“Teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests” – President Barack Obama

Assessments are an important tool that can help teachers see their students growth, understand their needs, and plan proper activities to take their development further. It’s important for teachers to give their students proper assessments so they can identify ways to support their learning and development throughout the school year. By giving proper assessments teachers can give feedback to students and their families. Some principles of assessments in ECE are to empower the student, take into account the holistic way in which each student learns (recognize strengths/weaknesses – work on areas that need improvement or extra support), include student’s families, and take into consideration all of the environmental factors of the students life. In ECE, a credit-based approach to assessment is recommended because attention is paid to a students strengths, interests and dispositions. The goal is to use assessments to recognize and build on existing behaviors in a broader and deeper range of contexts which means focusing on students developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions. It would be beneficial for teachers to make a portfolio for each student because this can be used as an assessment tool. Implementing assessments in ECE can assist with identifying the needs of students and prevent future learning difficulties. It’s important for school districts and teachers to know that standardized tests can not justify the full development or knowledge of a child (or anyone in general) but alternative assessment methods can effectively be used to see the progress a person is making and the skills needed that can be applied in the real world.

Reference:

Assessment in ECE. THE EDUCATION HUB. (2020, June 4). Retrieved November 23, 2021, from https://theeducationhub.org.nz/category/ece-resources/assessment-in-ece/.

Hyperlink: https://theeducationhub.org.nz/category/ece-resources/assessment-in-ece/