Teaching young children is both an art and a science. Teaching is often about using knowledge, experience, and the information at hand to make well-informed decisions. The more information teachers have, the better decisions they can make.
There are many ways in which teachers gather information. They gain general knowledge about child development and developmentally appropriate practice through education, training, and experience. They gain information about children and families through various forms you fill out and questions you answer.
The assessment process is the primary way in which teachers gather information about children in the classroom. Teaching Strategies™ GOLD® is an ongoing, observation-based assessment system that helps teachers focus on what research shows matters most for children’s success. The 38 objectives for development and learning span from birth through third grade and enable teachers to see children’s development and learning along a progression across the whole of the early childhood years.
Teaching Strategies™ GOLD® Goals and Objectives:
Effective assessment is a five-step process:
- Understanding what we want children to learn (Goals and Objectives)
- Understanding typical child development (Developmental Continuum)
- Observation and Documentation
- Reflection
- Summarizing to Share and Plan (Action)
Assessment and curriculum feed into a continuous cycle of collecting facts, analyzing and evaluating facts, planning for each child and the group, carrying out the plans, collecting facts, etc. The cycle is carried out upon a knowledge base, and information about child progress is shared with families throughout.
Lead Teachers, in conjunction with their teaching team, complete a formal assessment on each child based on the Teaching Strategies™ GOLD® Goals and Objectives at least three times per year, prior to Parent/Guardian Conferences. At the Conferences, teachers provide families with written reports about their child’s development and learning.