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Teachers will pinpoint a child’s position on a given path of development at the beginning of the program year, and then follow up with regular observations of new learning in order to have up-to-date knowledge of a child’s position on a learning path. If you know a child’s current developmental level, and you have an understanding of the developmental sequence (what comes next), you can provide appropriate learning opportunities to promote growth. Developmental assessment takes the guess-work out of lesson planning by allowing you to focus teaching and classroom activities at a level that each child will find challenging without being frustrating.
1. Make your initial or baseline assessment of the child for each scale or developmental area. Once your initial assessment is entered you will immediately begin to get feedback in the form of planning levels.
2. Once you have made your initial assessment for all children, you are ready to begin planning for your next week’s lesson. You will want to preview and print a Class Observation Record.
a. Be sure to select one of the readiness level filters.
b. The Class Observation will provide you with an overall picture of where your class is developmentally. It will help you choose learning goals that most children will be able to obtain.
c. The Class Observation Record displays all the children and their individual readiness level for each capability, based on the assessment results you have entered. You will want to look for “RN” (Ready Now) and find goals that the majority of your children are now developmentally ready. Highlight these goals so you may include them in next week’s lesson plan.
d. For the children who are not developmentally ready for the goals you selected you will want to individualize instruction.
3. Create a lesson plan for next week that articulates to the goals you highlighted in the Class Observation Record.
4. Search for activities to include in your lesson plan.
5. Document the learning you’ve seen children demonstrate while participating in the activities you have provided. Documentation can be done in the Observations by Class page.
6. You are done! Repeat the assessment and planning process outlined above to prepare for next week’s teaching.
Last Updated: 11.15.17