Anecdotal observations are inevitably biased by the teacher's background and personal preferences, but they offer a naturalistic glimpse into the life of a child. Keep a small notebook nearby to jot down dialogue, interactions and behaviors you observe throughout the day. You may set out to specifically observe and record observations about certain behaviors, such as a child's level of play or his ability to use scissors, or you may record random observations during the course of the day. Organize your notebook according to developmental tasks, or allow a few pages for each child in your class. Write down conversations and activities exactly as you see them. If you wish to record your own thoughts or impressions, note that you are recording your opinions. Make notes frequently to get an accurate picture over time, and to record growth. All teachers in the classroom should contribute anecdotal observations.
Portfolios include work samples, recorded conversations and ideas, drawing samples, photos and art projects. Organize a portfolio for each child in either a folder or a 3-ring binder, using plastic sheet protectors for each page. When writing each curriculum unit, plan at least two or three work samples to be included in the portfolio, but also watch for meaningful samples that occur spontaneously. Portfolios provide tangible evidence of a child's interests, growth and experience at preschool. Children and parents, alike, consider these books special, and they are an excellent vehicle for dialogue at parent-teacher conferences.
Universities, school districts and several private companies have developed more formal assessments that may utilize checklists, questions or games to assess a child's knowledge or development. These tests are conducted either through observation or by one-on-one interactions. For example, a checklist for literacy development may include tasks such as hearing rhymes, recognizing letters or understanding print concepts. Careful observations during story time and literacy activities is all that is required to complete these assessments. Other assessments may require you to test a child by asking specific questions of the child. These tests are generally administered two or three times per year. When administering formal assessments, keep the learning fun and stop if the child expresses frustration or stress. When administering any assessment, consider cultural and language differences. For example, one marker on assessments for autism is a child's ability to make eye contact, yet in many cultures, making eye contact is a sign of disrespect.
Play-based assessments are similar to anecdotal observations in that you are recording the child in a natural play setting. The difference is that the teacher actively engages the child in play to gain specific information. Play-based assessments provide information on a child's language, motor and social-emotional development. These assessments are very effective for all children, without the limitations of some other forms of assessment in working with children with special needs, limited language or cultural barriers. Play-based assessments are best performed with at least two people. One person actively plays with the child, while a second person makes observations. Often, an occupational therapist, psychologist and speech therapist will jointly observe the play, making observations based on their own expertise.