About this resource
Before using this resource, read the Introduction: Assessment for children’s learning. The introduction provides insights into the importance of assessment in quality, evidence-based ECEC practice with cultural responsiveness at its heart.
Documenting evidence and making children’s learning, development and wellbeing visible is essential to effective assessment practice. Using sustainable ways to gather, record and store evidence about each child’s progress, and being thoughtful about the choice of materials and resources is crucial. It promotes shared appreciation and care for the environment and economic sustainability.
Assessment for learning also includes a focus on social sustainability by promoting inclusion and living peacefully, fairly and respectfully together in resilient local and global communities (EYLF V2.0, p. 17).
Assessment strategies that support this Principle include:
- Adopt and embed sustainable ways to collect and present evidence of children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Reflect on the ways assessments are captured, the quality and quantity of information, and whether alternative, more sustainable ways could be explored.
- View the early childhood learning trajectories and other resources as useful professional learning tools that build your own knowledge of children’s learning, development and wellbeing. These materials can be accessed online and do not need to be part of each child’s documentation.
- Promote a shared understanding about the environment and sustainability through every step of the assessment practice. Involve children in selecting environmentally friendly materials and resources to create and display their work. Talk about the importance of reducing, re-using, recycling, respecting and other elements of sustainability in everyday practice.
- Embed opportunities for children to investigate and explore elements of sustainable communities. Adopting an assessment-as-learning approach such as this can assist children to consider environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability and provides opportunities to engage with concepts of social justice, democracy and citizenship.
- Practice cultural responsiveness throughout the assessment-for-learning process and actively advocate for approaches that will support the cultural integrity of children and families at the service.
Reflection questions:
- How do you currently document and communicate evidence about children’s progress? How do you balance quality with quantity?
This practice resource is part of a series of 8 Assessment for children’s learning practice resources:
- Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
- Partnerships
- Respect for diversity
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
- Equity, inclusion and high expectations
- Sustainability
- Critical reflection and ongoing professional learning
- Collaborative leadership and teamwork.
They link to the early childhood learning trajectories suite of resources including the Learning trajectories user guide, Evidence report and the Play-based learning and intentionality practice resources.
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Keywords: educator reflection, educator professional development