Assessing Young Children

This book is written for the teacher who wants to understand and deliver an effective educational program for all young children from birth through age 8. Accordingly, it reflects the knowledge base of early childhood and early childhood special education. It provides illustrations of appropriate practice for prospective teachers and discusses current trends for experienced teachers. It approaches assessment as an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Key components of the assessment system include cultural sensitivity,family collaboration, and a vision of inclusionary practice in all early childhood environments—child care and school. Relevant professional standards are addressed throughout. The text is written in nontechnical language with support from the most current research. All “hot topics” are included as well—standards-based and outcomes-based teaching, high-stakes testing, response to intervention (RTI), coping with legislative demands, as well as relevant technology in the assessment process.

New elements in this edition include:

• Increased attention to English Language Learners and the process of Response to Invervention (RTI).
• Updated research, websites, and recommended readings for each chapter.
  
• New Voices from the Field feature.
  
• Expanded discussion of assessment instruments such as, Classroom Assessment Scoring System CLASS™, The Ounce Scale™, and Work Sampling System™ and technology applied to assessment.
  

Assessing Young Children addresses theory and provides illustrations of appropriate practice for prospective teachers, as well as discusses current trends for experienced teachers.

It approaches assessment as an integral part of the teaching-learning process. Key components of the assessment system advocated include cultural sensitivity, parent collaboration and a vision of inclusionary practice in all early childhood environments-child care and school. This book reflects the knowledge base of early childhood and early childhood special education.

For courses in Assessment in early childhood education.

Gayle Mindes is Professor of Education and Program Leader for Early Childhood Education at DePaul University in Chicago. She teaches in the pre-service early childhood and elementary education programs there. Mindes, a life-long urban educator writes and speaks on the topics of assessment, social studies, and kindergarten. Books include:

· Assessing Young Children, 4th Ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Merrill, 2011.

· Teaching young children social studies. by invitation of Early Childhood Series Editors: Doris P. Fromberg and Leslie R.

Williams for Greenwood Press. Paperback edition released by Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.

· Koralek, D. & Mindes, G. (2006) Spotlight on young children and social studies. Washington, DC: National Association for

the Education of Young Children.

· Ornstein, A. C. & Lasley, T. (2005) Secondary and Middle School Methods 2^nd Ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

· Mindes, G. & Donavan, M. A. (2001) Building character: Five enduring themes for a stronger early childhood curriculum.

With Marie Donovan. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon.

She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Kansas; M. S. in Counseling and Behavioral Disabilities from the University of Wisconsin; and Ed. D. in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis on early childhood education at Erikson Institute, from Loyola University of Chicago.