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In this paper, I will discuss the portfolio assessment system used in many daycares and preschools to track growth in the children in their care. I spoke at length with a teacher from Kids R Great in Smallville and used questions from the practicum assignment to understand the use and meaning of this type of assessment. I first asked the teacher what she feels is the purpose of the portfolio assessment. The teacher agrees with the basic premise of our text, that developmental portfolios are used to collect information pertaining to a certain child to reflect progress and growth from the beginning to end of the school year. It is her opinion that a portfolio is an excellent way to show growth in varied areas of development: cognitive, language, …show more content…
She says that while the portfolio is a major part of the child’s development, is not the only factor. She also considers how the child is developing with self help skills and independence, getting along with others, taking care of toys and materials, listening and following oral directions, developing critical thinking skills, etc. In other words, this teacher observes all factors and areas of development in order to properly assess the progress of the children in her …show more content…
She notes that children have varied interests, and she has taught preschool boys who prefer to build in the block center the entire year, and girls who are only interested in dramatic play. She has taught children with varied interests, and therefore, each portfolio varies as to the contents. Some children have in-depth conversations and imaginary play; others may keep to themselves and not be as verbal and outgoing. She frequently uses the portfolio as a tool to see in which areas a child needs more support, in an effort to all children’s interests in language and conversation skills, as she fully recognizes the importance of these skills as a child leaves her More at Four Program for
Childcare organisations adopted the Balanced Scorecard as a tool to improve childcare quality. The Balanced Scorecard ensures the non-profit organizations to decrease gap between vague mission and strategy statements during daily operational activities.
Klara is an active and wondrous individual. Her attentiveness toward activities, peers, and teachers convey her progression and growth towards the appropriate measures for her age. By completing this case study, the importance of biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial measures is articulated for the apt development of the child and the overall advancement of the early childhood center.
The value of preschool is often overlooked as parents consider it for its utilitarian purposes. Although most preschools do function as a daycare, the merits gained from an early education follow children throughout their entire lives. Children at this ripe age are eager to learn, excited about the buzzing world aroun...
In this reflective analysis of NAEYC Standard three, Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families, I will first reflect on my growth, as an early childhood professional, during my course of study. Secondly, I will address my strengths related to the standard and discuss areas in need of further professional development. Finally, I will outline my goals for future growth and development. Early childhood educators demonstrate professional competence by understanding the role of assessment and the various methods of assessing student learning, including observation, documentation and standardized testing. These assessment strategies, along with partnerships with parents, can support students in their development and growth, by informing instruction and evaluating instructional practices.
Retrieved April 20, 2003, from http://www.steoltingco.com/tests/catolog/TKFGRS.htm. Anderson, Jeanne. (2002). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the ' Selecting a Child Care Program. The electronic version of the.
The results of quality preschool programs can be seen early after they begin. Children learn many important life le...
The Pacer Center has also identified in their article the importance of evaluation and assessment methods (2007). The first type of assessment is and ought to be used is performance based; for instance, individual portfolios that can illustrate a student’s strengths and weaknesses throughout a course. Teachers must be cognitive of the fact that portfolios need to demonstrate a student’s best work in properly assessing their academic improvement. In other words it is not an assessment tool to evaluate every assignment completed by the student. Even though portfolios are used by teachers in a variety of manners the most effective use is to display a student’s preeminent ...
Introduction I have chosen to do my case-study at a childcare center in Framingham. This center is owned by Staples Headquarters and run by childcare company Bright Horizons. They currently have 196 children enrolled which includes the following programs of Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten.
Snow, C. E. (2008). Early childhood assessment why, what, and how. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Assessments are according to Edglossary.org (2014), “the wide variety of methods that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning process, and skill acquisition of students”. Assessments can be used to identify several important aspects of learning and development. First, they can be used to distinguish a child’s strengths and weaknesses as well as measure specific knowledge and skills. Assessments can also be used to demonstrate what a child has learned and what they understand (“Assessment,” 2014). My opinion of assessment has not changed; however, now I understand how to use assessments that will help ensure that I am providing the most benefits for my students.
It is important that teachers give children a fair chance to show their knowledge when assessing. “The purpose of assessment is to provide feedback that can be used to improve student performance” (Orange 2000). Teachers assess children to ensure that they are understanding the material, and to make sure they are learning. For young children, tests should never be the only criteria for assessment. Instructors should always make sure that their assessment is fair.
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a
As teachers, we have to monitor the progress our students make each day, week, quarter and year. Classroom assessments are one of the most crucial educational tools for teachers. When assessments are properly developed and interpreted, they can help teachers better understand their students learning progress and needs, by providing the resources to collect evidence that indicates what information their students know and what skills they can perform. Assessments help teachers to not only identify and monitor learners’ strengths, weaknesses, learning and progress but also help them to better plan and conduct instruction. For these reasons, ongoing classroom assessment is the glue that binds teaching and learning together and allows educators to monitor their efficacy and student learning.
The teacher will also make norm-referenced and criterion referenced interpretations of assessment through this website. They have graph and color-coded bands that show widely held expectations for children’s development and learning. The teacher will use this website and graph to communicate twice a year with the parents about the child’s strength, weakness or any area of
Children’s artistic development can be fostered by making environments effective. Teachers are designers in this situation as they need to make practical and supportive environments for the children to engage in visual arts activities. The arrangement of the classroom furniture and use of materials should be adaptable to accommodate the needs of different activities (Wright, 2003). Teachers are provisioners as they provide a variety of resources for children to use which includes papers of different