Viewing A Child Holistically - What should be Assessed

Viewing a child holistically – What should be Measured or assessed?

 

When considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically, the progress young children make in all developmental areas is a continuous and ongoing assessment.  On-going assessment is a responsible form of gathering real information on young children's progress.  One of the most comprehensive on-going assessment techniques is the student portfolio (Guddemi, 2003) which is a flexible and adaptable collection over time of various concrete work samples showing many dimensions of the child’s learning. Students are given opportunities to work in the application of knowledge and skills in the same ways that they are used in the "real" world outside of school. Authentic work samples are products of children's work that reflects real situations and problems addressed in the learning environment. The collection of these work samples along with the regularly recorded observations of children's interactions and comments serve to show children's progress over time and in a variety of situations. Information gained in this process can also be used in the planning of work that addresses the needs of the child as evidenced in the collection of work samples and teacher observations. And most importantly, it can be used as a tool in the sharing of progress with the child's family and with the child herself (Grace, 2001).  The assessment of young children is truly a celebration of their lives and advancements if teachers view it as such. Information gained in the assessment process can also be used in the planning of work that addresses the needs of the child as evidenced in the collection of work samples and teacher observations. And most importantly, it can be used as a tool in the sharing of progress with the child's family and with the child herself.

Reference:

Grace, Cathy (2001).Assessing Young Children, Published: December 2001.The Internet Newspaper:  News, Blogs videos, Community.   Retrieved from (http://www.educ.msstate.edu/cni/eci/)

Guddemi, M. P. (2003). The important role of quality assessment in young children ages 3–8. In Wall, J. & Walz, G. (Eds.) (2003). Measuring up: Assessment issues for teachers, counselors, and administrators. Greensboro, NC: ERIC Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse.)