Choosing the proper assessment scenario:

Purposeful assessment practices help teachers and students of all ages to understand where they are at in each developmental domain, what they have already learned, and what they need to learn next (Banerjee & Luckner, 2013). All children learn in different way’s but being knowledgeable in regards to developmental milestones and having background information on assessments that can be used for various age groups with differing abilities can be very beneficial to inform instruction when individualizing and planning. In this blog, I am going to provide you with two scenarios where assessment is need. The two children are from different age groups; therefore, they will be in different stages of development. Please read through the scenarios and see if you can suggest an assessment that would be beneficial to advance their learning.

Timmy is 4 years old enrolled in a half-day Head Start preschool classroom in the afternoon. Timmy only uses a few words and screams when he is upset. Mike has had a hearing test and it is fine. Prior to preschool, Timmy’s mom thought this was normal behavior for his age. Timmy lives in a homeless shelter with his mom and 3-month old sister so he spends a lot of time in his car seat watching his mom's phone. Timmy’s teacher wants to get a baseline assessment but Timmy has very few words and he does not know how to communicate besides screaming. Mom is tired, scared, and frustrated, and not sure what to do next. What assessments should this teacher perform?

Becky is starting 3rd grade. Becky used to love coming to school but now she cries when it is time to leave for school and is starting to act out in class, trying to get the other students to laugh at her. Last week Becky looked like she was taking her spelling test on Friday but when she turned it in she had drawn little pictures on each line. Becky refuses to do her homework and insists that she be allowed to "read in her head." Becky's class has a reading competition where if the students read 100 books and pass the STARS test (reading comprehension) they get to have a pizza party but everyone has to participate. During reading group, Becky said her eyes hurt could someone please read out loud. When she took the test she passed. Becky had her eyes checked a month ago and her vision is perfect. Last year Becky passed reading, spelling, and literacy but this year she is currently at a first-grade level. What assessments would you use to determine how to help Becky?

 

References

Banerjee, R., & Luckner, J. (2013). Assessment Practices and Training Needs of Early Childhood Professionals. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 34(3), 231–248. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/10901027.2013.816808