Observing Children and Collecting Data
In order to monitor child progress within an inclusive early childhood setting, it is important for educators to develop strategies to observe and collect data. The following resources provide information about informal assessment strategies.
Informal Methods of Assessment by G. S. Morrison
The following link contains a table that outlines different types of informal assessment
methods, describes the purpose of each method and gives guidelines for use. PDF
Developmental Checklist
This is a sample of a developmental checklist. This checklist is produced by Lucas
County Board Developmental Disabilities. PDF
Authentic Assessment in Infant & Toddler Care Settings: Review of Recent Research
This brief produced by Muskie School of Public Service, Cutler Institute for Health
and Social Policy provides an overview of authentic assessment and how it can be used
in childcare settings. PDF
"Look What I Did!" Why Portfolio-Based Assessment Works By Priscilla D Huffman, Ph.D.
This article provides an overview of portfolio based assessments. PDF
Sandbox Learning
This web site includes child monitoring materials to record behavior and to document
progress towards meeting individualized education plan (IEP) goals. Communication
skills, academics, social skills, fine motor skills, daily living skills, and behavior
skills are covered. The sheets are available online and in Excel so they can be customized
to address each child's IEP goals. A one year subscription costs $29.99. http://www.sandbox-learning.com
Desired Results Video Library
The Desired Results access Project, funded by California's Department of Education,
offers a "Practice Clips" section in their Digital Video library. This section includes
sixteen video clips that provide opportunities for early childhood practitioners to
practice a variety of skills, including observation, documentation and assessment.
Several of these videos focus specifically ont he inclusion of children with disabilities.
These clips can be accessed here http://www.draccess.org/videolibrary/