Child care has become a hot button issue in political arenas these days. It is wrapped up in the concern for education, which has become one of the primary concerns for many voters. Parents are worried that their children will not be well prepared to deal with the demands that government has placed on educational systems, and so are looking to preschools in order to prepare their children for the best possible education.

In the minds of many, child care providers are simply places where children are dropped off and picked up at the end of the day, with no attention paid to that eight hours of in between time. They are generally regarded as expensive playhouses.

However, the standards of parents these days have subsequently raised the standards of child care providers. Child care is often quite
expensive, so parents expect that they essentially receive a good return on their investment. They want to know that their child is not only being cared for, but actually learning from the child care experience.

Services offered by child care providers vary rather extensively. Some of the more high quality providers can offer organic meals, teaching in
foreign languages, instruction on computers, and even some basic math skills. Children are expected to have a grasp of the basics like numbers and the alphabet before they reach elementary school. The reason for this is that research has shown that children who know these things before beginning elementary school are more likely to perform better in school.

Child care providers can actually work in competition with other providers for business. Certain providers will boast particular strengths, while others might show strengths in many areas, and even have extras like gymnastics or martial arts.

These providers, of course, come with a healthy price tag. The more services a provider offers, the more expensive the school. Additionally, there is typically a long waiting list for the best providers. Some parents even go to the extent of getting on waiting lists even before they get pregnant.

Child care is the middle of the march toward progression of our society. Providers are often on the cusp of technology and new developments in understanding children.

The question is whether or not a child should be so continuously educated versus simply having their childhood for play. There is certainly merit in allowing a child to play. After all, they are children. They are not born as adults, and there is some wisdom in letting children be children. Even experts cannot agree on which is the better course of action, therefore it is left to the parent to determine their child’s care based on their own values and priorities.

In the field of early childhood education, teachers of young children must find ways to show that children are growing, developing, and learning. Parents, as well as teachers, want to see proof of growth and development. Appropriate assessment methods can provide that proof. Assessment is defined as “taking stock of a situation”. It is important that teachers of young children understand the need for assessment in the classroom setting, evaluate children and take stock of their growth and development.

Authentic Assessment is defined as the process of documenting and evaluating growth and development in real-life situations over time. It shows what children can do, what they know, and what they understand. Rather than attempting to explain a child’s performance based on one test, this type of assessment focuses on the progress and growth of a child over time. Authentic assessment helps to paint a more accurate picture of who the child is and how the child is growing and learning. The term assessment, when used in the context of early childhood education, is sometimes interchanged with the term observation. Observation is one method of assessing student growth and development and is probably the best-known, most widely used way that teachers evaluate the progress of the young children they teach.

Teachers may wonder what to assess when working with young children. Using multiple forms of assessment allows a teacher to reveal an accurate picture of the child. Early childhood includes children from birth to age eight and is a very difficult period to assess because the rate of growth is so rapid. Also, growth is highly influenced by nurturing parents, quality of care, and the learning environment. Parents want to be assured that their child is ready for school. In addition, teachers and administrators want to know if they are offering effective programs. Therefore, assessment information is critical to the child, the parent, and the success of the program.

Assessment is a hot topic in the field of early childhood education as accountability becomes more important for teachers and schools. As educators, we must find ways to show we are teaching and that children are learning. It is imperative to find methods that illustrate growth and development over time, allowing children to be evaluated in real-life, everyday settings. It is the teacher’s responsibility to find methods of documentation that report success of children.

By understanding the basic developmental areas of the children you teach, assessment can be made simple. Easy-to-learn methods of assessment will help you document the developmental growth of young children over time. Learn more about assessment tools for the classroom. Visit ChildCare Education Institute to discover over 100 online child care training courses that meet the continuing education requirements of the child care industry.