Science Assessment in Early Childhood Programs

The momentum toward reform of science education brings pressures on schools and teachers to evaluate or otherwise account for children’s progress in science. During an earlier era of neglect of science education, not much attention was paid to assessment and evaluation, but currently there is widespread interest at all levels of the educational system. This interest can bring with it a certain rush to judgment, but it also brings an opportunity to explore assessment alternatives that are fundamentally different from conventional evaluation methods. Assessment can be defined as the process of identifying, collecting, and analyzing the records of learning in order to make informed judgments about students. Especially in early childhood, this process should support teachers ’ inquiry into children’s learning more than identify discrete strengths and weaknesses. We know that learning takes time, young children need the chance to explore and make connections, and learning is social. Yet this very complexity of learning makes it difficult to see the “science ” in children’s activities. What does young children’s science look like? How do you know it when you see it? Given this context, a first purpose of assessment in early childhood should be t