The importance of assessments

There are many benefits from carrying out assessments in early years. Morrison suggests that assessments are useful as they indicate what the child already knows and what they might be struggling with. This is helpful to a teacher as it allows them to understand exactly what areas the child needs support in. It can also help build parent/ teacher relationships such as at events like parents evening, when the teachers are able to have a talk with the parents about the progress of the child and how they have been doing in their assessments. Classroom layout can also be determined from assessments as it helps the teacher to be more aware of how each child learns. (2010)

‘Educationally meaningful assessment requires data derived from the ongoing context in which students learn.’ 

                                                                                                        Eisner (2000, p.350)

Why are observations so important?

Observations are important as they give key foundations for a lot of Year 1 teachers. Although, observations can help to give all teachers an insight into the types of children within their class. According to Observation, Assessment and Planning (2014) "each child has a unique set of abilities and talents, observations in different situations capture these first hand." This shows how observations allow teachers to gain a greater knowledge of the child as a whole.
What to look for within observations?
When observing children there are six main aspects that we focus on. Most observations focus on the holistic development of a child. However, sometimes a specific area may be centered on. The six main areas are physical skills, intellectual skills, language skills, emotional skills, social skills and spiritual skills.

How do observations help?
Observations of children help the teacher to have a better relationship with the child as they are able to determine the child's likes and then be able to incorporate these within their lessons. If a teacher creates activities that the children are interested in then they are more likely to concentrate for longer. Observations also help to diagnose any problems that the child may be experiencing, the teacher can then support the child in their learning of these subjects.

"Analyse your observations and highlight children's achievements of their need for further supports." 

                                                                  Every Child Matters (2005)
Types of Observations
There are many types of observations that practitioners use these include: 

• Time sampling
• Checklist
• Narrative
• Photographic/ video/ audio
• Note-taking/ post it's

Temple.S (2014) 

Defining Observation and Assessment

What is an observation? 
An observation is where you monitor and watch someone or something intimately, for example observing a child within continuous provision. 

What is an assessment?
An assessment is an evaluation of the ability and quality of a child's current position, for example what stage they are at.

What is the difference between an observation and an assessment?
The difference between and observation and an assessment is that when observing you are physically watching them and noting everything that they are doing. You take into account the areas that the child is progressing well in and also what they might be struggling with. Whereas an assessment is a written document that tells you where a child is at. They are similar in a way as they are both aimed at helping the child to progress and allowing the teacher and parents to understand where they are at within their learning.