Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education

Here, the author explains different assessment and evaluation techniques, when and how they should be applied, and their strengths and limitations, so that early childhood practitioners can make informed decisions about assessment and evaluation. Included are formal techniques such as standardised testing and informal techniques such as teacher observation and portfolio creation (also known as alternative or authentic assessment), which can be used in addition to, or in lieu of, formal procedures. He describes different organisational approaches used in alternative assessment and includes a case study of one school's efforts to implement such a programme. Stressed throughout the book is how important it is for teachers to make informed adjustments to the curriculum in meeting the needs, strengths and accomplishments of the students it is designed to serve. Finally, Gullo explains how assessment and evaluation should be used as tools to gather, organise and ultimately make sense of information concerning curriculum and children's learning.