History of tests and measurements
Historically, early childhood assessment was meant to emphasize the significance of the context and the processes involved in the development of children from an early age with a specific focus on interactions, environments, activities, and materials. Interest in carrying out tests and measurement on children from an early age with the objective of understanding their growth and development dates back to the period when childhood was recognized as a distinct period within the life cycle of human growth. The early intentions and concerns of performing childhood assessment were largely motivated by the desire to focus attention on the needs and characteristics of children during the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. In these early days, most researchers were of the view that more focus should have been directed towards studying, assessing, and understanding children with the aim of adopting an education system that can cater for their different individual needs. Years before the nineteenth century, scientists around the world carried out early childhood tests and measurements using observation. To that extent, theorists have been able to develop various developmental concepts with the objective of assessing children about their level of intelligence, attention, and memory among others (Palmer, 2014).
Current test and measurement practices
The new dispensation in childhood education brought with it new reforms that have since been able to place more emphasis on practices associated with current tests and measurements when it comes to monitoring of early childhood growth, development, and education. In the recent past, various efforts towards the enhancement of early childhood education have been accompanied by different current practices of measurement and testing that have been subjected to standardization for the purpose of upholding accountability. Some of these test and measurement practices include achievement tests and competency tests that are meant to determine the extent to which the minimum education standards and desired goals have been attained. Another practice that is associated with the current tests and measurements carried out on children in early childhood education is the performance assessment (McLachlan, 2017).
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In this respect, the practice of performance assessment adopts a technique that is somewhat different from competence assessment in the sense that it takes place in the context of learning and understanding children's accomplishment, skills, and knowledge. Performance assessment in childhood education could be carried out through observation, recording, analysis, and evaluation of children's work or performance. Previously, scientists have argued that the probability of having the practice of performance assessment could significantly lessen invidious comparisons among children since the evaluation of every child often happens about his or her different performance level. In this case, the assessment considers the level and extent to which the performance of a child can conform to the objectives of a given curriculum as opposed to the extent to which there is conformance of performance to the average achievement of a normative group (Palmer, 2014).
Purpose of different assessments
According to Michael (2016), different assessments are carried out on children for different purposes. Developmental assessment plays a crucial role in helping early childhood teachers and instructors to make appropriate planning about the set objectives and the child's strength. This assessment makes it possible for an early childhood teacher or instructor to offer specific activities to a pupil with the aim of supporting his or her development in various areas of learning. Studies have indicated that that developmental assessment in early childhood learning is linked to future academic achievements as well as life-long achievements and successes. Performance assessment assists teachers when it comes to understanding and communicating critical milestones in the child's learning process to his or her family. Furthermore, competence assessments help in the provision of important information to the teachers, instructors, and administrators that are required in improving the quality of programs offered in schools.
Issues with current assessment practices
McLachlan (2017) notes that among the issues associated with the current assessment practices in some institutions of childhood learning where there is a prohibition of disclosure of the outcomes of assessments to anyone apart from the parent and the student. This issue has significantly contributed to reducing the urge and motivation towards competition in classrooms thus lowering the performance of children in such classrooms. Another issue with some of the current assessment practices used in the evaluation of children in early childhood learning is that they focus on the adoption of a generalized technique of measurement and assessment. Such a technique fails to pay attention to the differences in children presented by different cultural backgrounds, limited opportunities, and different socio-economic backgrounds
Informal assessment of students in preparation for formal assessment
A teacher may informally assess the student in preparation for a formal assessment through requiring students to apply their acquired knowledge and skills in different activities and situations with the aim of determining the limitations and strengths. Furthermore, the preparation for formal assessment of students may be achieved by issuing practice tests and carrying out reviews sessions which are essentially different ways of informal assessments. Engaging in practice evaluations is frequently used as an informal way of preparing students for formal assessments since it assists in providing appropriate and relevant designs of tests that support the learning process. Another way through which teachers may carry out an informal assessment of their students is the use of periodic benchmark evaluations that assist in the prediction of student's performance before a formal assessment (Michael, 2016).
References
McLachlan, C. (2017). Assessment in Early Childhood Education . Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0179
Michael, L. S. (2016). (Re)defining “good teaching”: Teacher performance assessments and critical race theory in early childhood teacher education. Contemporary Issues In Early Childhood , 17 (4), 442-446. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1463949116677932
Palmer, A. (2014). The hidden history of early childhood education. History Of Education , 44 (1), 124-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0046760x.2014.945968
