KEARTA DAILEY

12/8/16
INTRODUCTION

During my time in HDFS 421 Assessment of Young Children, Ive had the opportunity to

gain knowledge and develop skills of a thorough assessment. The knowledge and skills that I

have learned from this course will be an essential part of my career as an early child-care

professional. I have learned not only the purpose of assessment, but how to conduct an effective

assessment that children, families and professionals can benefit from. I developed an

understanding of different types of assessment and the importance of them. I learned how to

accurately conduct assessments and how to strategically apply them into the classroom.

Assessments are critical, when making ethical decisions regarding childrens educational future.

To give a general sense of assessment, it focuses on screening, diagnosis, curricular

assessment, monitoring, evaluation of a child, and evaluation of a program. This answer the

question why we assess young children? We screenings to check for developmental risks,

delays, or disorders among children. We use diagnosis for children with special needs to

establish eligibility, to help develop interventions, and monitor progress. We asses child

development and learning to plan curriculum and interventions. We monitor child development

and progress. We evaluate a childs strengths and needs for planning, and we evaluate a

programs curriculum and intervention success. (Dr. Vallotton, 2017) It is also important when

communicating results to professionals and the childs parents/families. As professionals, it is

imperative to keep parents/families involved in the process of assessment. Although we provide

as much information as possible to a wide array of consumers through our reports, the primary

consumer is the family whose child has just been assessed. (Dr. Vallotton, 2017)
 KEARTA DAILEY
12/8/16
INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this course is to prepare students and help them obtain knowledge on how

to use effectively use assessment in their professional career. Given that, conducting

assessments is something that childcare professionals do daily, this course serves as a guide to

learn the overall purpose of it. Assessments gives teachers a clear insight of how each child is

developing individual and in comparison, to other children. It helps the teacher improve the

childs experience in the classroom and how to better support the need of not only them but their

families. it allows the teacher to see the childs emerging skills, and gives them the opportunity

to plan lessons accordingly. These are helpful pieces of informational that I will for need and be

able to reflect on during my career as a child care professional. The purpose of this portfolio is to

showcase my understanding of assessment during my time in this course. It will show evidence

that reinforces my knowledge of meeting the learning objectives.

 KEARTA DAILEY
12/8/16
INTRODUCTION

References

Vallotton, C., Dr. (2017). Why We Assess Children I: Purposes of Assessment . Lecture.
Vallotton, C., Dr. (2017). Communicating Assessment Results. Lecture.