Ongoing assessments are conducted on the children in our care as an integral part of our program. We use this tool to track the children’s development and follow their learning progression across all areas of development. By doing this, we are able to individualize the focus of our teaching and set goals according to the children's changing abilities.
Additionally, the Pre-K teachers use a checklist of skills to assess each child within the first 30 days in Pre-Kindergarten. As the teachers evaluate each child’s progress, they also set goals. These “Monthly Goal” forms are copied for the parents, added to the child’s portfolio, and used to narrow the focus of the curriculum.
Our monthly goals are drawn from several sources, such as the ‘Creative Curriculum’, Florida School Readiness Performance Standards for Three, Four, and Five-Year-Old Children, and the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Standards.
Our families are encouraged to work with their child to practice the goals and to share with the teachers their own observations about the results of the assessments. Parents are invited to schedule conferences throughout the year to meet and plan with their child’s teacher. Improved communication and an understanding between teachers and families are one of the many significant benefits derived from the assessments.