Once I read Vicki Davi’s blog titled, “10 Ways to Flip A Kid and Turn Their Day Around: Teaching and Reaching Every Child”, which inspired me to think of ways we could turn early childhood assessment practices around.
I eventually landed on five ways to “flip” assessment practices from standardized to personalized.
#1 Rebelieve in the child
We often talk about being strength-based; however, our assessments tend to focus on what a child can’t do. To flip assessment practices and rebelieve in the child, start by assuming competence. One way to assume competence is to answer a question with which my colleague, Barbara Avila (@SynergyAutism) challenges families and teachers to consider, “Do you believe the child would do it if they could?” This question forces us to consider if we are assuming competence, if we recognize when a child is making a conscious choice, and when a child may need support to demonstrate greater independence. When we intentionally focus on strengths, it sets the tone for assuming and valuing competence. For example, once I was listening to a team member list all the things a child couldn’t or wouldn’t do (e.g., “All Sam does is throw things off his tray!”). Another team member took the opportunity to reshape the conversation by assuming competence. She said, “Great! He can reach, grasp, and release!”
Action Step: As you analyze the assessment information you have gathered, documented, and summarized, be sure to look for children’s strengths. Looking for strengths includes looking for evidence that a child 1) has independence (defined differently for each child) in completing tasks, getting needs met, and participating in daily activities; 2) demonstrates flexibility in terms of starting and stopping actions; 3) can consistently use skills under changing conditions over time; and 4) is able to override impulses and manage emotions.
Assessment Tip: Each time, you generate a formal or informal assessment report, find at least three places to note, objectively, the child’s strengths. Objective statements are those which state facts, such as descriptions of what the child said, did, and/or created, versus stating impressions, perceptions, opinions, or feelings.
#2 Routines reign supreme
One thing I hear and witness from teachers and providers, is that they struggle to find the time to assess ALL the children they serve. Part of the struggle comes from the sheer number of children served, and part of the struggle comes from an inappropriate emphasis on standardized testing. A final part of the struggle, however, is due to time management. When we conduct an assessment, for any early childhood purpose, we need to utilize all parts of the daily routine, not just those that are planned, academically oriented, or well managed by adults.
Action Step: Utilize all times of the day, including routine activities such as arrival and dismissal to gather information about children (aka to asses). For example, intentionally plan what you will say, do, and ask when children are lining up, getting their gear on to go outside, putting their snack away, and as you walk with children to the bus or the pick-up area.
Assessment Tip: Learn more about PowerPacks™ and how to intentionally assess (and teach) self-regulation throughout the daily routine. Power Packs™ allow for customized teaching sequences to be delivered consistently by all team members with little or no training during ongoing activities, daily routines, and, of course, during play.
#3 Recognize patterns
Patterns are defined as recurring events, meaning those that repeat in a predictable manner. Unfortunately, all too often, the formal assessments or informal checklists we use to assess children do not help us identify patterns. Rather, they look at skills in isolation and rely upon scoring systems that indicate either the child can or can’t do something. Having fragments of information makes it a challenge to determine why a child may be struggling or why development has stalled. In reality, it is the interplay between the environmental demands and interactions, paired with the interdependence of skills, which develop concurrently, that results in whether or not a child will struggle. Only by looking at patterns, can we sort out the complexities, and find solutions.
Action Step: Similar to efforts, to look for children’s strengths, we need to ensure our assessment practices allow us to identify patterns as to why children are struggling or why development has stalled. For example, we need to look at assessment summaries (written, numerical, and visual) to identify if the underlying issue or concern is with how quickly a child responds, how much assistance he/she requires, how well the child can control impulses, and the extent to which he/she uses skills in a variety of ways, versus a concern with the acquisition of a single or isolated skill.
Assessment Tip: Watch this six minute video with an overview of the pattern we call “time to task” or latency. The pattern of latency, in particular, helps early educators determine how best to support children who take a long time to act, or who act without control or thought.
#4 Relevance keeps you in the game
When children are engaged and interested, they are learning, they act out less, and they are able to show us what they know and can do. Flipping our assessment practices, by being relevant, means learning more about what children’s interests, preferences, and lives outside the classroom. For example, do you know what children like to do on the weekends, what they prefer to eat, who their friends are, and what motivates them? Gathering this type of information will ensure children’s fascination with the experiences we create in the classroom, and that they will seek opportunities to engage with us. When we neglect to base learning experiences upon children’s interests, we find ourselves “bribing,” constantly reminding, and struggling to truly learn what they know and can do.
Action Step: As mentioned previously, arrival and dismissal routines can be great times to gather information about a child. If a family member picks up or drops off, this creates an ideal time to learn more about the child’s life outside the classroom. So, while arrival and dismissal can be busy and driven by the bus schedule, this week see if you and other classroom personnel can slow down, greet children individually, say goodbye to children in a non-rushed way, connect with family members (e.g., through emails, text messages, f2f). Then use this information to keep children engaged and interested throughout the classroom schedule so authentic assessment information can be gathered.
Assessment Tip: Use Reach for the Stars (RFTS), Planning for the Future by Diane Haynes and Jennifer Grisham-Brown. RFTS includes a series of maps that serve as a guide to help families of young children plan and transition during critical periods. The maps also help teams identify individual children’s strengths, talents, and set the vision for the year.
#5 Remember to be present
Based again, upon the work of Barbara Avila, teachers and classroom assistants may find it useful to identify 10 minutes out of each day, where they agree not to talk. Basically, they have to rely on other forms of communication (e.g., gestures, joint attention, body language) to answer questions, interact, and even assess. At the heart of the challenge is wanting teams to learn how to be present, to convey to the child that they are listening, are ready to be a play partner, and to limit the amount of verbal demands and processing they require of children. Keep in mind, of course, we want children to be exposed to meaningful talk; however, there are times when being quiet allows us to build trust, to make connections, and allow children the opportunity to take the lead.
Action Step: Apply the 10-minute “no talking” rule for one week. Remember, there isn’t a right or wrong way to do this exercise, and it certainly doesn’t mean it is “break time.” This is, however, an opportunity to get good information about children, particularly those who are nonverbal, who may struggle with auditory processing, or who may not speak the same language as you. It also gives you an opportunity to model self-regulation skills.
Assessment Tip: For many of us, it is hard not to talk, so, be sure to have a journal, a notebook, or even a digital device close at hand. You may find that taking notes, grabbing a language sample from the child, or capturing a few pictures, gives you something to do other than talk. Keep in mind, however, the intent of the exercise is to be present, so don’t let your note taking or digital device distract you.
Summary of five ways to flip your assessment practices from standardized to personalized:
#1 Rebelieve in the child
#2 Routines reign supreme
#3 Recognize patterns
#4 Relevance keeps you in the game
#5 Remember to be present