A Socio-Cultural Approach to Monitoring and Assessing Young Children’s Learning Lynn Whiteside Carmel Maloney Lennie Bar

1. A Socio-Cultural Approach to Monitoring and Assessing Young Children’s LearningLynn WhitesideCarmel MaloneyLennie Barblett

3. West Australian Context • Kindergarten & Pre-primary are the non-compulsory provision before school and are attached to the compulsory schooling sector • Issues of pushdown curriculum, mismatch between mandated Curriculum Framework (K-year10) and young children’s learning

4. Background Shift towards dynamic assessment means: • Learning occurs during activity through guided participation • Linking assessment with instruction rather than after the fact • Focus on process rather than product • Critical role of language as a communication tool • Participants are seen as active parties within the social activity (Rogoff 1990) • The relationship between participants (teacher as knowledgeable other, children as co-constructors) Research evidence- • Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE), UK • Research into Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY), UK • Best Evidence Synthesis, NZ • Marilyn Fleer, Jeffrey Walkley, Australia

5. Department of Education and Training (DET)The Monitoring and Assessment Tool • Early childhood advisory committee • Tool that would compliment effective early childhood teaching and learning • Uses existing DET resources • Emphasises interaction and modelled, shared & independent framework • Information shared with parent/caregivers and colleagues

6. The Categories Each category has a number of key indicators: • Social Emotional • Physical • Literacy • Numeracy • Knowledge and Understanding of the World • Creativity

8. Tiara’s Learning JourneyTeachers: Rhonda Cutri & Leanne MossAshdale Primary School PP (5yrs) Modelled Shared Independent

9. Teacher intent The friendship letter writing experience focused on the following literacy indicators from the profile: • Engages in simple printed texts • Demonstrates an understanding of texts read to him or her • Names some letters of the alphabet • Initiates writing or drawing to communicate an idea • Engages in role play writing, which may include some letters, numerals or a combination of both • Draws meaning from images in visual texts

10. Modelled

11. Shared

12. Shared

13. Independent Work Sample

14. Conclusion • Small pilot study- larger study taking place • Developing assessment through a different lens- assessment as a dynamic and situated activity • Compliments effective early childhood teaching and learning • This K/PP assessment connects teachers: • with a shared language, • a basis for planning, reporting and conversations about children, • school systems of accountability