This course provides an introduction to the variety and characteristics of developmental assessments for young children, birth to 8 years of age. Students learn strategies for documenting individual development and learning, observing and measuring children's learning, and linking assessment and instruction. Understanding outcomes from developmental assessments, communicating with families, and cultural and ethical issues in assessment are included. A supervised practicum with young children is part of this course.

Assessment (archival) Portfolio

Pick one target child you have followed from the beginning of this semester. You are required to take on the role of (your choice: teacher, therapist, interventionist) and prepare an assessment portfolio to present to the child’s parents. The observations and assessments that you have completed this semester need to be organized into a summary document that describes what you have learned about this child and your recommendations for promoting the child’s development and learning. Your assessment portfolio needs to convey the child’s strengths, as well as development across the five developmental domains (or school readiness domains if entering kindergarten next year).

Sections include:

Background: A description including age, gender, language spoken if not English, disability as appropriate, and family information (#1).  

Cognitive Development: This is a summary paragraph that describes the child’s current level of performance on cognitive development such as math, science, and creative arts activities. This paragraph may reflect your observation (#2) and the child’s performance on Woodcock Johnson Standardized Achievement Tests (#4)

Language/communication and literacy Development: This is a summary paragraph that describes the child’s current level of performance on language/communication and literacy activities. This is may be based on your observation of this child’s communication skills (#2), Picture Naming and Get Ready to Read (#3), and Self-evaluation Interview (#6).

Social-emotional Development: This is a summary paragraph that describes the child’s current level of social skills, problem behaviors, and emotional regulation. This summary paragraph may rely on your observation (#2) and the Social Skills Rating System (#7). Be sure to include what you learned from the parents.

Physical Development: This is a summary paragraph that describes the child’s current level of performance of gross and fine motor skills based on observation (# 2) and checklist (#5).

Self-help or Approaches to learning Development: This is a summary paragraph that describes what you have observed over the semester of the child’s self-help skills.  (If the child is 4 years old and entering kindergarten next year, you need to report on his/her school readiness domain of approaches to learning)

Overall: This is a final, wrap-up paragraph. This should include your overall interpretations and implications for the child. What would you recommend (parents, future teachers, and/or therapist) to promote this child’s development and learning?

Visual Representation of Student learning and development: This may include Student Product (e.g., art work, worksheet, etc.) and/or graphical representation of child’s assessment results