Educators at Sunstar continually observe, monitor, document, and evaluate children’s learning and regularly report on their achievement to parents and the children themselves. The assessment and evaluation of children and programs are focused to improve learning and to ensure that programs are effective. Assessment is essential to enable teachers to determine how well their planned activities and teaching strategies are working and to make any changes needed to enable children to achieve the learning expectations. Some children may need individualized or modified programs or assessment methods to achieve the expectations to the best of their ability.

Teachers assess children on an ongoing basis, taking into account both the process of learning and the results achieved. The data gathered on each child is reliable and valid and it reflects actual abilities and the progress is recorded through the grading system, made over a period of time, and measure children’s achievement in relation to the learning expectations.

Because children in the first year of school are going through the process of adjusting to the school setting, they are given ample time to demonstrate their abilities. It should be remembered that the period of adjustment is longer for some children than for others.

Young children demonstrate their abilities in many different ways. What’s more, their ability to demonstrate what they know or are able to do will also vary, depending on such factors as the time of day, the situation, the type of questions asked, familiarity with the content, and facility with the language of instruction. To allow for the range of influences that may affect a child’s performance at any one time, Kindergarten teachers assess children on an ongoing basis in the context of everyday classroom activities, using a variety of methods. All children are given frequent opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. At Sunstar we strive hard to provide the much-needed personal attention to each of our students.

The major tool used in Kindergarten is observation, with comments recorded in anecdotal notes, although a variety of other methods (e.g., portfolios, checklists, developmental profiles, videotapes) may also be used to gather and record assessment data. It is also important for teachers to seek the children’s own views. Using their own observations and those of the children, as well as suggestions from other teachers and adult observers, teachers identify any modifications that need to be made to the learning environment, the classroom routines, the materials/resources, and plans for individual and group activities. Individual students’ observation log is maintained by the teachers, for closely monitoring the child’s progress.

It is especially important in the early years for parents to be involved in discussions regarding their child’s progress. The teacher need to gather as much information as possible from the parents and consult with them when assessing the child’s adjustment to school and achievement of the learning expectations. Parents are invited to observe the child in the classroom setting and to discuss their observations with teachers. Also, since parents are familiar with a child’s abilities in the home setting, teachers consult with them when interpreting the results of assessment.