Observing and Assessing young Children
             Throughout a student's academic life, short quizzes, periodical exams, and assignments are given to assess his progress. An educator attempts to quantify his cognitive abilities to see if a student qualifies to advance in the next grade. Written exams are part of a process called assessment. Assessment is the process of collecting information about children's development, learning, health, behavior, academic progress, and the need for special services in order to plan and implement curriculum and instruction (Morrison, 2006). Children in early childhood programs are no exemption. Assessment should be done by early childhood professionals not only to check for the child's progress but also test the effectiveness of a teacher's method. Assessment of a child's learning is done through observation, commercial and teacher-made tests and checklists, and other school projects.
             Assessment of children serves several purposes. Authentic assessment evaluates the extent of a child's learning and his ability to follow directions on a certain activity. An assessment provides information to benefit other sectors that are involved with the child's development. Apart from quantifying what a child has learned so far, conducting an assessment also reveals his inadequacies. Early childhood professionals are able to communicate to families about their children's progress in learning. Learning in school and at home can be compared. Conducting an assessment will allow for the improvement of early childhood programs by identifying what policies are needed. Teachers benefit by knowing what to improve his lesson plans and methods. He is also able to relate to families regarding the children's academic performance. The general public also benefits from an assessment because it provides information regarding children's and students' school-wide achievements. It also ...