Spotlight on Young Children


Book Description

The debate surrounding testing and accountability in early childhood education continues, but one thing is universally agreed upon: effective observation and assessment of young children's learning are critical to supporting their development. Educators balance what they know about child development with observation and assessment approaches that both inform and improve the curriculum. This foundational resource for all educators of children from birth through third grade explores What observation and assessment are, why to use them, and how Ways to integrate documentation, observation, and assessment into the daily routine Practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive Ways to engage families in observation and assessment processes How to effectively share children's learning with families, administrators, and others Find inspiration to intentionally develop and implement meaningful, developmentally appropriate observation and assessment practices to build responsive, joyful classrooms.




Developing High Quality Observation, Assessment and Planning in the Early Years


Book Description

What is meant by high quality observation in the early years? How do you devise effective next steps for young children that build on their interests? How do you ensure that you meet the needs of all the children in your care? Offering a fresh approach, this practical toolkit offers a complete guide to observation, planning and assessment in the early years. It clearly explains the principles of good practice in this area and provides training tools to help practitioners develop their knowledge and skills and embed these principles into their setting. The focus throughout is on helping practitioners to create their own systems for observation, planning and assessment that are appropriate for the children they work with. All the material in the book has been fully tried, tested and proven to work and the methods described can be tailored to meet the needs of individual practitioners. Featuring a wide range of case studies to illustrate how the principles work in practice, the book includes: Making effective observations and assessments Recognising the characteristics of effective learning Ways to engage parents in their children’s learning How to identify next steps and learning priorities Dealing with barriers and maintaining quality over time With fully photocopiable resources throughout and including downloadable training sessions to accompany the book, this is an essential toolkit for all early years managers, leaders and those involved in setting support.




School-Based Observation


Book Description

Widely used to assess social–emotional and behavioral referral concerns in grades PreK–12, systematic direct observation is an essential skill for school psychologists and other educators. This accessible book helps practitioners conduct reliable, accurate observations using the best available tools. Chapters present effective coding systems for assessing student classroom behavior, the classroom environment, behavior in non-classroom settings, and behavior in a functional assessment context; also provided are guidelines for developing new codes when an appropriate one does not already exist. Procedures for summarizing, graphing, and interpreting data for different assessment purposes are detailed. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes 13 reproducible coding forms. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials. This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.




Observing Young Children


Book Description

This fully revised second edition of Observing, Assessing and Planning for Children in the Early Years provides a detailed analysis of what is meant by the observation of young learners and why this is so vital to early years practitioners and students. In this accessible and insightful text, Sandra Smidt examines the various theories of how young children develop and learn, which have been put forward by thinkers and writers across time and place so the reader has a genuinely global view of early childhood. She then highlights how important it is for practitioners in schools, nurseries and settings to think carefully about what they have seen and heard in light of what they, as adults, already know about the children and their learning. Also included in this text is a helpful ‘Try Your Hand’ section where readers are invited to make their own judgements about what they have read, as well as a section on observing and assessing not only the nursery-aged children but also babies and toddlers.




Special Needs and Early Years


Book Description

Previous ed.: London: Paul Chapman, 2006.




Classroom Observation


Book Description

Classroom Observation explores the pivotal role of lesson observation in the training, assessment and development of new and experienced teachers. Offering practical guidance and detailed insight on an aspect of training that is a source of anxiety for many teachers, this thought-provoking book offers a critical analysis of the place, role and nature of lesson observation in the lives of education professionals. Illustrated throughout with practical examples from a range of education settings, it considers observation as a means of assessing teaching and learning and also as a way of developing teachers’ skills and knowledge. Key topics include: The purposes and uses of lesson observation The socio-political and historical context in which lesson observation has developed Practical guidance on a range of observation models and methods Teacher autonomy and professional identity Performance management, professional standards and accountability Peer observation, self-observation and critical reflection Using video in lesson observation. Written for all student and practising teachers as well teacher educators and those engaged in educational research, Classroom Observation is an essential introduction to how we observe, why we observe and how it can be best used to improve teaching and learning.




Observation and Assessment


Book Description

Description of various methods of observing and recording the behavior of young children.




Focused Observations


Book Description

Observe and document children’s development in systematic, purposeful ways that provide complete pictures of their progress and supports curriculum planning.




Geriatric Physical Diagnosis


Book Description

Informed by more than thirty years of experience, this guide provides a wealth of insight into the clinical observation, diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients. Organized geographically from (literally) head to toes, it concentrates on the basic geriatric physical examination with each chapter providing general information as well as helpful approaches to specific regional complaints. Emphasis is placed on assisting the dedicated clinician in becoming a more perceptive observer of elderly patients with honed skills in geriatric bedside diagnostic evaluation. The text also includes historical vignettes and anecdotes of great physical diagnosticians to demonstrate the evolution of clinical skills. Tables and line drawings complement the text. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.




Early Childhood Assessment


Book Description

The assessment of young children's development and learning has recently taken on new importance. Private and government organizations are developing programs to enhance the school readiness of all young children, especially children from economically disadvantaged homes and communities and children with special needs. Well-planned and effective assessment can inform teaching and program improvement, and contribute to better outcomes for children. This book affirms that assessments can make crucial contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used appropriately. Otherwise, assessment of children and programs can have negative consequences for both. The value of assessments therefore requires fundamental attention to their purpose and the design of the larger systems in which they are used. Early Childhood Assessment addresses these issues by identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5 and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments for developmental assessments.