators
and parents about a child’s progress.

 Observations can be made with minimal or no intrusion into children’s

activities. Educators can observe all facets of development, including
intellectual, linguistic, social-emotional, and physical development, on a
regular basis.
 Portfolios are a record of data that is collected through the work children have
produced over a period of time. The collection clearly shows the progress of a
child’s development. Portfolios can be an important tool in helping facilitate a
partnership between teachers and parents.
 Educator Ratings are useful in assessing children’s cognitive and language
abilities as well as their social-emotional development. These ratings can be
linked to other methods of assessment, such as standardized testing or other
assessment tools. (See the next question below.)
 Parent Ratings integrate parents into the assessment process. Parents who
are encouraged to observe and listen to their child can help detect and target
important milestones and behaviors in their child’s development.
 Standardized Tests are tests created to fit a set of testing standards. These
tests are administered and scored in a standard manner and are often used to
assess the performance of children in a program.

What are different types of child assessment systems?

There are two different types of assessment systems. Both are used to guide
decisions about a child’s development and program resources.

1. Program-developed child assessment tools are developed to align with a

specific program’s philosophy and curriculum.
2. Published child assessment tools have been researched and tested and are
accepted as a credible source in assessing children’s development.

The following assessment systems, used by early education and care programs
across the state, are recommended by and available through the Massachusetts
Department of Early Education and Care:

 HighScope COR (Child Observation Record)

Educators follow COR’s three step process: 1) observe and record, 2) score,
using the OnlineCOR, and 3) report findings to share.
http://www.onlinecor.net
 Teaching Strategies GOLD
This strategy bases its assessment around 38 objectives that are important to
early childhood education.
http://www.teachingstrategies.com

 The Work Sampling System

The system is structured so that the combination of student portfolios and
guidelines and checklists create the assessment for the educator.
https://www.worksamplingonline.com

How do you implement assessment into your program?

The process of choosing the right assessment tools varies for each early
childhood program. Below are some general guidelines for implementing
assessment into your program.

 Assessment aligns with instructional goals and approaches. Different

types of assessments have different purposes. It is important to first determine
what should be measured; then find the assessment program that best
assesses those goals.
 Assessor knows the child. The adult conducting the assessment should
have a pre-existing relationship with the child. Ideally the assessor is the
educator.
 Assessment is “authentic.” Assessment should take place in a child’s
normal setting. The assessment should reflect everyday relationships and
experiences. It should be conducted in familiar contexts and settings (such as
the classroom).
 Observations are ongoing and diverse. For a comprehensive assessment,
observations should be made at a variety of children’s activities and be
ongoing in order to fully see the progress of a child.
 Assessment is a cycle. Although specific methods for assessment tools vary,
the process is cyclical. The cycle allows educators to make changes to their
curriculum to better serve children in their program. The cycle is as follows:
o Instruct.
o Observe. Observe children in various situations.
o Document, Reflect. Record while observing or as soon as possible.
o Analyze, Evaluate. Study the data with assessment tools. The
assessment comes from the combination of documentation and
evaluation.
o Summarize, Plan, and Communicate. This informs a child’s specific
needs and future curriculum.
o Instruct. (The cycle repeats.)

The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) support the use of child
assessment systems in preschool settings to help educators individualize
instruction and improve programs. To find more information on early childhood
assessment, visit the EEC website
(http://www.mass.gov/edu/government/departments-and-boards/department-of-
early-education-and-care) and click on “Birth–Grade 12” at the top of the page.

Additional Assessment Resources

Organizations and Websites

 Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

(EEC) http://www.mass.gov/edu/government/departments-and-boards/depart
ment-of-early-education-and-care/
o EEC Professional Development search form:
www.eec.state.ma.us/ProfessionalDevelopment/WebFindTraining.aspx
o Early childhood assessment presentations:
http://www.mass.gov/edu/birth-grade-12/early-education-and-care/curric
ulum-and-learning/early-childhood-assessment-presentations.html
 Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MassAEYC)
www.massaeyc.com
 Early Childhood News
www.earlychildhoodnews.com
 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
www.naeyc.org
 National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)
www.nieer.org

Books

 Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How by the National Research
Council. Catherine E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, eds. The National
Academies Press, 2008.
 The Power of Observation: Birth through Eight (2nd edition) by Judy R. Jablon,
Amy Laura Dombro & Margo L. Dichtelmiller. Teaching Strategies Inc., 2007.
 Ready or Not: Leadership Choices in Early Care and Education (Early
Childhood Education Series) by Stacie G. Goffin and Valora Washington.
Teachers College Press, 2007.
 Spotlight on Young Children and Assessment. Derry Koralek, ed. NAEYC,
2004.