formative assessment cycle early childhood education

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Chapter 6: Observation and Assessment

As an early childhood educator, you are crucial in providing young children with a safe, nurturing, culturally responsive learning environment that supports individual learning needs. Your understanding and skills in conducting observations, documenting them, and using assessments in everyday teaching practices are vital to creating and maintaining this learning environment. By mastering these skills, you become not just an educator but a powerful influencer capable of tailoring your teaching methods to the unique needs of each child. Chapter 6 will delve into the importance and skills necessary for observation, documentation, and assessment as you plan individualized and group curricula.

• Describe how the approach to child assessment has changed over time.
• Define assessment and observation.
• Explain the differences, similarities, and relationships between observation and assessment.
• Discriminate between the different types of assessment.
• Describe the cycle of observation, including the iterative nature of this process.
• Describe how the educator becomes a critical component of observation.
• Describe various methods of recording observation.
• Explain how the data collected during observation and documentation is used in planning curriculum and responding to children in the classroom.
• Anecdotal record
• Authentic assessment
• Documentation
• Formal assessment
• Formative assessment
• Informal assessment
• Naturalistic observation
• Norm-referenced
• Observation
• Rating scale
• Running record
• Standardized
• Work sample

6.1 A Brief History of Observation and Assessment in ECE

Observing children’s development and learning has a long history in the work of early childhood educators (Wortham & Hardin, 2020). Understanding developmental milestones and observing to assess a child’s progress toward milestones has been at the core of early childhood education since its beginning. Eighteenth and early nineteenth-century educational philosophers such as Pestalozzi, Rousseau, and Froebel believed the unique nature of childhood required observing the child to understand their needs and abilities. Later, in the early 1900s, the child study movement initiated by G. Stanley Hall and Lawrence Frank and continued by Hall’s students Gesell, Lewis, and Terman helped solidify the scientific study of children and their ages and stages of development. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) embraced systematic child development observation in their original Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) statement in 1986. Even in the most recent version of the DAP position statement , which recognizes that developmental milestones may not be as universal as once thought, there remains a strong emphasis on the importance of observation in naturalistic settings to ensure an authentic assessment of the child’s development (NAEYC, 2020). Observation and documentation of children’s development are critical tools for educators of young children and are of central focus in this chapter.

While the importance of observation has remained central in the work of early childhood education, educational reform in the 1980s brought increasing pressure for accountability and standards in education, including early childhood education (Shepard et al., 1998). This pressure led to increasingly common testing of children to “prove” the results of pedagogy. The No Child Left Behind Act (2002) increased the focus on early childhood assessment , starting with Head Start (Nerren, 2020; Wortham & Hardin, 2020). In response to this trickle-down of pressure for accountability and testing, there was an increased effort to point out the unique characteristics of early childhood, which made using testing protocols designed for elementary-aged children inappropriate, resulting in invalid and unreliable results (Shepard et al., 1998). At the same time, these efforts argued that naturalistic observation of young children is the most appropriate method for planning, implementing, and evaluating curriculum.

National educational goals set forth by President Bush in his State of the Union address in 1990 aspired to ensure all children would, by the year 2000, “start school ready to learn” (para. 24). A panel of experts took on the task of determining how being “ready to learn” could be assessed. The result was “Principles and Recommendations for Early Childhood Assessment,” a report that indicates how traditional testing is inappropriate for young children but also how assessment can be a helpful tool when implemented with the developmental characteristics of young children and the purposes of assessment in mind (Shepard et al., 1998). While over 25 years old, this document is still helpful in understanding how our views of assessment in early childhood education have evolved and, perhaps more importantly, what safeguards must be in place to avoid inappropriate use of assessment procedures. These authors argue that the first and most important purpose for assessing young children is to support their development and learning. Moreover, one of the best ways to meet this purpose is through naturalistically observing the child.

In summary, throughout the history of early childhood education, there has been an emphasis on the importance of observation conducted naturalistically and authentically. This focus remains central to the work of early childhood educators today. As educational reform has led to increased emphasis on standards and traditional methods of assessment such as testing, early childhood educators have recognized the importance of safeguarding young children from this inappropriate method of assessment while also accepting that the systematic observation of children’s growth and development provides essential information for supporting this growth and development.

Think about your experience with observation/GL] , testing, and assessment during your school years. Did you experience formal, standardized tests or more informal assessment methods? What do you remember about your experience? Was it positive or negative?

If you have experience as an educator, what is your experience with observation and assessment? Have you seen it change over time? In what ways?

6.2 Assessment

Before we discuss the definition and implementation of observation , the critical tool in the early childhood educator’s tool kit, it is essential to know what we mean by the term assessment and how it relates to observation. Assessment in educational settings is “the systematic collection, synthesis, and use of data to make educational decisions about a child or a group of children” (Stone-MacDonald et al., 2018, p. 2). This definition implies a process that includes collecting and interpreting information to plan and guide educational experiences for children. This definition is helpful because it identifies a few characteristics of assessment that are especially important in early childhood. Below is a list of these characteristics.

Assessment is ongoing. Assessment is not a test, which happens at a single point in time, providing one snapshot of a child’s development. Thus, test and assessment are not synonymous terms. A test can be a part of an assessment, but a single test differs from an assessment that is broader and lengthier than a single test.

Assessment requires revisiting the collected information. Thus, the educator does not just collect numerous observations , never to return to them. Instead, the educator reviews the information gained through observation and other methods to create a summary or to synthesize an understanding of the child. The process of collecting information, reviewing it, and then utilizing that synthesized result will be discussed further later in the chapter.

Assessment has a purpose. An educator uses the synthesized information to make decisions (i.e., how to guide behavior, what curriculum to plan next, how to facilitate a child’s learning). Sometimes, those decisions are made long after the child has been observed, as in the case of planning future curricula. In other cases, the assessment may happen at the moment, as when the educator, while observing a child, chooses to insert themselves or some material or equipment into the child’s play for learning or development purposes. Nevertheless, whether one makes the decision immediately or in the future, assessment should always serve a particular purpose.

Gathering assessment information or data can happen in a few ways. In early childhood education, observation will be the primary method. However, the assessment may also include administering a standardized test (valid, reliable, and age-appropriate), interviewing an essential adult in a child’s life about their development or behavior, and collecting work samples of children’s writing, drawing, building, or language.

6.2.1 Types of Assessment

While observation is an essential tool for assessing young children, there are other ways of classifying or organizing types of assessment . Being familiar with these types of assessments helps understand the assessment process. One way to classify assessment is to label it as formative or summative . Formative assessment is carried out daily during the learning process and measures the child’s understanding as they engage in activities. Formative assessment helps the educator see how the child responds to the curriculum provided. Is the child grasping the experience, or must it be presented differently? Formative assessments can be informal or formal, but naturalistic observations carried out while teaching are the norm in early childhood education. These informal formative assessments are often called authentic assessments .

Formal assessment utilizes standardized tools designed to assess a specific skill or ability, often with a narrow focus. Because high-stakes decisions about education for individual children often come from results of formal, standardized tests, these tests must show evidence of high validity and reliability. For high validity and reliability, formal assessment tools must be specific and narrow regarding what is being assessed and consistent in their delivery and scoring. Formal assessment tools that measure child development are often norm-referenced , which means an individual child’s performance is compared to a large group of children at the same chronological age (Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2008) . Formal assessment tools are often standardized. They are presented in a standard or consistent manner with the same tasks or expectations used for every child.

In contrast, informal assessment can be less standard. The educator can develop the assessment to address the children’s individual needs and the learning environment—a standard format or focus is not required. Because informal assessment tools can be more flexible and individualized, they are often called authentic assessments . Authentic assessment tools are used in early childhood classrooms as part of the child’s everyday experience. As might be expected, observation naturally allows for authentic assessment as the child is unaware of being assessed, and the performance assessed occurs naturally. Thus, authentic assessment practices capture what the child does as a regular part of their classroom experience, not what a child does (or does not do) when requested for a more standardized assessment tool.

Summative assessment happens at the end of a learning period and evaluates the cumulative learning during that period. Summative assessment allows the educator to determine the child’s understanding after exposure to an idea or experience. Summative assessments may use a standard or benchmark for comparison.

In following unbiased and ethically sound observation and documentation practices, the assessment will reflect a central focus on child development. In assessing a child’s growth and development, use various assessment tools to support developmentally appropriate, culturally, and linguistically responsive practices. Documenting what one observes in children’s daily activities provides an authentic assessment of the child. This kind of observation leads to assessment and should happen without unnecessarily disrupting the child’s natural learning environment.

In summary, assessment is gathering information to make educational decisions about children and their instruction. Observation is one assessment component—these terms are not interchangeable.

6.3 Observation

What does it mean to observe? As an educator, observation means watching and listening to children to learn about them (Stetson et al., 2007). While this definition may sound simple, observing children for educational purposes is intentional and is a skill that develops over time and with practice. It is a critical skill for responsive teaching. Observing a child increases understanding of the child’s current developmental level, what the child needs to support the next steps in development, and generally who they are as an individual.

Educators’ methods for the observation process can be particular and unique to their circumstances. However, a general method underlying most observational processes is apparent in all observations. This portion of the chapter introduces this general method or process underlying all observations in early childhood education.

6.3.1 The Educator is a Critical Component of Observation

Before discussing the process educators use, it is crucial to understand that educators are critical in the observation process. Successful observation requires the educator to be present, intentional, and active. Being fully present in the moment of observation allows the educator to see each child’s uniqueness and development. Being present as an active observer means having the ability to block out any distractions that may be present. Educators should be authentically curious during observations and become learning and growth detectives: “the documenter is a researcher first, collecting as much information as possible to paint a picture of progress and outcomes” (Seitz, 2008, p. 90). To do this, an educator may have to initiate the help of other educators to ensure proper supervision in the classroom. They should try to clear their mind of any other invasive thinking to properly focus on what they are experiencing with the children.

In addition, observers need to be knowledgeable about early childhood development. This knowledge will help the observer know what to look for and to set measurable, attainable, relevant, and culturally responsive goals for the child. By understanding child development, educators can look for evidence of an expected developmental sequence in their observations and assessments .

Another, and perhaps most important, way in which the educator is a critical component in the observation process is their ability to manage subjectivity and bias in their observation (Jablon et al., 2007). First, it is necessary to recognize that all humans have a subjective perspective on the world, including how they think about children. Subjective means that personal feelings, tastes, and opinions influence one’s perspective. We all come to the field of ECE with assumptions about how children “are”—how they should behave, their roles in the classroom, and their relationships with adults, for example. These assumptions often contain inherent bias and, as such, should be recognized as an imperfect and unhelpful way to view, observe, and document the development of children. Thus, educators must reflect upon their personal beliefs and opinions and be aware of when they are influencing the focus or expectations of an observation and how this is recorded and interpreted. This subjectivity may reflect a very profoundly held notion about child development.

For example, an educator may value independence in children and view this as an essential developmental milestone—when a four-year-old appropriately stands up for what they want or desire. This view of expected development is culturally specific. In some cultures, instead of independence, interdependence, or an emphasis on the good of the community rather than the individual’s independence, is valued and expected at this age. An educator who values independence and sees it as the expected developmental milestone may view a child who has grown up in a culture that values interdependence as exhibiting delayed development, which is a biased perspective.

Cultural bias is not the only way our subjective beliefs or tastes can influence our observations . Jablon and others (2007) point out that our individuality may influence how we view or respond to children. Educators with a quiet or introverted temperament may not gravitate toward loud and outgoing children. They may avoid them or tend to view these children’s behavior through a negative lens. These individual teacher characteristics can also create a biased view of particular children or groups.

So, what is the solution to this problem of subjectivity? Rather than attempting to shed one’s point of view, which is impossible, the goal becomes “striving for objectivity” (Jablon et al., 2007, p. 42). Many resources exist to help educators increase their objectivity in observation and documentation (i.e., Head Start ECLKC, 2023; Jablon et al., 2007; Peterson & Elam, 2020). Some suggested behaviors that increase objectivity include:

• Spend time reflecting on beliefs about children. Doing so can help identify unhelpful bias in observation . A conversation with colleagues about bias may be more fruitful in identifying beliefs, but doing so requires the willingness to be vulnerable. Identifying bias requires a certain level of vulnerability. Remember, having a perspective is human. Growth as an educator requires self-reflection.
• Reflect on the cultural and familial expectations of the children in the classroom. Do they differ from the educators’?
• In recording observations , write down only what one sees without interpretation.
• Do not infer what a child thinks or feels; describe what the child does or says.
• ·Avoid terms that make a judgment about a behavior (i.e., mad, hyper, pretty, spoiled).
• Be specific rather than overgeneralizing. For example, rather than saying, “Joe never shares with other children,” describe what Joe did today while being observed.

The key to reducing bias in observation and documentation is to make every effort to be as objective as possible, avoiding subjectivity in focus and documentation.

A final consideration that educators must consider is their ethical responsibility related to observation and assessment of young children. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct outlines the ethical responsibilities that educators must uphold, and specify responsibilities related to observation and assessment (Feeney & Freeman, 2018). These ethical considerations include protecting confidentiality of assessment results, the appropriate use of assessment instruments, the appropriate use of data collected through observation and assessment. Each of these considerations will be discussed next.

The early childhood educator has the responsibility to treat assessment results and observation records confidentially. Thus, observational records and results of assessments will only be shared when there is a legitimate need for it. Such needs include informing parents who should always have access to observation and assessment products. Assessment results may need to be shared with specialists who are planning for individualized educational plans to support the child’s development, or with other early childhood educators that are working with a teacher in a collegial way to plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences for the child. Beyond these uses, observational records and assessment results should be treated as confidential.

The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct also addresses the responsibility of educators to only use assessment instruments that are appropriate for the children to be assessed. For example, young children who, for example, are dual language learners, may be assessed inaccurately if assessment and observation is not conducted in their home language(s). Involving families in order to understand a child’s language, prior knowledge, culture and more, are essential to learning about their knowledge and skills.

Further, educators are ethically required to only use assessment information to support the development and learning of children, to support their instruction and identify children who may need additional services. Assessment information should not be used in any sort of negative way or to limit children’s access to education.

Emma and Alice

Does it surprise you that educators may carry biases that influence their focus in observation or how they document observations? Have you had experiences in which you avoided a specific type of child because their temperament or behavior was uncomfortable? Can you see how that might influence what you observed or how you documented what you observed?

6.3.2 Observation as a Cycle

Carrying out observation involves several steps. An observer does not just watch the child and stop there. Instead, watching and listening are just the first steps, which lead to the documentation [/G/L] of the observation, followed by the interpretation of the documentation. Finally, based on the interpretation of multiple documented observations, the educator makes plans for future curriculum. While it is common for educators to respond at the moment to what they have observed and interpreted (likely without documenting), here, the focus will be on how observation is collected and recorded and then reflected upon to plan future curricula.

This process can be considered a repeated cycle (see Figure 6.3). First, the educator observes, then documents, interprets, and plans a responsive curriculum. The process begins again once children engage with the curriculum, providing information about the children and how the planned curriculum works to support their interests and development. Notice there is no stopping of this cycle; it is continuous or iterative , feeding back onto itself.

Observation Cycle

Thorough observations consist of three parts:

Observing: gathering information about what is seen and heard through careful watching and listening.

Recording: documenting what was seen and heard in observation .

Interpreting: reflecting on what has been observed and documented.

After completing these three parts, the educator uses the information gathered. Using the information can include implementing curriculum, responding to individuals or a group of children, or creating summary reports to share with families and document learning over the school year. Thus, observation and the information gathered from it are vital to teaching responsively to meet the needs of the children in one’s classroom.

The following sections will further describe the three parts of the observation cycle.

6.3.2.1 What and When to Observe

Because observation was defined earlier in the chapter–watching and listening to learn about children and their development (Stetson et al., 2007) and the importance of objectivity in observation/ documentation previously discussed, in this section observation will only receive brief attention. The two points addressed here include what and when educators should observe.

What does an educator look for when observing? The key focus in observing young children is their growth and development. The educator’s knowledge of child development is essential for structuring observations . In addition to knowing developmental milestones, an early childhood educator recognizes the importance of all domains of development and learning. Observation should collect evidence of cognitive growth, physical development, social-emotional competence, and age-appropriate learning content areas (i.e., math, science, language). In short, an educator must collect evidence of growth and development in all areas. Educators should also be observing to know the individual child better. What is the child interested in, what do they struggle to succeed with, and what does the child most enjoy? These questions are equally crucial to documenting the developmental milestones achieved.

When does an educator observe? Observations can occur from the first greeting of the day until the last goodbye. Observations should be planned and unplanned while always being careful to ensure proper supervision in the classroom. It is essential to get holistic snapshots of the whole child throughout various times of the day. Additionally, observations should happen in both educator-directed and child-directed situations (Jablon et al., 2007). It is also important to observe during structured and unstructured learning periods both indoors and outdoors. Educators can also observe relationships between children and staff, children and their families, and children engaged in play with children.

When planning for observations , the educator should conduct informal and formal observations at planned and unplanned times. This way, the observer can experience authentic representations of the child’s skills, knowledge, and behaviors.

6.3.2.2 Recording/Documentation

Once an observer has noted significant evidence of a child’s development, the next step is to record or document the observation . There are many reasons why educators should document observations and many uses for the documentation collected in early childhood classrooms. Through documentation, educators can show developmental growth and be accountable to families, communities, and administrators, extend the learning for children, and become more confident in their teaching. Just as there are many reasons why educators document, there are many ways to record observations (Jablon et al., 2007).

The most common way to record developmental milestones is anecdotal notes (Bates et al., 2019). Anecdotal notes or records are short notes taken by educators capturing observations . They can be taken on a formal document or shortened form (such as post-it notes or index cards). These observations can be written after an event and often focus on specific developmental domains. An anecdotal note should be about one incident that illustrates some aspect of development or learning. An anecdotal record can summarize this incident rather than capture every part of the occurrence, but it should have enough detail to illustrate the specific development. Anecdotal notes are the primary method of documenting daily occurrences of importance. When taken together, they provide multiple data points for reflection and summarization of a child’s development and learning. This method is essential in the educator’s [ GL] documentation toolkit. An example of an anecdotal record is shown below.

Another method of documenting development is running records. A running record requires sequentially capturing the details of the child’s behavior while the observation is taking place and is written in the present tense. Thus, a running record requires the observer to be out of the classroom action to capture the needed details (Jablon et al., 2007). Because a running record is time and energy-intensive and requires the observer to step out of the action, it is often reserved for those instances when an educator needs to know more about a behavior or its context before responding to it. For example, suppose a child displays adverse reactions to certain situations or acts aggressively toward other children, and the educator cannot successfully redirect them. In that case, a running record may provide details to help guide this behavior in the future. An example of a running record is in Figure 6.5.

Another method of documentation is work samples . These are examples of the work produced by the child in the classroom and illustrate the child’s development and learning. These can be writing samples, paintings, or other art projects, examples of fine motor work such as cutting. Work samples can also include photos of the child at play, such as a child building in the block center or engaged in a science activity. Figure 6.6 presents an example of a work sample. Note that the written documentation accompanying the sample provides an interpretation of the developmental significance of the work. A compilation of multiple work samples collected over time is called a portfolio . Many educators believe that portfolios are the best type of authentic assessment , displaying what a child can do and reflecting their development. These portfolios can be shared with families, providing them with cherished mementos of their child’s time in the classroom, but more importantly, it can be an excellent way to document growth over time. When compiling a portfolio, one caution is to ensure that it does not become just a scrapbook of cute photos. Instead, it should cover all areas of development and learning, presenting strong evidence of growth. Portfolios can be time-consuming, so a clear plan of what to document is helpful.

Work Sample Example

Checklists and rating scales also document a child’s development, skills, and knowledge. A checklist in its simplest form is just what it sounds like—a list of skills or developmental milestones to check off as achieved. A checklist may be organized sequentially, with the earliest emerging behaviors first on the list and more mature abilities placed later on the list. Early learning programs may create checklists for a specific classroom or to align with a curriculum. However, off-the-shelf checklists exist for adoption. Figure 6.7 presents an example of a partial checklist focused on a specific age range and a developmental domain.

Rating scales are like checklists; however, instead of an item marked either yes or no, rating scales offer a continuum for rating a skill or behavior. Thus, a rating scale informs how frequently or how much a behavior or skill occurs.

Table 6.1 shows a blank rating scale . The form indicates the frequency with which developmental milestones occur. While checklists and rating scales are faster to complete than the narrative methods of documentation discussed thus far, they lack rich information about a child found in narrative methods. Refrain from relying solely on checklists and rating scales; pair them with narrative documentation methods.

Rating Scale

Note : This table lists five behaviors or skills with boxes to check indicating how frequently the behavior occurs.

When using any of these documentation methods, one should remember the earlier warnings about bias creeping into one’s observation and writing of documentation.

Do you have experience with any of the types of documentation described here? Do you prefer one over the other? If you have not documented observations , which of these methods seems most likely for you to use? Why?

6.3.2.3 Interpretation

The last part of the observation cycle is interpreting documented observations. Interpretation requires the expertise of the prepared educator who understands child development, developmentally appropriate practice, and the individuality of each child and family.

When interpreting observational data, educators must attend to many factors that influence how a child behaves, including the stage of development, child health, and cultural and individual experiences that make each child unique. Interpretation requires skill and experience and can have severe consequences for children if there is bias or inaccurate information in the documentation . Because of this serious nature, using various means to document on differing days and in several environments is essential. It is also helpful if various individuals can provide documentation and interpretation. What one educator may observe, another may not—we all notice different things and have different perspectives.

All educators benefit from reflecting on the observations and documentation [/G/L] they have made in a classroom. However, many educators wonder how to find time for this practice. One recommendation is to find a time that already exists within the day. Naptime, before families arrive for the day, after families depart, during staff meetings, or curriculum planning, all are times when reflecting on observational data might be possible. Finding time to interpret observational data may be difficult, but the information gathered is often more helpful with reflection.

Interpretation and reflection may result in a summary of observations to complete summative [ assessment tools, like a checklist or a developmental continuum. This process involves synthesizing all the collected observations into an overview of the child’s current developmental level across various developmental and learning domains. For example, an educator may spend time at the end of a quarter or semester reviewing the observational data collected on a child. The review and reflection result in a summary, a bit like an average, which can identify where a child is in terms of completed developmental milestones (on a checklist) or where the child’s development lies along a developmental continuum. Figure 6.8 illustrates how multiple observations can be synthesized into a summary of a child’s development.

6.4 How Observation and Assessment Inform Teaching

The importance of observation and assessment in curriculum development, implementation, and teaching has become abundantly clear. Effective teachers understand that observations and assessments are essential to help inform teaching practices and guide learning activities. Observations and assessments are a looking glass into the child’s physical abilities, interests, strengths, and learning and should be used to inform what the educator does next.

Through observation , an educator can determine if the content planned for the children was absorbed, if a child is struggling developmentally in any areas, or if the teaching strategies effectively support students’ learning and can provide information for sharing with families about child growth and development.

Having well-planned, intentional, developmentally appropriate daily activities gives teachers solid information about scaffolding children’s learning and developing curriculum for their classroom.

To illustrate how a teacher might use observations to impact curriculum choices for an individual child, reconsider the scenario presented in the work sampling document of Holly’s engagement in a measurement activity (see Figure 6.9).

Holly uses art to capture her learning. In a measuring activity, Holly must find three objects: one longer than her shoe, one the same length, and one shorter than her shoe. She found that Blueberry (Gavin’s stuffed bear) was the same length as her shoe. After writing Blueberry on the data collection chart, Holly drew this picture of him.

This behavior, observed in a natural environment as children are engaged in play, provides the teacher with a wealth of information about the child’s learning, development, and interests. This observation and authentic assessment give a snapshot of what is happening in the classroom. They can give the teacher information about Holly’s interests and development that could inform future activity plans for Holly and the classroom in general.

Using the narrative attached to the work sample in Figure 6.8 as an anecdotal record , , Holly’s teacher used this observation to plan how to scaffold her learning. Figure 6.12 shows an example of a learning plan tied to the observation.

Holly’s Curriculum Plan

It is important to remember when planning for children using observations that learning is a continuum of growth that occurs over time and at differing rates across the domains of development (Copple & Bredekamp, 2008). Thus, it is vital to remember that children may exhibit development at one level in one domain and be either ahead or behind that development in another. It is also critical to note that this authentic assessment is unlike a formal, standardized test, resulting in a cut-and-dried outcome. Instead, authentic assessment will provide rich information about a child and guide teaching practices. However, expectations of a narrow and specific behavior from the child in response to curriculum based on observation would be inappropriate.

To summarize, [ GL] observation and assessment are intricately connected to pedagogy or teaching. Observing children provides data from which an educator plans curriculum. Observation subsequently helps the educator assess the child’s learning from the curriculum, providing more evidence of growth and development. The data collected in observation also assists the educator in adapting the curriculum to meet children’s needs. In the scenario with Holly, the plan the teacher wrote after observing her play becomes the curriculum. Assessment will occur through another observation after the plan is executed, and the teacher can determine if the goal of playing with numerals and artistically representing them deepens and strengthens Holly’s learning. Through careful observation, documentation , interpretation, and reflection, teachers can plan and implement an effective curriculum so each child can thrive as they master major developmental milestones.

Has your idea of how assessment can inform teaching changed since you finished the chapter? If so, in what ways? What questions do you have about how this process can be applied to the early childhood educator?

Authentic, naturalistic observation has been a part of early childhood education since its inception. Increased pressure for standards and accountability in education has impacted early childhood education, but efforts to ensure assessment in ECE remains developmentally appropriate have mainly been successful. Observation and assessment remain essential skills for productive early childhood educators. While risks exist if observation and documentation are not objective and unbiased, high-quality documentation of objective observation is a critical tool for responsive teaching. An educator’s toolkit should contain a variety of methods of documentation and skill in reviewing, summarizing, and synthesizing observational data for periodic assessment of a child’s development. The information provided by this assessment assists in the creation of responsive curricula. Assessment done in this manner results in essential information for responsive teaching that meets the needs of children.

Review Questions

• Have observation and assessment always been a part of early childhood education?
• How did changes in educational philosophy (such as the No Child Left Behind Act) influence the use of assessment in early childhood education?
• What is the most crucial purpose for assessment in early childhood education, according to the authors of “Principles and Recommendations for Early Childhood Assessment?
• Define assessment and describe how it is used in early childhood education.
• Define observation and describe how it is used in early childhood education.
• How are assessment and observation related?
• Do “assessment” and “observation” mean the same thing?
• What is formative assessment?
• What is summative assessment, and how is it different from a formative assessment?
• What is authentic assessment? Describe what it would look like in an early childhood classroom.
• Provide an example of a formal assessment.
• What is norm-referenced assessment? How is it applicable in early childhood education?
• What is a standardized assessment?
• Define objective and subjective documentation.
• Provide an example of subjectively written documentation. Improve it by making it more objective.
• Why is objectivity in documentation critical?
• Describe the cycle of assessment. How is it iterative?
• Describe anecdotal records or notes.
• Describe running records. How are they different from anecdotal records? Why would you use a running record?
• Describe work samples.
• What is a portfolio?
• Describe checklists and rating scales and their similarities and differences.
• Describe the process of interpreting collected documentation. Include the idea of synthesizing various pieces of documentation into a summary.
• Describe how the assessment results can inform curriculum planning and teaching.

Bates, C. C., Schenck, S. M., & Hoover, H. J. (2019). Quick and easy notes: Practical strategies for busy teachers. Teaching Young Children , 13 (1). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/oct2019/practical-strategies-teachers

Bush, G. H. W. (1990, January 31). Address before a joint session of the Congress on the state of the Union . The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-before-joint-session-the-congress-the-state-the-union-2

Copple, C. & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (2008). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children birth through age 8 (3 rd ed). National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Feeney, S., & Freeman, N. K. (2018). Ethics and the early childhood educator: Using the NAEYC code (3rd ed.) . National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center. (2023, September 26). Clearing your view: Staying objective in observation. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/clearing-your-view-staying-objective-observation

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