Attitudes	Knowledge	Behavior
I believe systematic assessment is an integral part of effective teaching. I believe families are an essential source of information about their child’s language and literacy abilities. I can take into account the realities of cultural and linguistic diversity in assessing young children. I can find resources for teaching children who present special language and literacy needs.	Systematic assessment is a consistent, organized way of collecting information over time from many sources. Specialized resources to support assessment and individualized teaching are necessary when a child is a second language learner or has a special physical or developmental need. In addition to providing information about individual children, systematic assessments can provide information about where a program is successful and where improvement is needed. Informal assessment involves ongoing observation of children’s activities and behavior in different contexts. Formal assessment involves using a tool to collect information. Standardized measures should be used when screening children with disabilities.	Can name three strategies for assessing a child’s language and literacy skills. Can describe how to use a book with a child as part of a systematic assessment. Can name two ways home culture and language influence systematic assessment. Can identify situations where a referral to a specialized resource is indicated.

 

Vocabulary Word	Systematic assessment
Myth	All standardized testing is bad.
Using Books with Children	Using books with children as part of a systematic assessment
Predictor	N/A

Guest Faculty

Gail Joseph, Ph. D. - Dr. Joseph is a Program Specialist at the Head Start Bureau of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her job is to initiate and oversee projects related to the positive social - emotional and behavioral development of Head Start children.

She recently completed her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Washington in 2001. In 1999, Dr. Joseph was selected to be a National Head Start Fellow. In the same year, she was awarded the prestigious Division for Early Childhood Doctoral Student Award in recognition of her research, training and service activities related to young children with special needs and their families.

Dr. Joseph's research and practical experience is primarily in the area of young children's mental health. In particular, she has focused on the classroom preventive practices and teacher-child interactions that foster young children's social and emotional skills and prevent and decrease the occurrence of challenging behaviors at home and in the classroom. At the University of Washington, she worked with Carolyn Webster-Stratton to develop a universal mental health intervention for Head Start children. Dr. Joseph was a Head Start teacher in a model demonstration project classroom at the University of Washington.

She is an author of numerous articles, chapters and two books (Building Blocks for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs, DEC Recommended Practices Program Assessment) related to serving young children with special needs.

She serves on the editorial review board of Young Exceptional Children. She served for five years as a National Board Member of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood and is a past-president of the Washington State's Division for Early Childhood.

Website Acitvities

Video Focus - Systematic Assessment

Action Plan - Activity: Taking Stock of the Ways You Assess Children

Discussion Question - Share a favorite assessment tool. Share about This Week's Ideas To Do Tomorrow: "Think about the ways you assess children and determine what you might add to your current approach to systematic assessment".