assessment
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
I originally shared this post a couple of years ago, and it has been the most popular post that I’ve ever written. I can understand why – we all want easy solutions to conferences and documentation, but no one wants to pay for the expensive platforms that curriculum companies have available. This system is my DIY version of that kind of system. Since most parents are a lot more comfortable with google drive and PDF documents it’s been the best way to share information! Here’s the rest of that original post: I’ve always used three-ring binders to compile my students’ portfolios, but this year my classroom did not have the…
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Free Developmental Screening Tool
Yesterday I shared some checklists that you can use to introduce families to developmental milestones, today I have a great way to complete developmental screenings. I just found out that Easter Seals has a wonderful program called Make the First Five Count, and part of that program is to make sure that families have access to developmental screening. Parents can go to their website and complete an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Within a couple of days the results of the questionnaire will be sent directly to their email. They can also print a hard copy of the screening tool so that they can fill it out and share it…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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Understanding Developmental Milestones
One of the most common questions that I hear from parents is “when will my child be able to…” I usually don’t have the answer right off the top of my head because that’s a lot to remember, but I always know where to refer them. Whenever someone asks me about developmental milestones I give them the information for the CDC’s Developmental Milestones Checklists. These one page checklists are perfect for including in your newsletters or reviewing at conferences because they are easy to use and understand. They are available in English and Spanish, and the website also has photos and videos for each milestone so that families can see…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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Friday Freebie – Anecdotal Notes
Happy Friday! August has flown by, and while I hate to see summer go I’m definitely ready for Labor Day weekend. Here’s hoping the next week goes fast! This week I shared some tips and products to help you with assessments, so I felt like an assessment freebie was in order. This anecdotal note file helps you organize and track all of the information that you need in order to assess and plan for individual students. Go download your copy and have a wonderful weekend!
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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Using assessment results for planning
Preschool assessments are becoming the new norm, and there are a couple of reasons for this; Quality rating systems require programs to use them. Parents want to see that their children are learning and that they will be prepared for kindergarten. Beyond these main reasons, assessments can also be valuable tools for teachers to use when planning learning experiences for the children in their classes. Assessments tell you which areas children are excelling in, and where they need continued improvement. You can use this information to select and develop activities that allow children to be successful while still working on necessary skills. For example, if your assessment results indicate…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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Sharing Assessment Results with Families
Assessment in preschool is definitely a thing – it’s a huge part of what early childhood educators do every day, but most casual observers would never know that. This is because it’s not obvious. As teachers it important to be able to explain this unique assessment process to parents and family members so that they have a clear understanding of how we know what skills and concepts their child has mastered. There are two things that make preschool assessments just a little different;First, preschool assessments should be formative assessments. This simply means that you are using the results of any assessment to plan further activities and learning experiences. These assessment results help…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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My favorite assessment products
Teachers Pay Teachers is having a back to school boost sale today! Usually when there is a sale I like to share what’s on my wishlist, along with some of my favorite products from my store. Since I already did that here and here, I thought I’d share my favorite assessment products so that you can see what I use. Infant/Toddler Portfolio Pack: This product includes portfolio pages based on Early Learning Development Standards for Infants and Toddlers. Portfolio pages cover the following domains; Cognitive skills and general knowledge (including math, science, and social studies), Language and Literacy, Social Emotional Development, Physical Motor Development, Approaches towards learning (initiative, curiosity, etc.),…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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What does assessment evidence look like in preschool?
Preschool assessments are different than the types of assessments we tend to see in elementary classrooms. They don’t require testing the children in the traditional sense, because we don’t expect our preschoolers to be able to sit down and answer multiple choice questions. There are other ways of determining what preschoolers know, and which skills they have mastered. These other strategies always produce evidence that we can use to support our total picture of a particular child. So what exactly does this evidence look like? It can take a variety of different forms, including; Artwork that children have created Photos of children participating in class activities Writing samples Cutting samples…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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Friday Freebie – Anecdotal Notes
Happy Friday! I’ve noticed that summer weeks seem to fly by a lot faster than the rest of the weeks throughout the year. Today’s freebie is for those of you who’ve already begun to think about next year’s assessment systems. I’ve been talking about this subject all week so I wanted to share my anecdotal notes freebie with you. This is an easy way to track and organize your anecdotal notes and other important information. Check it out before enjoying your weekend!
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
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Assessment strategies for preschool
My first “real” job was teaching toddlers at a NAEYC accredited child care center, so I jumped right into a position that required teachers to complete assessments for every child, I’ve never NOT done assessment. So over the years I’ve come up with some strategies that have helped me keep track of all of the evidence and data. Within the last couple of years I’ve turned some of those strategies into really great products that you can get from my TPT store, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, or use your valuable time developing these things on your own! Here are my favorites: If you’re looking for a complete…
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Google Drive Student Portfolios
