The assessment of young children's development and learning has recently taken on new importance. Private and government organizations are developing programs to enhance the school readiness of all young children, especially children from economically disadvantaged homes and communities and children with special needs. Well-planned and effective assessment can inform teaching and program improvement, and contribute to better outcomes for children. This book affirms that assessments can make crucial contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used appropriately. Otherwise, assessment of children and programs can have negative consequences for both. The value of assessments therefore requires fundamental attention to their purpose and the design of the larger systems in which they are used. Early Childhood Assessment addresses these issues by identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5 and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments for developmental assessments.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The debate surrounding testing and accountability in early childhood education continues, but one thing is universally agreed upon: effective observation and assessment of young children's learning are critical to supporting their development. Educators balance what they know about child development with observation and assessment approaches that both inform and improve the curriculum. This foundational resource for all educators of children from birth through third grade explores What observation and assessment are, why to use them, and how Ways to integrate documentation, observation, and assessment into the daily routine Practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive Ways to engage families in observation and assessment processes How to effectively share children's learning with families, administrators, and others Find inspiration to intentionally develop and implement meaningful, developmentally appropriate observation and assessment practices to build responsive, joyful classrooms.

`This is an invigorating and very thought-provoking text, that I would recommend to all early years professionals, parents and citizens interested in developing their understanding of early years philosophy in action, which is directly linked to a compelling research paradigm and deep reflection alongside a sound theoretical base′ - Early Years `I would recommend this book to practitioners interested in reflecting on their own practice and approach to assessment. The insights provided are thought-provoking and promote a practical and positive approach to early years assessment′ - Early Talk `This thoughtful book challenges the standard assessment process that is commonly employed within the context of early years provision. For any practitioners working in early years setting this is a powerful and exciting book that helps to remind us that the child must be placed centrally within the assessment process, not as a recipient but as a proactive contributor to the situation′- Child Language Teaching and Therapy `This is a highly relevant text as some UK early childhood educators become engulfed with avalanches of tick sheets! A most useful book which contributes to the current vital debate about when, what and how we should access young children′s progress′ - T.A.C.T.Y.C Newsletter `I found Margaret Carr′s book fascinating... the ideas and arguments put forward are well worth mulling over′ - Early Years Educator `This is an inspiring book from bilingual, bicultural New Zealand about revolutionizing the assessment of young children′s learning and progress.... I hope this book inspires United Kingdom practitioners to set out on learning story journeys′ - Nursery World `This book manages to blend recognized theory and recent research with practice. I found it easy, and sometimes enjoyable, to read; it provided plenty of "food for thought" as well as references on "how to". I would recommend it to all early childhood practitioners, not just those considering their current assessment procedures, as the chapters focusing on the child as a learner are of value on their own′ - Julia Browne, Goldsmiths Association for Early Childhood This book shows that an early childhood setting can be described as a learning place in which children develop learning dispositions such as resilience in the face of uncertainty, confidence to express their ideas, and collaborative and thoughtful approaches to problem-solving. These dispositions provide the starting point for life-long learning. The author asks: How can we assess and track children′s learning in the early years in a way that includes learning dispositions and avoids the pitfalls of over-formal methods, whilst being helpful for practitioners, interesting for families, and supportive for learners? The book - describes a way of assessment that stays close to the children′s real experiences and provides an alternative to mechanistic and fragmented approaches, - shows how practitioners can assess what really matters: those learning dispositions (interest, involvement and perseverance for example) that provide a foundation for life-long learning. The book is about weaving theory and practice: theorizing development and learning as reflected in assessment practice. The author also argues that unless we find ways to assess complex outcomes in early childhood they will be excluded from the teaching and the learning. Simple and low level outcomes and goals will take their place. The theoretical ideas and arguments are illustrated throughout by transcripts and stories of children in a range of early childhood settings. At every turn in the journey it asks: How is this reflected in a real life context? It documents the voices of children, practitioners and parents as the learning story develops.

Margaret Carr′s seminal work on Learning Stories was first published by SAGE in 2001, and this widely acclaimed approach to assessment has since gained a huge international following. In this new full-colour book, the authors outline the philosophy behind Learning Stories and refer to the latest findings from the research projects they have led with teachers on learning dispositions and learning power, to argue that Learning Stories can construct learner identities in early childhood settings and schools. By making the connection between sociocultural approaches to pedagogy and assessment, and narrative inquiry, this book contextualizes Learning Stories as a philosophical approach to education, learning and pedagogy. Chapters explore how Learning Stories: - help make connections with families - support the inclusion of children and family voices - tell us stories about babies - allow children to dictate their own stories - can be used to revisit children′s learning journeys - can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed and shows, through research evidence, why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions. Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.

For Assessment courses in Early Childhood Education. One of the most accessible and practical textbooks available on assessing young children from infancy through age 8. It provides the full range of types of assessment and how, when, and why to use them. An excellent introduction to assessing young children, Assessment in Early Childhood Education continues with the inclusion of all types of assessments that can be used with infants and young children. Key changes and updates to this edition include: updated and streamlined figures, examples, and models of assessment that aid pre-service teachers to learn how to apply the principles of quality assessments; new activities at the end of the chapters provide opportunities for students to apply their own performance activities to demonstrate understanding of chapter contents; the effects of No Child Left Behind have been updated; newly revised information on children from diverse cultures and languages and children with disabilities has been added; and information on new and current trends toward accountability are discussed, as well as the impact of high-stakes testing.

Note: This is the bound book only and does not include access to the Enhanced Pearson eText. To order the Enhanced Pearson eText packaged with a bound book, use ISBN 0134057252. How to do authentic classroom-based assessment, interpret the information, and use it to plan curriculum that is responsive to and supportive of children’s learning. This book is designed to help teachers conduct authentic, early childhood, classroom-based assessment, interpret the information that’s gathered, and ultimately use the information to plan responsive, supportive curriculum that ensures optimal learning for children, ages three to eight. The authors include coverage of the teacher’s legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities in assessment; how to organize for summary assessment and formative assessment; how to understand standardized assessments; and how to communicate with parents. A special appendix helps teachers design assessments in all developmental domains and includes suggested behaviors to observe and charts to help teachers identify the next steps in learning and development. The Sixth Edition of Assessing and Guiding Young Children’s Development and Learning has been revised and updated to reflect the rapidly developing concepts of appropriate assessment, expected educational outcomes, the way young children develop and learn, how the authentic assessment process relates to the use of formal state-mandated assessments, and the early childhood teacher’s assessment responsibilities. The Enhanced Pearson eText features embedded video and assessments. Improve mastery and retention with the Enhanced Pearson eText* The Enhanced Pearson eText provides a rich, interactive learning environment designed to improve student mastery of content. The Enhanced Pearson eText is: Engaging. The new interactive, multimedia learning features were developed by the authors and other subject-matter experts to deepen and enrich the learning experience. Convenient. Enjoy instant online access from your computer or download the Pearson eText App to read on or offline on your iPad® and Android® tablet.* Affordable. The Enhanced Pearson eText may be purchased stand-alone or with a loose-leaf version of the text for 40-65% less than a print bound book. * The Enhanced eText features are only available in the Pearson eText format. They are not available in third-party eTexts or downloads. *The Pearson eText App is available on Google Play and in the App Store. It requires Android OS 3.1-4, a 7” or 10” tablet, or iPad iOS 5.0 or later.

In response to growing pressure on early years practitioners to adopt a 'tick-box' approach to recording children's progress, Celebrating Children's Learning sets out a bold, alternative vision for assessment in the early years. Drawing upon an inspiring collaboration between London nursery schools, this book explores and reconsiders the purpose of observation in early years settings. Contributors provide a range of examples to guide early years practitioners as they develop their own methods of observation. Play, social interaction, and cooperation with parents are shown to be valuable opportunities for keen observation. Chapters discuss: - moving beyond data-focussed assesment - Characteristics of Effective Learning - ensuring inclusive assessment - collaborating with parents from diverse backgrounds - outdoor learning - a Forest School approach. Inspiring and empowering, Celebrating Children's Learning is essential reading for teachers, practitioners, and students involved in early education.

Bridging blends curriculum planning, implementation, and assessment in one seamless process, providing a practical, performance-based approach to early childhood assessment. The authors have developed 15 activities across five curricular areas with guidelines for implementing, interpreting, and "bridging" observations of children to classroom teaching practices.--[book cover].