Assessing Development with our Embedded Authentic Assessment System |

We believe learning is a process. Authentic Assessment allows you to capture learning as it happens. The Experience Early Learning Assessment System includes resources to help document your child’s learning progress through natural and intentional observations. This post details the resources and process for assessing development with our embedded authentic assessment system.

Experience Curriculum’s Embedded Authentic Assessment System

Experience Curriculum for toddlers and preschool includes an Embedded Authentic Assessment system. The Assessment Guide will help you easily determine when to observe, which skill to assess, and how to determine the child’s skill level. Record the children’s levels while you observe them play. Then, send home the included monthly Individual Assessment page to the child’s family or include it in their portfolio.

Authentic Assessment Packet

Find the Authentic Assessment packet on Member Resources.

Our Authentic Assessment packet includes:

Observation & Documentation Planning Calendar
Group Observation Form
Daily Assessment Activity Sheets
Step-by-Step Guide

Daily Assessment Activity Sheet

Step 1 PREPARE
Every morning, before children arrive, read the daily Assessment Activity Sheet. This resource is found on Member Resources and is an optional tool to guide the assessment activity.

Observation & Documentation Planning Calendar

Step 2 POST FOR FAMILIES
Hang the Observation & Documentation Planning Calendar and the day’s Assessment Activity Sheet on the wall for parents to see. If desired, print or email the Observation & Documentation Planning Calendar to families. (available online on Member Resources).

Step 3 IMPLEMENT IN DAILY ROUTINE
These activities are embedded in your Experience Curriculum’s daily lesson plans and are a key part of the comprehensive learning system. Check your Teacher Guide for when to naturally integrate the activity into the flow of your day. Look for the starred activity in your Teacher Guide to indicate the featured activity. As children naturally play and participate in the activity, assess and record learning.

Group Observation Forms & Individual Child Assessment Forms

Step 4 DOCUMENT LEARNING
Write the names or initials of your children in the Group Observation Form to record the child’s skill level. Transfer the data to Individual Child Assessment forms and save child work samples in the year-long child portfolio. Share Individual Child Assessment forms monthly, save for family-teacher conferences or add to the child’s portfolio. Be sure to schedule time to share development with families.

Simplify Assessments & Documentation with brightwheel

Use brightwheel together with Experience Curriculum to quickly and easily log observations as you do the activities. Observations can be saved as drafts and posted later to allow staff flexibility during the busyness of the day. Then save them as “Staff Only” or share them with families. Learn how to Log Observations in brightwheel via a Lesson Plan or the Activity Flow.

simpfifly assessments and documentation with brightwheel

Logging Observations in brightwheel
Creating Digital Portfolios in brightwheel

Step 5 HOST A FAMILY CONFERENCE
Every three months, schedule a meeting with families to discuss the child’s progress, explain the skills learned and show work samples. Address any questions families have for you.

READ How to Conduct a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

Assessment Training

Looking for more support with authentic assessment with Experience Curriculum? Register for one of our free trainings at the Experience Training Institute. Learn how to use the assessment prompts in the Teacher Guides to guide your observations. Registration for our assessment training is free.

Ready to teach at home or in your childcare and have the support of a comprehensive, play-based curriculum that includes all the supplies you need day by day, plus a nationally aligned assessment tool? Get started today!