I've been asked to share my assessments and those that I use. Assessments are snapshots of a child's current ability to perform a certain skill. This can show normal development, regression or advancement in the different areas. It can also identify areas of concern or where additional support may be needed. Providers see children for many hours every day, can compare them to current and former students, and see them in a variety of motor, cognitive and emotional/social situations. Often providers are the first to notice a potential developmental issue. Assessments give an additional, unbiased, tool in determining developmental growth. Parents are often resistant to being told that there may be something wrong with their child, even if they feel in their gut that this is true. Please seek assistance in presenting concerns to them, and do so delicately and factually, without opinion or unprofessional diagnosis. If not trained, then please do not rely on any informal assessment as an indicator of developmental concern. If you feel there is some indication that a child is delayed, then please provide the parents specific things you have observed and assessment results, and encourage them to ask their pediatrician and/or to take their child for professional assessment. In the United States, developmental screenings are free through the school districts and if concerns are found, resources are made available for professional interventions. These are the types of assessments I utilize and have included below: Developmental Profiles ASQ Journal Assessment Preschool Skill Assessment Reading Assessments Multiple Intelligence Assessment Giftedness Assessment Autism Assessment ADD/ADHD Learning Styles Assessment Personality Assessment Since my formal education is in Human Resources, I have master's level classes behind me in creating, implementing and utilizing assessments. I'm sure that's why I have always used them since doing care. It was just something I KNEW to do. HOWEVER, please keep in mind that every child is different, develops at a different rate, and has personality traits that drastically impact each one's progress. Additionally, children often take two steps forward, one step back, a cha-cha to the left, and a polka to the right as they meander or zip or leap along the path of development. That path, though, is linear. All children follow a very prescribed path of development. Only their steps along it vary. Note as well, that a child's brain focuses on EITHER motor skills or language skills at any given time, and not both at once. For most children, it switches between the two skill sets regularly, so that their motor and language skills stay in relative sinc as they mature. Some children, though, may be so focused on one or the other that they become exceptional at motor skills and seem delayed in language, OR they become exceptional in language and seem delayed in motor skills. When the brain is focusing on one area or the other, a child may seem to LOSE some of the other set of skills. For instance, they can stop speaking as well or as often when learning a new motor skill. Or, they can seem to become clumsy as they focus on new language skills. This is normal. As long as a child is noticeably progressing in one area or the other, there is usually no reason for concern in the pre-school years. DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILES Developmental profiles specify the type of development that is usually observed in an average child at a specific age in the areas of motor, cognitive, language and social/emotional growth. As I said, development is linear. Children normally progress at a very steady pace along the developmental path. That progress can be assessed through developmental profiles/checklists. Mine are set up for 3 month, 6 month, 9 month and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 year evaluations. Since mine are a compilation taken directly from three texts, I can not publish them. However, there are others out there available for your use. While mine are much more in-depth than this one from Syracuse University, I think it is a WONDERFUL one for providers to use, especially since it is based in part upon ASQ and is relatively short and easy to complete. If you would like to explore the subject more, and create more in-depth assessments like mine, this is the book that I own and would HIGHLY recommend. It is pricey, but you may be able to get your local library to purchase it for you to borrow. Since this was a text book I had when I went back for some Early Childhood Education college credits, it's simply just what I have always used. I felt it was important that I make my own developmental assessments that went farther than age 5, since my students have historically had skills FAR beyond what was covered in a normal checklist. Hence the need for me to have profiles up to age 7. My current pre-k students are 4-5 years old and are working at a 2nd grade level. I've been able to track that advanced progress since they arrived as babies, noting skills they may be accomplishing one to two years ahead. For instance, little Miss H just turned 3, but has been swinging independently on a swing for over 6 months. That is a developmental checklist item for age 5. By having all the developmental profiles/checklists, I can mark off that skill and the date at which I first observed it and the date when I viewed it as mastered. 16 Gestures by 16 Months "Research with young children indicates that the development of gestures from 9 to 16 months predicts language ability two years later, which is significant because preschool language skills predict academic success. Find out what gestures children should be learning each month from 9 to 16 months. By 16 months, children should use at least 16 gestures." 9 months: give, shake head 10 months: reach, raise arms 11 months: show, wave 12 months: open-hand point, tap 13 months: clap, blow a kiss 14 months: index finger point, "shhh" gesture 15 months: head nod, thumbs up, hand up 16 months: other symbolic gestures like high 5, fist bump, etc. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/baby-and-toddler-milestones-16-gestures-16-months ASQ Unlike the developmental profiles/checklists that you can use at any time and track progression over the years, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires are very simple, accurate professional assessment tools conducted at very specific ages. ASQ certification is being offered to child care providers through a very short training session. This is one of the assessments most often performed through the school districts and is offered by some pediatricians. Even if you aren't trained, this one is pretty idiot-proof, and this link has them all, 2 months through 5 years, broken down by 2 month intervals through age 2 and pacing farther out through age 5. It also includes a listing of intervention activities. It's a good one for the parents as well. Some states mandate that the ASQ be conducted by child care professionals on the children in their care. I can see this being expanded to other states. JOURNAL ASSESSMENTS Scheduled journaling provides a snapshot of a child's fine motor and cognitive advancement. We journal every Monday starting as soon as they can hold a crayon and not eat all of it. They draw a picture and when done, I ask them to tell me about it and journal their response at the bottom. Above my desk I keep these two assessment matrices for reference. From HeidiSongs: From Susan Donley: This topic was covered thoroughly in my writing post, so you can get more information there. For assessment purposes, though, I am looking for leaps in development as they start including in their drawings lines, circles, shapes, letters, recognizable figures, recognizable scenery, signage, notes, etc. and assessing whether their progress is in line with development for their age. PRESCHOOL ASSESSMENTS My initial preschool assessment was based upon the first one my son had received from kindergarten. Since my goal was to have my students kindergarten ready when they graduated pre-k, I felt that was a good starting point. Since then, it has been DRASTICALLY overhauled, since I teach a lot of skills that were not on it. Even now, I am tweaking it to add even more skills that these children are accomplishing that previous students have not. It is always a work in progress. The Progress Report, cutting assessment sheets, and all master assessment sheets are available for FREE via my TPT Store. On the back side, I have the children draw a self portrait and write their names. On the side, I note the physical features they point out. The goal is to have a self-portrait with at least 5 identifiable features before kindergarten. At the bottom, I have room to make notes. I also do 2 cutting assessments. The second one, is a cut and paste activity. On this one, in addition to the cutting, I am assessing their placement choice in how they utilize the space given on the assessment sheet. To do these preschool assessments, I have master assessment sheets that I have in a binder, such as this one for identification of numbers 1-20. We do these over several days, and I always ask if they WANT to do them and let them choose which area they want to do. Between subjects, I ask if they wish to continue. I make it pretty fun, and they like to show off what they know. If they get them all correct for two assessments in a row, I consider the item mastered and will not assess it again. On the Progress Report form is a place for how many of the 120 graphemes the child knows I did not include a list. If you know what it is, then you probably don't need one, and if you don't, then you probably need to read up on it some. Debbie Hepplewhite has a good listing of the 44 phenomes and 120 graphemes to reference. Most of these are covered in the Now I'm Reading! series that we use. She also has some wonderful teaching resources at her website Phonics International. Additional information is included with the file. It is a Word file, so you will need that program to open. READING ASSESSMENTS I use the emergent reading program I Can Read! by Nora Gaydos and am aware of where the children are at any given time while doing this program. Once completed, they move on to more advanced readers. While Grade Level Equivalent and Lexile scores of the books they read can give some indication of a child's reading level, often at the preschool level they simply prefer books with more pictures, or books of a certain genre, or to not push themselves. So, their actual reading level can be masked. The reading program All About Reading just happens to have FREE reading assessments for each of their levels, pre-reader through level 4. I just tested one of my pre-k students by having her read all of the bold words and phrases in a particular assessment and checking the other criteria against what I have observed her knowing. It was a very good tool. The assessments are about half way down the page. Sonlight curriculum also has a good reading assessment. It is a single assessment that builds in complexity until the child reveals their level. There are two reading assessments available on A2Zhomeschooling.com. One is the San Diego Quick Reading Assessment Test. These tests are simple read throughs until the child gets stuck, and that shows their level. KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT If you are simply wondering if a child has all the components in place to be successful in kindergarten, there are many checklists available for this assessment. This one from Education.com seems to be pretty inclusive. Just Google "kindergarten readiness checklist" for a ton more options. MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT All children have different strengths and weaknesses. Laura Candler has a FREE multiple intelligences assessment available at her TPT store. I used this on my son and it was nice to have my suspicions confirmed. It's easy to use. Mrs. Hugh's Place also has several downloadable pdf files on multiple intelligence. GIFTEDNESS ASSESSMENT It is often not possible to assess for giftedness in the preschool years and most school districts will not do so until at least half way through first grade. Usually giftedness shows itself through speaking and reading at a very young age in comparison to the norm. However, this chart gives some other good indicators as to whether a child may be gifted. Here's an on-line quiz that asks questions about 2 year-olds to determine potential giftedness. There is also a post on this site where I discuss the differences I see in normal vs. advanced vs. gifted preschoolers. AUTISM ASSESSMENT Early signs of autism can often be detected in infants as young as 6-18 months. For example, if a baby fixates on objects or does not respond to people, he or she may be exhibiting early signs of an autism spectrum disorder. Older babies and toddlers may fail to respond to their names, avoid eye contact, lack joint attention (sharing an experience of observing an object or event by gazing or pointing), or engage in repetitive movements such as rocking or arm flapping. They may play with toys in unusual ways, like lining them up or focusing on parts of toys rather than the whole. - Autism Science Foundation An early assessment tool that can be used as early as 6 months is the head lag assessment. The link includes information and a video of how it is done. While this is not at all something that I would discuss with parents or use as a basis to form a strong opinion, in doing this at 6 months, I can see if there is an issue with motor control, work with that, and if it doesn't correct, then I keep in the back of my mind that this could be a potential issue. Many providers wonder if a child is showing signs of potentially having autism. Again, most parents do NOT want to hear that there may be something wrong with their child. This is more to make sure that YOU are possibly on the right track and can begin to make note to the parents of specific, observable behavior that may indicate an issue. This is the full FREE Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers. ADD/ADHD ASSESSMENT This is a fairly comprehensive questionnaire, by Dr. Amen on his site Soul Healers, that determines the 7 types of ADD/ADHD a person can have. The questions are relevant for children to adults. LEARNING STYLE ASSESSMENT While I try to incorporate ALL learning styles into my teaching, if I feel that I'm just not reaching a particular student, I will do a learning style assessment to ensure that my methods are appropriate for that child, or if I need to tweak my teaching to better address that particular child's learning. This one is from Scholastic for ages 3-5 years old. PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT I LOVE this Harkey-Jourgensen Early Childhood Temperament Sorter for ages 4-8 personality assessment by Parenting by Temperament. I think every time I've done it, it has come out spot on for the child. It uses the same types as the Myer's Briggs Personality Type that is usually given in corporations. It just gives an additional insight into a child's temperament and the website is excellent for guiding you when your personality may not be the best match for the child in your care, and how to handle issues that may arise. It is also good for parents who may have a personality type drastically different from their child. They can see that their child is different, not JUST acting up. There is also a teen and adult version, also FREE. RESOURCES: Phonological Awareness has games to teach specific sounds. Reading Rockets has excellent information on how to read so children will learn. The Child Whisperer 4 personality types of children. Tags: reading, assessment, preschool assessment, infant assessment, toddler assessment, infant, toddler, parenting, child care, preschool, pre-k, daycare, developmental assessment, teaching, why is my toddler, is my toddler,
Have you ever wondered if a gifted language arts curriculum could be a good fit for your homeschool even though your kids aren't necessarily gifted?
Explore our comprehensive collection of classroom resources, including classroom posters, engaging activities, classroom management techniques, and more. Enhance your teaching and inspire your students with these valuable insights.
Gifted students in the classroom can sometimes be a challenge. But, here are some ways to excite, challenge and inspire them!
source Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
Differentiation and scaffolding can help students better understand and learn. Here are teaching ideas and tips to use in class.
Learn fun literacy and math ideas.
The simple formula that will turn your child into a lifelong learner.
Why I teach comics.
Most children are afraid to fail and, as parents and teachers, we naturally want our children to succeed. But what if we recognized failure is good and a crucial step on the path to learning? Here are 7 ways to teach children about the gift of failure, and how to do it skillfully.
Via Heather Peretz
Project Based Learning...Good for One, Good for ALL explains the research supporting PBL for all students as well as how to get started. Learn how PBL will help ALL of your students grow as readers and writers.
Differentiation is a word that makes some teachers shudder, but we know it’s important, so let’s get it right.
The Importance of a Challenge for GT Science Students There are usually one or two…and sometimes a whole cluster! I love the GT kids. We must remember to make special considerations with them in the science classroom. While the gifted and talented student may be a “teacher’s helper” at times and lead their groups, it ... Read more
How do I Teach My Visual Spatial Learner Math? Our struggles through math and how we battle every single day with a visual spatial learner
Explore our comprehensive collection of classroom resources, including classroom posters, engaging activities, classroom management techniques, and more. Enhance your teaching and inspire your students with these valuable insights.
One of the hallmarks of giftedness is the need to learn new things constantly. YouTube is a great tool for the gifted parent's tool box!
Last summer I attended a GT training and was introduced to choice boards! I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! I think that students are more engaged and even challenge themselves more when they are given choices. The great thing is....they aren't just for GT students. Choice boards work similar to tic-tac-toe; the student completes 3 activities in a row {up, down, diagonal} They can be adapted for ALL students and actually lend themselves well to differentiated instruction. On Tuesday, I will be attending another GT training specifically on choice boards and differentiated instruction {I'm super pumped about it!} I can't wait to learn more about these learning tools! {I promise to share what I learn!} Choice boards can be set up in many different ways. You can base them off of abilities, learning styles, intelligences, and even levels of questioning. I have found it easier, if I focus on just one of these types. When creating the board, you want to plan out what type of activity each square will focus on. {You don't want to have 2 of the same type of activities in a row} The goal of the CBs are to have equally acceptable activities that you want the students to complete that are similar end products, but have varying ways to accomplish the final product. {For example, you are studying the Alamo. Students could choose activities from writing a diary from the viewpoint of being in the battle, recreating a model of the Alamo, creating a movie, etc.}The wonderful thing about CBs though...students can choose an activity they are willing to complete {taking into consideration their own likes/learning style/intelligence}, but they will have 2 other activities they will need to complete that will focus on other skills that they possibly may need to strengthen {but at the very least they're practicing other skills}! It's a win-win situation! I recently put the choice boards I created for my homework reader's responses in my shop. My students are required to read 20 min nightly, however I found that many of them weren't really reading every night! These choice boards give student's different options to respond to their books, while focusing on varying skills. I've also included 4 blank {editable} choice boards so that you can create your own boards! .....And I used the adorable sneakers clipart to jazz them up from KPM Doodles {love her stuff!} Here is an example template of how to begin creating a choice board based on Multiple Intelligences: Source: Dare to Differentiate Here are some great resources: Dare to Differentiate (AWESOME site for resources!) PVUSD Choices based on intelligence
Idioms learning tool: Idiom Posters - 34 different idioms are illustrated and defined in this poster set. 8 1/2 x 11 inches, full color. Use them to decorate your room or use them for writing prompts or discussions. These idioms are a mix of basic and more advanced ideas, so check out the list to make sure they are appropriate for your students. Great for older ESL students. This product is part of a money-saving bundle: Idiom Resource Bundle A set of matching cards are available here: Idiom Matching Cards A drop in the bucket All bark and no bite Smell a rat Pull someone's leg The last straw On pins and needles Lend me your ear A taste of your own medicine Biting off more than you can chew Elvis has left the building It's all Greek to me Let the cat out of the bag On the same page High on the hog Hit the hay Pass the buck Don't cry over spilled milk Everything but the kitchen sink Don't put all your eggs in one basket It takes two to tango Don't look a gift horse in the mouth Got up on the wrong side of the bed Tie the knot A leopard can't change its spots We're all in the same boat Bend over backwards Stealing someone's thunder Hold your horses Apple of my eye Driving me up a wall A blessing in disguise Go the extra mile On the fence Sick as a dog You might also like: Idiom Task Cards and Worksheets 20 Figurative Language Posters 42 Figurative Language Posters
What if your next unit were self-grading and had students clamoring to work ahead? Yep, you read that right. Your next unit, whether it's skills or facts, could be presented to students in a visible trail of learning that compels them to keep moving forward. In fact, in our classroom, we're doing a game board system for GRAMMAR, and students are doing above the minimum to compete, succeed, and be creative. I've been slowly improving this system for five years in my classroom, and it has manifested into a really cool grammar program for my seventh and eighth graders. Now, I'm finally ready to share it with you. What madness is this? As any quick Google or Edutopia search will tell you, game-based learning is hot right now. A lot of people are looking at different styles of gaming to think about how we can hack the brain's motivation, reward, and learning cycles to help our students make engaged progress. My take on gaming is a basic one, at least for now, but it works. The game board I created is basically the full cycle of learning in disguise: introduce new information, practice, formative assessment, respond to assessment, and repeat... until a final summative assessment happens at the end of the unit or academic term. ...But when presented in the game board, suddenly all this learning isn't just a pile of work anymore - it's a compelling trail that makes students say things like "Challenge accepted!" Example 1: Grammar When I teach The Grammar House Cup, students follow a learning sequence for each grammar topic, gathering "points" for their houses along the way. (Learn more in this blog post.) Example 2: Essay Writing What if you sequenced your "game board" to teach all the parts of an essay, alternating between instruction and writing? The game board could have built-in checkpoints so that you are giving rough draft feedback (OR actually grading the essay pieces) as you go! It also opens up self-paced learning and a writing workshop format. Get the EDITABLE templates! I hope you've been inspired to think of options for how you could reframe or reformat your teaching and learning sequence! Check out my game board download on Teachers Pay Teachers if you want to try a game board program out for yourself! What do you think of this game board madness? Tell me in the comments below!
Teaching vocabulary to your gifted students is something you ay have pushed aside, but it is SO important for them! Read this second post in my series about how I teach vocabulary from start to finish!
Last week, I blogged about Bloom's Taxonomy and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). (See April 2, 2012.) My friend, Andrea, over at One Teacher's Take...is Another's Treasure commented that she also uses Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels and Marzano's Dimensions of Thinking, both of which are new to me. So, I immediately googled them. Here's what I found. . . Webb's DOK Levels look like this: What I like about Webb's model is the 4 levels versus Bloom's 6. It's always nice to condense things, isn't it? At least in my realm of preparing dozens of lesson plans each day, less is more! The 4 level descriptors (the inner circle) boast newer and somewhat clearer concepts. Then my eye wanders over the outer circle. Ouch! Another sea of verbs to swim through. The 4th level, presumably the quarter in which we strive to spend most of our time, is curiously short on verbs compared to the other 75%. Are those 8 verbs/phrases just more succinct? Or, do they reflect the limitations foisted upon teachers by the Common Core of Teaching Standards, standardized testing, and uniform time lines? Surely that triad has bearing on it. Perhaps there is more to be considered, however. Is the 4th level truly where teachers strive to be? I hope, in my heart of hearts, that the answer is YES. However, it is possible that some, if not many, teachers find little motivation to work on level 4. Their efforts are not evaluated by standardized tests, depriving them of extrinsic approval. Paychecks remain static whether teachers push their students toward extended learning or not. Indeed, rewards are esoteric. Certainly the dedicated, professional teacher experiences intrinsic satisfaction. S/he may even be fortunate enough to receive accolades from students, parents, colleagues, and/or administrators. Is that enough? In a future blog, I'll discuss Marzano's Depth of Knowledge Levels. Until then, I'd love to hear your thoughts about teaching HOTS.
Anyone who knows me, reads this blog, or uses my resources knows that I am passionate about differentiation. I think that is because I grew ...
Hello Everyone! It is so nice to have time to put some finishing touches on a couple of units that we have coming up! Another historical figure we will study after Eleanor Roosevelt is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a nation we celebrate his life daily! Thank you Dr. King! Officially we celebrate on the third Monday of January. I have posted about our activities before, but I went through and cleaned up, and added to my unit. Here are some pics from the updated unit! If you would like the 30 page free printable unit CLICK HERE!! :) My second offering for today is a unit our curriculum team worked on this summer. We had fun integrating reading and social studies and are finding it a natural way to teach and get everything in. This next unit is about other important historical figures. It includes posters about Alexander Graham Bell, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Garrett Morgan, and Richard Allen along with reading strategy practice activities. It also includes an invention home project packet for kids. The unit ended up to be over 50 pages! I am excited to include this unit in our curriculum in a few weeks!! Here are a few pics from the unit! For your free 52 page Inventors Unit CLICK HERE!! :) So glad I had time to share these endeavors! Hope you can use at least parts of either one! It is my joy to be able to share and help your journey in the classroom or homefront become a little less stressful. As always, please let me know if this is something you can use, if there are any typos or problems, and if you would like to see something else in particular on this little blog. I hear from teachers and parents from all over the world, and I am so grateful for all of you!! Joyfully! Nancy
A few years ago, the staff at my school began learning about inquiry research. We used the book, Comprehension & Collaboration: Inqu...
This year was our first year implementing the Common Core Standards and a reoccurring word that is used when describing the standards is they are more rigorous than the previous state standards. In Louisiana there has been growing opposition to the standards by both parents and politicians. One common statement that has been made is […]
The Froebel gifts (German: Fröbelgaben) are play materials for young children designed by Friedrich Fröbel for the original Kindergarten at Bad Blankenburg. You may have heard of Froebel Gifts, Spielgabe, or Spielgaben. There is a company out there selling a secondary version of it called Spielgaben. Did you know that the original is called Froebel Gifts, and it has a long history? You can read about the history here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froebel_gifts Froebel Gifts have a lot to offer babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. They should be a part of every childs early learning process. The best thing about Froebel gifts as compared to Spielgaben, is that you can buy all Froebel gifts separately. Spielgaben is only sold as one big set for a very high price. Froebel is the original, and Froebel is more reasonably affordable. You can visit the Froebel Gifts website for more information and pricing. http://www.froebelgifts.com/ Please view these very informative and eye opening videos about the history of Kindergarten, The history of Friedrich Froebel, and Froebel Gifts.
Maths jokes as shareable images for teachers and students alike!
Ring in the new year with these January Writing Prompts! Fun, educational, and imagination building ideas for Opinion, Narrative, and Informative writing.
Make learning fun for your students! Strategies, activities, freebies and more for teachers, tutors and homeschoolers. Ideas you can use today!
The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless exp…
An English educator's blog about teaching, classroom organization, and Common Core resources.
The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless exp…
Teach kids to think outside the box with The Brainstorm Game. A great game for encouraging creative and divergent thinking.
Mensuration RS Aggarwal Class 7 Maths Solutions Exercise 20D
With my small group pull-out sessions limited to half-hour increments, I'm always looking for quick, engaging reading and writing activities to reinforce literacy skills. I used to think dice games were only for teaching math and probability, but I'm starting to discover that there are ENDLESS possibilities for using dice with literacy. Are you looking for a few ideas? Well... let's shake and roll! 3 Roll-a-Dice Activities for Reading & Writing My roll-a-dice resource collection continues to grow, but here are a few resources that I've added to my literacy toolbox that may be perfect for your students. 1. Roll-a-Story
Discover fun and developmentally appropriate teaching strategies and resources tailored for your primary classroom. Let me show you how I make learning hands-on and engaging through sensory, game-play, and creative teaching strategies!
Passion Project Ideas and Free Sampler
