Assessing Young Children’s Development and Learning: Birth to Age Eight

Assessing Young Children′s Development and Learning: Birth to Age Eight helps early childhood educators understand both the need for assessment as well as the process of assessment for infants, toddlers, and children up to age eight. This comprehensive text covers a broad range of assessment strategies, from observation to formalized assessments and demonstrates how to adapt these methods for a wide variety of students while incorporating feedback from families. Aligned with the latest 2020 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards, it offers clear guidance for future educators on licensing requirements and supports instructors in meeting program accreditation goals. Author Julie A. Ray begins each chapter with a vignette highlighting the importance of assessment in real classrooms and concludes with three case studies, one for infants, one for preschoolers, and one for primary-grade students, addressing the unique challenges in each setting. To further support learning, a final project in the Appendix with a scoring rubric can be used for grading or accreditation tasks. Exercises throughout the text help students confidently apply assessment skills in a wide variety of early childhood educational settings.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1: Introduction to Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Practices What is Assessment in Early Childhood Education? Purposes of Assessment in Early Childhood Education Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Legal Rights in Assessment of Young Children Federal and State Assessment Requirements in Early Childhood Ethical Practices in the Assessment of Young Children Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 2: Observation and Documentation: The Foundation of Assessment of Young Children Observation + Documentation = Assessment Developing Close Observation Skills Errors in Observation Documenting Individual Children vs. Groups Evaluating Learning Environments Observation, Documentation, and the Instructional Cycle Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 3: Observation-Based Descriptive Assessment Methods Observation-Based Assessment Methods that Describe The Significance of Descriptive Assessment Methods for Planning Instruction and the Learning Environment Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 4: Observation-Based Assessment Methods That Count or Rate Observation-Based Assessment Methods That Count Observation-Based Rating Assessment Methods The Significance of Assessment Methods that Count or Rate for Planning Instruction and the Learning Environment Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 5: Performance-Based Assessment Methods Performance-Based Assessment Assessing Performance-Based Tasks: Rubrics Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 6: Informal Paper / Pencil Assessments for the Primary Grades Feedback and Informal Paper / Pencil Assessment Methods Worksheets as Assessment Tools Quizzes and Tests Strengths and Limitations of Informal Paper / Pencil Assessment Methods Student Self-Assessment Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 7: Formal Standardized Assessments Brief History of Standardized Tests in the U.S. Types of Standardized Assessments Validity and Reliability of Standardized Assessments Interpreting and Explaining Standardized Assessment Results Communicating Standardized Assessment Results Strengths and Limitations of Standardized Assessments Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 8: Using Portfolio Data to Plan Instruction Types of Portfolios Implicit Bias in Artifact Collection Involving Children in the Portfolio Process Using Portfolio Documents to Plan Instruction and Set Goals Electronic Portfolio Systems Benefits and Challenges of Portfolios Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 9: Using Assessment Data to Support Development, Learning, and Program Improvement Choosing the Correct Assessment Method Documentation in Early Childhood Education Models Data-Based Decision Making Using Data to Improve Programs and the Environmental Setting Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 10: Using Assessments in Tiered Systems of Support The Response to Intervention (RTI) Approach The RTI Approach to Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Response to Intervention (RTI) Leadership Teams RTI and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 11: Assessing Children with Developmental Delays or Disabilities Accommodations and Modifications in Assessments Referral Process IFSP / IEP Process: General Education Teacher’s Role Equity in Accessing Special Services The Educational Team as Assessment Partners Monitoring the Progress Towards the IFSP Outcomes or IEP Goals Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 12: Assessing Linguistically Diverse Children Linguistic Diversity and Assessment Stages of Second Language Acquisition Best Practices in Assessing Children who are Multilingual Learners (MLLs) Identifying Children who are Multilingual Learners for Special Services Collaborating with Professional Colleagues and Assessment Partners Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Chapter 13: Families as Assessment Partners Family Partnerships in Assessment Communication Methods for Assessment Information Informal Communication Methods Formal Communication Methods Cross-Cultural Communication Considerations Families as a Source of Assessment Information Summary Key Terms Chapter Learning Objectives Assessments Appendix A: Developmental Milestones Appendix B References

About the Author :
Julie A. Ray (Ph.D., University of Missouri, Columbia) is a professor emeritus of Early Childhood Education at Southeast Missouri State University. With 42 years’ experience in teaching both young children and undergraduate / graduate early childhood assessment courses, she has seen major changes in the best practices of assessing children’s development and learning. As a supervisor of clinical field experiences in the preschool and primary grades, she also observed many real life examples of the complexities in early childhood assessment. Ray is a longtime member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and served as a higher education peer reviewer and auditor for programs seeking NAEYC accreditation.   This is her second early childhood textbook, as she is the co-author of Home, School, and Community Collaboration with Kathy Grant, now in its 5th edition.  These experiences and education have shaped and informed this textbook to be a comprehensive, yet practical guide to the subject of assessment of young children.

Review :
Many times, professors do not have the experience of working in the field of early childhood assessment before teaching this curriculum to students - however, as a teacher in the public school district for several years before becoming a professor, this text helps my colleagues (and students) understand both the need for assessment, as well as the process! This is an excellent book that provides a wealth of information on assessment in early childhood education. It provides not only a breadth of topics, but also depth into important ones. Students will be able to use the information in the textbook in their classrooms immediately. The case studies and real world examples are invaluable to the text. Learning how to use and report assessment procedures and data can be challenging to teachers, this textbook explains the latest assessment tools and procedures in a way that beginning teachers can understand and use. Assessing Young Children’s Development and Learning: Birth to Age Eight is an accessible and current textbook. It has a strong emphasis on NAEYC Standards and includes current research and articles. Chapter Objective Assessments are application level and can be utilized as in-class activities and course assignments. This book does a good job of covering everything you would expect but also covers important topics not normally contained in other comparable texts. The language, writing style, and reading level of the book appear to be appropriate for students in early childhood education. The content is presented in a clear and accessible manner, making it easy for students to understand key concepts and apply them in practice. The language used is professional yet approachable, and the writing style is engaging, which helps to maintain students′ interest throughout the book. This textbook is suitable for use in PK-3 credential programs as well as ECE graduate programs because it covers the principles of early assessment and provides detailed examples. This text explores early childhood assessment, including the purpose, approaches, strategies, case studies, and other practical applications...There is a lot of good information and it appears to be recent/relevant to today′s schools. This textbook provides insights of assessment for young children from the developmentally appropriateness of early childhood education assessment and the various components of assessment and how it impacts young children in learning. A comprehensive guide to assessing young children′s development and learning in early childhood education settings. It covers a wide range of assessment methods and strategies, from observation and documentation to formal assessment tools, and provides practical guidance for implementing these approaches in the classroom. The book emphasizes the importance of family involvement in the assessment process and offers strategies for engaging families as partners in supporting children′s development and learning. Overall, it is a valuable resource for educators seeking to effectively assess and support young children′s growth and development. This textbook covers a vast number of subjects to include; how to assess students, conduct observations, work with special needs, dual language learners, and English language learners, etc. The activity suggestions, case studies, and articles [...] are fantastic.