Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection NAEYC Standard:

STANDARD 3. OBSERVING, DOCUMENTING, AND ASSESSING TO SUPPORT YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know about and understand goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.

Brief Description of Evidence:

This is an example of an ASQ that I completed for a child on my case load. I am responsible for completing an ASQ each spring and fall for the children on my caseload. Each fall and spring I have a conference with each of my families who have also completed an assessment of their child themselves. We then compare assessments, and partner together to create individualized goals for that child.

Analysis of What I Learned:

Through completion of these assessments and conferences I learned how important it is to assess each child. Completing any type of assessment benefits not only the child, but the family and staff that work with that child. This creates a way for families and staff to work together and find what is best for their child. It is also important to complete an assessment on each child in your care so that you can better understand how the child learns, and how you can better help this child learn. Each child learns differently and at a different rate. This allows us as teachers to focus on goals that are important for our children to master.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

This project shows my competence in assessing children and creating goals after each assessment. I have also shown that I work not only with other staff, but also alongside families to create goals and plans that benefit their child most.