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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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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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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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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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Freebie Friday – Respect
Happy Friday! The further we get into August, the faster the weeks seem to fly by – summer definitely has a way of disappearing before I’m ready for it to end! This week I’ve shared a number ideas for teaching children about friendship, opinions, and respect. Today’s freebie is another related activity to add to your files. This Social Story from For the Love of PreK is all about being kind. I love social stories for preschoolers because they are simple and to the point – the message is clear and easy to repeat throughout the day so that children are consistently reminded of the expectations. Go download your copy…
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Social Emotional Activities for Preschool
Social Emotional skills are a huge part of preschool. Skills like respecting others’ opinions, taking turns, and managing emotions are the foundational skills that children need in order to be successful. These also tend to be the kind of lessons that present themselves in the preschool classroom over and over again, but when asked to put them on a lesson plan, it can be difficult to come up with a planned experience that it actually valuable for your particular group of children. Over the years I’ve created a number of social emotional activities for my students simply because I couldn’t find anything else out there. When I started sharing activities…
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Discussing Opinions with Preschoolers
One of my favorite things about working with preschoolers is that they are just starting to form their own opinions about everything – from what they want to wear to school to how they feel about vegetables. While this makes for interesting conversations, it can also create some friction between classmates as they learn that others don’t necessarily share their opinions. I love to use a question of the day, and I strive for questions that require an extended response because I want my students to think about their answer as they practice the language required for this type of answer. Often, the children get very passionate about their answers.…
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Building Friendships in the Preschool Classroom
For a preschooler, the scariest thing about starting school can be not knowing who you’re going to play with. It’s a very real fear that can cause a lot of anxiety for little ones. This is why I spend so much time throughout the year encouraging children to continue getting to know each other and making sure that they work with people that they may not have chosen to work with on their own. I like to start by helping the children find common interests. We talk about the kinds of toys they enjoy playing with, sports or activities that they participate in, television shows that they like to watch,…
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Helping Preschoolers Feel Comfortable in the Classroom
A huge part of my back to school ritual each year is making sure that my new students feel comfortable in the classroom. When they feel at home they are more likely to build stronger relationships with me, and with each other. Helping children feel comfortable is also the first step in encouraging them to explore and learn. Here are some of my strategies for making sure that my students know that the classroom is their room as much as it is mine: Include them in the classroom set-up process. I rearrange my furniture regularly, to reflect the activities and interests of my students, and each time I move something…
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Friday Freebie – Tech Resources
Happy Friday! This week I’ve shared my favorite resource books for the classroom, and today’s freebie includes a ton of additional resources for you to explore. oday’s freebie is another great resource for teachers, this E-book is full links to different sites that are perfect for teachers. There are sites to use with children in the classroom, sites that are perfect for communicating with parents, sites that can help with lesson planning, and sites that are ideal for online storage and file sharing. Download your copy and take some time to explore, you just might find something that will make next year a whole lot easier!
