Assessment in Early Childhood Education (8e)

For courses in early childhood assessment.

Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of assessment of young children from birth through the third grade

Written from a developmental perspective, Assessment in Early Childhood Education provides current and future teachers alike with a comprehensive overview of all aspects of early childhood assessment, including the different possibilities available – far more than standardised tests – and how to use them most effectively for the benefit of the children in their classrooms. Both traditional and authentic assessments designed by teachers are explained for preschool children and for kindergarten and third grade children who are transitioning into literacy. The 8th Edition has been updated with new learning features, a new chapter about technology, Common Core and State Standards information, important organisational changes, and more.

• PART I: INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
• 1. An Overview of Assessment in Early Childhood
• 2. How Infants and Young Children Should Be Assessed
• 3. Communicating with Families
• PART II: STANDARDIZED TESTS
• 4. How Standardized Tests Are Used, Designed, and Selected
• 5. Using and Reporting Standardized Test Results
• PART III: CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS
• 6. Data-Driven Decision Making, Assessment, and Documentation
• 7. Observation
• 8. Checklists, Rating Scales, and Rubrics
• 9. Teacher-Designed Assessment Strategies
• 10. Performance-Based Assessment Strategies
• 11. Portfolio Assessment

• Anecdotal information about individual children gives a face to key assessment concepts.
• Teacher-designed assessments are thoroughly explained for all applicable grade levels.
• Search and Share activities in every chapter invite students to further explore topics, finding and incorporating information on the web into discussions.
• Chapter 3, “Communicating with Families,” was relocated and expanded to increase information on the role of the family-professional relationship, emphasising parents as equal partners with their child’s teacher.
• Chapter 4, "How Standardized Tests Are Used, Designed, and Selected," includes new information about current editions of screening and assessment instruments.
• The relationship between federal law and assessment in public education is discussed in depth.
• Information about Common Core State Standards and Early Learning Standards has been integrated throughout the text.
• Information on children with disabilities and English language learners (ELLs) has been updated in all chapters throughout the text.
• The importance of technology to assessment, such as ways social media is used to share information about electronic portfolios, is covered in the text.
• Chapter 6, “Assessment and Data-Driven Decision Making,” a new chapter, shifts the emphasis from classroom assessments themselves to utilising the data they generate to make sound instructional choices.