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The assessment provides us, teachers, parents, and families with critical information about a child's development and growth. Assessment can:

• I Provide a record of growth in all developmental areas: cognitive, physical/motor, language, social-emotional, and approaches to learning.
• I Identify children who may need additional support and determine if there is a need for intervention or support services.
• I Help us to plan individualized instruction for a child or for a group of children that are at the same stage of development.
• I Identify the strengths and weaknesses within a program and information on how well we and/or the program meets the goals and needs of the children.
• Provide a common ground between us and parents or families to use in collaborating on a strategy to support the children.

I have good experiences with

• Observationsbecause it can be made with minimal or no intrusion into children's activities. We can observe all facets of development, including intellectual, linguistic, social-emotional, and physical development, on a regular basis.
• Portfoliosare a record of data that is collected through the work children have produced over a period. The collection clearly shows the progress of a child's development. Portfolios can be an important tool in helping facilitate a partnership between teachers and parents.

I do not have such a good experience with

• Parent Ratingsintegrate parents into the assessment process. Parents who are encouraged to observe and listen to their child can help detect and target important milestones and behaviors in their child's development. However, sometimes parents don't send exactly what we are targeting.
• Standardized Testsare tests created to fit a set of testing standards. These tests are administered and scored in a standard manner and are often used to assess the performance of children in a program, but do show any authenticity or child creativity.
• References
• Bracken, B. A. (2004).The Psychoeducational assessment of preschool children. Taylor & Francis.
• Garro, A. (2016).Early childhood assessment in school and clinical child psychology. Springer.