According to Broadfoot (1996)
Assessment is arguably the most powerful policy tool in education. Not only can it be used to identify strengths and weaknesses of individuals, institutions and indeed whole systems of education; it can also be used as a powerful source of leverage to bring about change (in Carr, 2001 P.1)
Practitioners need to ask the question before deciding on the format of assessment, will the assessments be norm based, will the objective standardised tests be used or will they be criterion referenced so is the assessment to seen as formative of summative?(Curtis, 1998).
Hurst (1997) states the essential role of formative assessment in effective education is to show the most fundamental difference between this and any other system of assessment because they look at what the child can do rather than cannot do.
However Siral-Blatchford (2002) states formative process starts before the child comes to school and to plan for learning needs, assessments need to be made about everything that we want children to learn more about. To emphasise this a formative assessment is used to determine the effectiveness of learning, while it is in progress, which is a form of non-standardised testing Worsley (2004). This cannot be selective it is a holistic process concerned only with the development of the whole child. Furthermore, non-standardised assessment is a partnership process in which practitioners need to acknowledge the parents role as the child’s first and enduring educators (DfEE, 1997). Furthermore, Fisher (1996)(in Siral-Blatchford, 2002) practitioners need to learn from the parents rather than just inform them. In addition, formative assessment should include what is known by those who have been involved in the children’s pre-school education such as nursery school the practitioner can then build on the information obtained. Finally, formative assessment involves partnership with the child because no one knows more about the individuality of the learner than the learners themselves do (Siral-Blatchford, 2002).
According to Hutchin (2003) to many of the statements in the profile are broad summary statements, few could be considered as easily measurable they require on going evidence, which can be collected through observing children in action. Summative assessment provides an evaluation of the educational experience at the end of the process, which is a form of standardised testing. Furthermore, Siral-Blatchford (2002) stipulates standardised process is an assessment, which gives measurable scores, an assessment made at a given time about a pre-selective range of issues these have numerically graded in terms of achievement.
It is suggested that children are viewed as competent young learners; they have predispositions to learn from their earliest days and, as such, are ready for learning from birth. This view is that children emerging into literacy and numeracy assumes engagement in concepts which at one time would have deemed inappropriate for young minds, however Donaldson (1978) and Bruner (1986) Hughes (1986) have encouraged the view that children are ready for learning if learning is adapted to the intellectual proclivities of children (in Fisher 2002).
The theorist Vygotsky (1917) (in Fisher. 2002) believed that instead of matching teaching to existing development, teaching had to proceed in advance of development in order to challenge and extend children’s maturing functions. Vygotsky also thought careful observation of children should be considered as valid as their scores on a test (Mooney, 2000). In addition, the learning comes in advance of development when progress is stimulated and guided by the expertise of others. The emphasis is not so much on when to teach, but rather how and what to teach (Fisher, 2002). Furthermore, if children already know and can do a range of things, it puts the practitioner in the role of learner alongside their class. In addition, the practitioner must find out the extent of children’s competences to ensure that the planned curriculum is appropriate to this particular class and its individual members (Fisher, 2002). In support of this, The Children Act 1989 was a major piece of legislation, not only brought together existing pieces of legislation but also formulated them into a cohesive whole. The Act ensured that the welfare of the child was paramount and allowed children’s opinions to be taken into account (Curtis, O’Hagan, 2004).
However, Piaget (1896-1980) believed that children pass through certain stages of development and could not operate at the later stages before passing, in their own good time, through the earlier ones (in Fisher, 2002) (Appendix 2). Furthermore, children learn only when their curiosity is not fully satisfied. Piaget (1896-1980) also goes on to say that children’s curiosity actually drives their learning, parents and practitioners should always remember that individual children have their own rates of development (Mooney, 2000).
It is suggested that through careful observations, practitioners can plan the curriculum and decide how best they can extend the children’s learning. To illustrate this Hurst and Joseph (2003) state that planning takes place at different levels and at each level practitioners need to be aware of how they are proving children to learn in developmentally appropriate ways. Above all this will help them to progress to the next stage of development. By making observations of children, which is the main way adults can assess, the child’s strengths and weaknesses that enables them to evaluate the learning opportunities offered (Curtis, O’Hagan, 2004). When we observe the child, it enables practitioners to implement the observations that they have made and according to Drummond (1993) observing children’ s learning is one of the most vital responsibilities of those who care and educate children. Furthermore, Drummond (1993) goes on to say, Assessment is the ways in which, our everyday practice, we observe children’s learning, strive to understand it, and then put our understanding to good use.
Another way to look at assessing children is the High Scope Curriculum the programme sees children as active learner, encouraging them to become independent problem solvers and decisions makers. Curtis and O’Hagan (2004) state “it is not a fixed programme but provides a framework for children’s learning.” In addition, it places a greater responsibility upon children for planning and executing their own activities. Finally it is dependent upon careful planning and staff discuss the needs of both the individual child and the group before any decision is taken on which aspect of the curriculum they are going to take (Curtis, O’Hagan, 2004).
Another approach is that of Reggio Emilia, its focus is that of observations and the child is protagonist an active force within their own learning. They are the third protagonists with their practitioners and parents their rights are equal to those of the others (Bayley, 2004). Furthermore, the practitioners document their work and the work of the children, charting the progress of projects individuals and child development in general. On the other hand, the Foundation Stage Profile does not encourage this same approach.
For the success of the foundation stage profile, practitioners must value the use of observations and planning as this will meet the individual needs of the child. Foundation stage is about extending and supporting children’s achievements and the profile is about observing and assessing these. The foundation stage profile is merely a standardised form of an assessment system. In which it is assessing children’s achievements in relation to the foundation stage. When looking at different forms of observations the philosophy of High Scope plan, do and review optimises children’s learning. They use key experiences to observe and plan for the individual needs of children (Curtis, O’Hagan, 2004). Where as the Reggio Emilia approach work on short and long term projects. The practitioners listen to and observe children closely asking questions and aiding discovery, which enable them to pursue their thinking (Bayley, 2004). Finally, Hurst (1997) suggests it depends on what kind of observation you use for the information you need to obtain because observation is the foundation of education within the early years, in that it is through recording and reflecting on children’s activities and interests that we can gather the information necessary for the construction of an appropriate curriculum.
Reference
BAYLEY, R. (2004) Early Years Educator Volume 6 no. 6
CARR, M. (2001) Assessment in early childhood settings: learning stories London: Paul Chapman
CURTIS, A. (1998) (2nd Ed.) A curriculum for the pr-school child: learning to learn London: Roultledge
CUTIS, A and O’HAGAN, M. (2004) Care and Education in Early Childhood London: Roultledge
FISHER, J. (2002) Starting from the child: (2nd Ed.) Buckingham: Open University Press
HURST, V. (1997) Planning for Early Learning: Educating Young Children (2nd Ed.) London: Paul Chapman
HURST, V. and JOSEPH, J. (2003) Supporting Early Learning Buckingham: Open University press
HUTCHIN, V. (2003) Observing and Assessing for the Foundation Stage Profile London: Hodder Arnold
MOONEY, C. (2000) Theories of Childhood St. Paul: Redleaf Press
SHARMAN, C. CROSS, W. and VENNIS, D. (2003) observing children: A Practical Guide (3rd Ed. ) London: Cassell
SIRAL-BLATCHFORD, I. (2002) A Curriculum Development Handbook for Early Childhood Educators Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books
Appendix 1
Narrative/Free description
This style of observation involves watching a child of group of children and noting down what you see. You need to sit quietly and not draw attention to yourself because interaction with children can affect their behaviour. They cover a short period of time are written in the present tense and need to describe what is going on around. Remember the focus is the child you are observing.
Time sampling
This is the form of recording consists of a series of written records at intervals throughout a period. The length of time between the observations and the length of time you observe for will depend on the overall timescale for the completed record.
Tracking
This type of observation involves following a child for a length of time to discover where they go and what they do. This could also be recorded as a written observation but normally the results are shown in a diagram. The best time to record the activities of a child in the free play time.
Pie and bar charts
They are a useful pictorial way of recording the results of an observation of the whole class. These methods have many uses for collecting information about the children also what play equipment they prefer to use.
Information obtain from Sharman et el 1998
Appendix 2
- Children’s understanding of ‘reality’ is constructed through interacting with the world around them and learning through discovery
- Piaget believed children develop mental structures or schemas. Children assimilate new information, they use their present simple schemas to accommodate or adapt to new experiences by developing more complex schemas and so achieve equilibration
- A baby develops a schema that a rattle when shaken makes a noise, the baby has to assimilate new schemas to accommodate that when the rattle is slowly shaken by the baby, much experimenting by the baby enables the new information to be accommodated. This achieves equilibration. This happens throughout the four distinct stages of cognitive development:
- Sensory-motor 0-2 – a practical period of learning when children are egocentric
- pre-operational 2-6- thinking is pre-logical and characterised by :symbolisation,
- Concrete operational 6-11- thinking becomes more rationale
Formal operational 11 on –more abstract thinking
