15.6: Assessing Children’s Growth and Development

Although the terms assessment and evaluation are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings in early childhood education. Assessment refers to the process of gathering information about children in order to make educational decisions and better support learning and development. Evaluation, on the other hand, involves making judgments about the value, effectiveness, or quality of educational programs, materials, policies, or teaching practices.

In early childhood programs, assessment is an important tool used to understand children’s development, interests, strengths, and learning needs. Information gathered through assessment helps educators plan curriculum experiences, individualize instruction, and create supportive learning environments that respond to each child’s unique development.

The curriculum plan for an early childhood program is typically developed by the administrator in collaboration with the teaching staff. Likewise, the assessment plan is ultimately the responsibility of the administrator. Administrators must ensure that assessment practices align with the program’s curriculum, philosophy, and goals while remaining appropriate for the children being served.

Assessment plans should emphasize the needs and interests of each child and must be:

• Developmentally appropriate
• Culturally responsive
• Linguistically appropriate
• Inclusive of diverse abilities and backgrounds

The major goals of early childhood programs often center around supporting children’s growth and development across all developmental domains. Assessment helps educators better understand children’s progress while also helping programs demonstrate the effectiveness of their educational practices and child outcomes.

Assessing young children’s development has long been an important responsibility within early childhood education. However, assessment practices can sometimes be overlooked if administrators do not actively ensure that assessment is incorporated into the program. Without proper oversight, assessment may fail to occur consistently or may be conducted in ways that are inappropriate for young children.

Child assessment may involve:

• An individual child
• A classroom or group of children
• All children enrolled in a program
• Children participating in a funded initiative or agency-supported program

Administrators must ensure there is a valid and ethical reason for conducting assessments. Assessment practices should never be harmful, stressful, or detrimental to children. In addition, programs should obtain family consent for assessment practices as part of the enrollment and registration process. Families should understand how information will be gathered, used, stored, and shared.

Effective child assessment should support children’s learning and well-being while helping educators and administrators make informed decisions that strengthen the quality of the program.

Connecting Professional Guidelines to Assessment and Standards

Professional organizations play an important role in guiding developmentally appropriate assessment practices in early childhood education. National Association for the Education of Young Children and other professional organizations have developed position statements and recommendations that help programs create ethical, effective, and appropriate assessment systems for young children.

One important joint position statement published by NAEYC is Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation: Building an Effective, Accountable System in Programs for Children Birth Through Age 8. This statement emphasizes the importance of making ethical, appropriate, valid, and developmentally informed decisions when assessing young children.

Early childhood administrators and educators should remain informed about newly updated professional statements, guidelines, and assessment tools provided by organizations such as NAEYC. These resources help programs implement assessment practices that support children’s learning and overall development while avoiding inappropriate expectations for young children.

Because many states have established academic standards for K–12 education, early childhood programs have also experienced increased attention regarding learning standards and assessment practices. Most states now have early learning or preschool standards that outline developmental goals for young children. Assessment related to these standards has become increasingly important to politicians, funding agencies, families, media, and educators.

At the same time, early childhood professionals continue to advocate for developmentally appropriate, play-based education. Research consistently supports the idea that young children learn best through hands-on exploration, relationships, active engagement, and meaningful play experiences. Academic goals can still be achieved within play-based environments while also supporting social-emotional development, creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Assessment practices for young children should look very different from assessment practices used with older school-age children. Young children are still rapidly developing socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and linguistically. Because of this, assessment should occur naturally through observation, play, conversations, and authentic learning experiences rather than relying heavily on formal testing methods.

Assessment results should be used to:

• Guide curriculum planning
• Modify teaching strategies
• Identify areas where additional support may be needed
• Determine professional development needs
• Improve program quality for children and families

Assessment should not be used to shame, label, or unfairly judge children, families, educators, or programs. The goal is to better understand children’s development and strengthen educational practices.

Administrators also play an important role in helping families, community members, and funding agencies understand how early childhood curriculum and assessment practices support children’s learning. Some individuals may incorrectly assume that children are “just playing” in early childhood classrooms. Administrators and educators can help dispel these myths by explaining how play supports learning across all developmental and academic areas, including:

• Mathematics
• Science
• Literacy and language
• Social studies
• Creative expression
• Social-emotional development
• Physical development

Early childhood programs should also continue emphasizing the importance of social-emotional development and children’s overall well-being. Assessment should focus on supporting children as whole human beings rather than concentrating only on academic performance.

It is important for administrators and educators to recognize that there is increasing pressure from society to measure children’s learning using more academic approaches. Developing a clear assessment policy that aligns with the program’s philosophy can help create shared understanding among staff and families. Including assessment policies in family and staff handbooks can help communicate the program’s beliefs, goals, and methods regarding child assessment.

Finally, administrators and educators must recognize that children’s development is influenced by many interconnected factors beyond the early childhood program itself. Family relationships, culture, language, nutrition, health, life experiences, and community environments all influence children’s growth and development. Because development is shaped by many variables working together, it is often difficult to attribute a child’s progress to only one factor, such as a particular preschool or child care experience.