ELC 1 4 FIN

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

• Meaning of “assessment” in Latin: The term is described as meaning “to sit beside”—the assessor sits next to the person being graded. This emphasizes that assessment should be done alongside students, not simply done to them.
• Why this matters for early childhood (PAUD): Effective assessment for young learners should not rely on sitting upright and completing paper exam questions. Instead, assessment should align with how young children learn—through learning and play—and should be fun and integrated into everyday activities.
• Research-based assessment principles (APA, 2019):
  1. Assess only what has been taught (fairness principle).
  2. Use a variety of assessment formats so students can demonstrate understanding/skills in different ways (because one format may not fit all situations).
  3. Monitor assessment results for patterns/tendencies. For example, if some students consistently show undeveloped results, teachers provide early support or intervention.

Methodology / step-by-step procedures for implementing assessment in early childhood education

1. Plan the assessment

   • Select the learning objectives to be assessed.
   • Choose assessment strategies and tools.
   • Formulate assessment activities.
   • Determine the duration of assessment activities.
   • Inform parents about the assessment plans.

2. Prepare assessment tools

   • Develop the selected tools or modify existing tools.

3. Collect data

   • Conduct assessment together with learning or play activities.

4. Analyze and interpret data

   • Analyze the collected assessment data.
   • Provide feedback, such as:
     • Scores, or
     • Simple sentences.
   • Give feedback, then record assessment results so they can guide next steps.

5. Archive students’ work (portfolio)

   • Use a portfolio to track student development over time.
   • Teachers choose what to include:
     • the process, the product, or both.

6. Report assessment results

   • Provide official school reports / report cards quarterly using a predetermined format.
   • Share portfolio/archived work with parents.
   • In addition to quarterly reporting, submit periodic progress updates to parents (oral and/or written), such as:
     • through an agenda book,
     • school phone/communication with parents,
     • or other school-parent communication tools.

Grading categories mentioned (early childhood students)

• BB: not yet developed
• MB: starting to develop
• BSH: developing as expected
• BSB: developing very well

Speakers / sources featured

• American Psychological Association (APA), 2019 (cited for assessment principles)