Early Learning Project
Illinois Early Learning Resources
- Using Work Sampling in Pre-K Settings
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/beneke/index.htm - What Is the Best Way to Assess Young Children’s Social Competence?
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/faqs/socialcomp.htm - Interview with Sam Meisels
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/interviews/meisels.htm
Online Resources
- Performance Assessment in Early Childhood Education: The Work Sampling System
In this digest, Sam Meisels describes the Work Sampling System and explains how testing of young children can be used inappropriately, resulting in inaccurate results and poor teaching.
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1995/meisel95.html - Work Sampling System
This report describes the Work Sampling System as a means of documentation and evaluation as well as reporting.
http://fairtest.org/work-sampling-system - Choosing an Appropriate Assessment System
This article includes points that early childhood educators can consider in selecting an appropriate assessment tool.
http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200401/shillady.pdf - Assessment Basics: From Observation to Instruction
This article advocates the use of developmentally appropriate assessment to support learning through the process of gathering information related to a child’s development and learning style.
http://umaine.edu/ccids/files/2009/12/assessment120309.pdf - Conducting Informal Developmental Assessments
The authors describe the opportunities during the day for teachers to assess their students' development in five developmental domains.
http://www.childcareexchange.com/resources/view_article.php?article_id=5019336 - No More Grades: New Approaches to Assessment Replace Standard Tests and Report Cards in a Growing Number of Schools
This article explains the use of the Work Sampling System for performance assessment.
http://www.ur.umich.edu/9495/Jun19_95/grades.htm - Changes in the Ways Teachers Report to Parents about Children's Performance
This article notes that the Work Sampling System is one of the effective ways that teachers communicate with parents.
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea5lk20.htm - Critical Issue: Assessing Young Children's Progress Appropriately
This article provides an overview of the issues involved in determining what children know and how to use assessments to carry out the aims of early childhood programs.
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea500.htm - A Developmental Approach to Assessment of Young Children
In this digest, Dr. Lilian Katz clarifies the main purposes for which children are typically assessed and discusses the relationship between assessment and instruction.
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1997/katz97.html - The Contribution of Documentation to the Quality of Early Childhood Education
In this digest, the authors describe six ways that documentation can contribute to the depth of children’s learning.
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1996/lkchar96.html
Additional Resource
- The Work Sampling System: Omnibus Guidelines: Preschool through Third Grade, 4th Edition
Author: Margo L Dichtelmiller, Judy R. Jablon, Dorothea B. Marsden, & Samuel J. Meisels
Publication Date: 2001
Availability: New York: Rebus Inc.
Abstract: The Work Sampling System is a performance assessment that provides an alternative to group-administered, norm-referenced achievement tests for preschool through fifth grade. This volume presents a compilation of the Work Sampling System Developmental Guidelines for preschool through third grade.
Updated: 2012
Disclaimer
The opinions, resources, and referrals provided on the IEL Web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of medical or legal advice, or of other appropriate services. We encourage you to seek direct local assistance from a qualified professional if necessary before taking action.
The content of the IEL Web site does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education.