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Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood Education
EECERA Annual ConferencePrague
31st August 2007
Avril Sweeney, Ireland
Presentation overview
1. Key points – Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood Education
2. Authentic Assessment in Action – applying Vygotsky’s messages to assessment practice
3. Images from Kara’s Learning Journey
Part 1. Key points – Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood Education
Introduction Tensions in assessing young children The influence of Developmental Theory The emergence of a socio-cultural
perspective The problematic nature of putting theory into
practice Offering an alternative path Documenting learning and development
1. Engage children in conversation
Vygotsky believed that language presents the shared experience necessary for building cognitive development. He viewed having conversations with adults about everyday experiences, family and interests as central to building children’s language, solving problems and interpreting their own experiences.
2. Utilise the child’s ZPD
Vygotsky placed huge emphasis on the importance of observation and believed that this was the only reliable way a practitioner could assess what was within a child’s ZPD. He believed the adult should act as a scaffold by providing challenging learning opportunities that extend existing knowledge, skills or dispositions.
Utilise the child’s ZPD
Decisions, decisions
expressing ideas making choices following special
interests directing own learning
3. Plan a meaningful and challenging curriculum
Vygotsky’s theory on the ZPD encourages practitioners to plan a curriculum which is meaningful to the child and follows individual interests and ideas. An environment that facilitates learning in a context that is meaningful to children’s life experiences, optimises learning and development.
Plan a meaningful and challenging curriculum
Boats float
testing ideas using prior
knowledge offering
explanations
Plan a meaningful and challenging curriculum
Kara had a little lamb
developing special interests
supporting learning through meaningful experiences
4. Encourage children to work together
Vygotsky believed that social and cognitive development worked hand in hand and emphasised the importance of families, communities and other children. Through interaction and conversation they learn about communication, develop ideas, solve problems and negotiate.
Encourage children to work together
Does it sink or does it float?
taking responsibility
communicating scaffolding
Conclusion One of the most useful aspects of Vygotsky’s work
to the area of assessment is the concept of the ZPD. Through the observation of children, the practitioner can utilise the ZPD to scaffold children’s progress towards a higher level of learning and development. Vygotsky’s concept on the differing zones of proximal development has the potential to lead authentic assessment techniques and provide a realistic focus for the next steps in teaching and learning. This form of authentic assessment has much to offer early childhood practice whilst maintaining the integrity of a constructivist approach to teaching and learning in early childhood.