Assessing Children:
Assessment is an important aspect of teaching and learning. I believe that assessment is challenging during early childhood because a child’s development is highly influenced by many factors like the environment, culture, and background experience of each developing child. No two children grow in the same pace in each of these developmental domains- physical, emotional, social, and cognitive. In my opinion the test should address the whole person in order to get a true snap shot of who that person is, and what his/her potentials are, and this makes it extremely difficult to find an assessment that will measure them all with the same precision.
General Overview of Student Assessment in England
Until 2002, no regulations specifically governed the assessment of the performance of children under the age of 4/5 in England, although the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) had strongly recommended the monitoring of each child’s progress as good practice. This changed when the Education Act 2002 formally established the foundation stage and brought in the foundation stage profile which in 2008 was replaced by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS Profile). The EYFS Profile Handbook sets out how early years practitioners should assess each child’s development by accumulating observations and knowledge of the whole child. A profile, which provides a means of summing up a child's development and learning achievements, is created during the academic year that he or she reaches age five. It's primary purpose is to provide year 1 teachers with reliable and accurate information about each child’s level of development as they reach the end of the EYFS, enabling the teacher to plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet all children’s needs. Practitioners’ observations of children’s achievement across the six areas of learning are measured against a nine-point scale. Points 1-3 are the ‘stepping stones’ that describe a child’s progress towards the early learning goals; points 4-8 represent attainment within the early learning goals; and point 9 represents attainment beyond the early learning goals.
Until 2002, no regulations specifically governed the assessment of the performance of children under the age of 4/5 in England, although the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) had strongly recommended the monitoring of each child’s progress as good practice. This changed when the Education Act 2002 formally established the foundation stage and brought in the foundation stage profile which in 2008 was replaced by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS Profile). The EYFS Profile Handbook sets out how early years practitioners should assess each child’s development by accumulating observations and knowledge of the whole child. A profile, which provides a means of summing up a child's development and learning achievements, is created during the academic year that he or she reaches age five. It's primary purpose is to provide year 1 teachers with reliable and accurate information about each child’s level of development as they reach the end of the EYFS, enabling the teacher to plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet all children’s needs. Practitioners’ observations of children’s achievement across the six areas of learning are measured against a nine-point scale. Points 1-3 are the ‘stepping stones’ that describe a child’s progress towards the early learning goals; points 4-8 represent attainment within the early learning goals; and point 9 represents attainment beyond the early learning goals.
Resources:
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (2008). The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Handbook
I agree with you that if children are assessed that it should be a total snap shot of them. I think test at school asses children's biosocial and cognitive abilities. How do you think we could test their psychosocial development?
ReplyDeleteThe Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS Profile) are ultimately setting up an IEP for children in England. It would be interesting to watch a classroom in action in which practitioners have established the profiles. It is so interesting learning about other countries assessment tools and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Kristi