Observation

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An observation alone, which is not enough for a fully developed assessment system because it takes a long process and there are lot of parts of that assessment that a child has to get through in order for that child to move to the next level or grade. They provide outlines for the teachers which required for the child to develop through a General Overview, Cognitive Skills, Motor Skills, Speech and Language, and Social-Emotional Development. Not all the levels have the same observation requirements because there are different ones for a different age level. This is one of the reasons why a portfolio comes in so that way a teacher can keep track of their children’s progress. It’s a formative and summative which one documents a progression of work and to be used by you, children, and parents throughout the year to keep track of that main target that child is trying to achieve and the other is documenting a level of work at the end of the year to pass to the child’s next teacher and to the parents, that way they know what to expect when working with he or she in the classroom. Teachers need to develop a system that works for them and sometimes collaborating with your peers or colleague during your planning times for that second pair of eyes. Might need more note taking due to children engaged in projects. This is not a reason to discard observation for your assessment or never preoccupy you or your time.

References

Mindes, Gayle, and Jung, L. A. "Chapter 3." Assessing Young Children. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2015. 41-75. Print.

New Mexico State Children, Youth and Families Department, & Department of Health and Public Education Department. (2014, July). New Mexico Early Learning Guidelines: Birth through Kindergarten. Retrieved from https://www.newmexicokids.org/

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