1. Assessment for learning

2. Planning for learning • How can we plan learning experiences that cater for all individual needs and interests within the group? • How do we make sure we do not leave anyone out?

3. Implementing a focus system approach • Planning to meet the objectives of a number of individual children in the one experience

4. Focus Children • How many? • What time period? • What part of the program? • Who will plan & evaluate? • How will you group? • Flexible • Planning

5. Planning • Observations • Factual • Sensitive • Unobtrusive • Only what can be observed • Avoid judgmental words • Subjective • Overtime

6. Vygotsky (1978) argued that the child’s emerging abilities need to be assessed and nurtured. Observing what a child can do with adult assistance ‘provides a richer picture and better estimate of status and progress than assessing independent attainments’. Hill (1992)

7. Assessing • How are we doing it now? • What tools are we using? • What other ways are there?

8. Types of assessment • Anecdotes • Samples of work • Collected over time • Compared • Documents the process • Time samples • Indicates child’s preferences • Interactions • Behaviours over time

9. Diaries (running records) • Short time span • Exactly what is said or happened • Interviews, self reports and questionnaires • Useful for preschoolers • Not always formal • Interviewing each other

10. Photographs • Work in progress • Insights into child’s thinking • Pictures say a thousand words

11. Sociograms • Patterns of children’s social interactions • Checklists and rating scales • Use to inform • Planning new learning experiences • Are you using this strategy? • How has this informed your programs?

12. Analysis • What does this tell us about a child? • How do we share this information • How are we considering strengths and needs?

13. Developmental records • Focus on developmental rather than skills • Stage of development • Problem solving strategies • Positive statements of what the child can do • Grouped into developmental areas

14. Developmental summary • Social/emotional development • Motor development • Language development • Cognitive development • Sensory/perceptual development

15. Authentic assessment • How does this assessment celebrate the child’s development and learning? • How does the assessment identify the strengths of the learner? • Is the assessment based on real life events? • Is the assessment related to the child’s responses and current teaching practices?

16. How does the assessment focus on purposeful learning? • Is the assessment ongoing in many contexts throughout the day-home, setting, community, different parts of the day, indoor/outdoor. • How does the assessment provide a broad and general picture of the student’s learning and picture?

17. How does the assessment promote collaboration between children, teaches and families, and other professionals?

18. Where to from here? • What do we continue? • What do we add? • What else?