pre assessment
Definition: The purpose of a pre assessment is to find out what children already know about a subject, so you can plan an appropriate lesson to extend their knowledge and experience. This means you must have a tentative set of ideas to be emphasized as you begin your pre assessment. An inaccurate pre assessment can make an otherwise good plan useless and inappropriate.
Listed below are some possible approaches you might use in pre assessing:
Guidelines:
In writing the pre assessment:
Listed below are some possible approaches you might use in pre assessing:
- Open- and close-ended questions: Only asking questions may not be the best way to accurately determine a child’s knowledge. For example, a child not responding to the question, “What is a tree?” may not mean a lack understanding of what a tree is, but a lack of the expressive language skills to define it.
- Questions with visual aids: Showing a picture or object as questions are asked.
- Activities Example: Playing a rhyming game to find out if children know what rhyming is and if they can rhyme.
- Observations: Sometimes, the best way to determine children’s skills, knowledge, and attitudes is by simply watching them in their unstructured activities.
- Sharing stories: Talking with children about experiences you’ve had related to the topic and listening to their stories.
Guidelines:
- Assess the knowledge and experience of a representative sample of children, generally about 1/2 of the children in the classroom.
- Avoid trying to teach information during the pre assessment. Accept all of the children’s responses to determine their present understanding.
- Assess specific information about the topic and the desired ideas to be emphasized.
- Identify what children know about the topic.
- Identify what children don’t know about the topic.
- Probe deeply enough to identify misconceptions.
- Identify children’s experiences with the topic.
- Identify questions children might have.
- Identify their (and your) interest in the topic.
- Conduct pre assessment in a way that gives you an understanding of the children’s present knowledge and experiences.
- Take notes of children’s responses and your observations as your pre assessment is conducted.
- Document the children’s knowledge and ability in the developmental domains.
- Consider the goals set for each child and how the topic and activities could enhance development.
In writing the pre assessment:
- Refer to your notes of children’s responses.
- Recreate the dialogue between you and the children.
- Write in past tense.
- Record what you did to assess their knowledge, as well as what you learned.
- Summarize findings.