Module 2: Formative Assessment
Early Childhood Instructional Practices That Support Formative Assessment
Strategy
Wait Time
Description
Wait time is a delay in response or action by the adult.
Providing a child with adequate wait time, while often
difficult for the adult, gives the child time to formulate a
response or action, displaying the child’s skill level.
Example
The teacher will ask the children a question about a picture in a book,
such as what do you think might happen next? Teacher waits for
students to process the question. Teacher says, “Let’s think about what
might happen, put on your thinking hats.” This “wait time” allows
children time to think and process the information in order to compose
their thoughts.
For students with language delays or students who are using adaptive
materials or equipment the wait time should be long enough to allow for
the child’s delayed response time.
Model
An adult models the activity/skill for the child and pauses to
see if the child then attempts the task or engages in a
communication attempt.
Teacher demonstrates how to use the crank to wind up a jack-in-the-box
toy. The student watches the teacher and then he attempts to wind up
the toy.
Teacher demonstrates how to use “walking feet” during a discussion of
rules, the children practice “walking feet.”
Imitation
The adult imitates what the child does. Does the child
recognize the imitation and engage the adult either by
communication or by repeating the action/word?
In the block center, a little boy made a road with blocks and is driving his
car on the road. The teacher takes another block and imitates the boy
by driving her car on his road. The boy notices the teacher’s actions and
crashes his car into the teacher’s car. See the Scaffolding section for
expansion of this example.
Forgetfulness
This strategy can be used to encourage action and problem
solving by children. It is an effective strategy for determining
what children know and can do. “Forgetting” occurs when
the adult fails to provide the necessary equipment or
materials for an activity, or overlooks a familiar or important
component of a routine. When forgetfulness occurs, children
should recognize the missing element and convey this
information by asking questions, searching for materials, or
engaging in other appropriate problem-solving actions.
During lunchtime, the teacher put out 10 milk cartons for 12 children. A
child is assigned the task of setting the milk out for the entire class. The
lack of adequate milk cartons forces the child into communicating with
the teacher about the problem.
When reading a familiar book aloud to the class, the teacher fails to
recall a work of phrase…..and stops, scratches her head and indicates
that she “forgot.” This allows the students to provide her with the
forgotten phrase.
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Effective Teacher Practices Supporting
High Quality Supportive Environments and Nurturing & Responsive Relationships
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014
Module 2: Formative Assessment
Strategy
Description
Example
Scaffolding/
Extend
This strategy is an attempt to extend a child’s play schema
into the next developmental level. It is characterized by
providing just enough support for the child to demonstrate a
higher level of play/performance. Intentional effort is placed
into varying the amount of support and structure (including
gestural, verbal, physical, environmental cues).
After the boy crashes his car into the teacher’s car, the teacher says, “Oh
no, my car is broken. It will not go. I wonder what I should do now.” The
boy responds by crashing his car into the teacher’s car again. The
teacher pretends to call on her phone and says, “Hello Mr. tow truck
man, my car is broken. Come help me please.” Then she gives the boy
the phone to call the tow truck man as well and says, “you tell the tow
truck man to come now and help.”
Sabotage
This strategy encourages problem-solving skills and expanded
communication attempts. The teacher sets up the activity
with something that is purposefully not as it should be.
In the dress-up area, a little girl puts on a skirt that is too big and the
skirt slides off. The teacher prompts, “something is not right, I wonder
what it can be?” The children point to the skirt and say “it’s too big.”
Then the teacher prompts, “I wonder what we should do now?” The
children come up with different solutions to the problem.
Playful
Obstruction
While following the child’s lead in play, the teacher
purposefully adds an obstacle into the child’s schema or path.
The purpose is to observe how the child solves the problem
and reacts to the problem.
In the manipulative center, a little boy is pounding a ball into a container
with different holes and colored balls. He has not responded to any of
the teacher’s attempts to interact with him. He continues to pound one
ball after another. Suddenly, the teacher places her hand over one of
the balls/holes so that he cannot pound it into the container. He looks
at the teacher and she says, “Oh no, what’s wrong?” He looks back at
the container and then again at the teacher. She says, “oh, my hand is in
the way, what you would like me to do?” He removes her hand from the
ball, and she says, “Oh you want me to move my hand.”
Visible, Not
Reachable
This strategy generally requires only simple environmental
manipulation by placing objects so that they are visible but
unreachable. Placing objects within children’s sight, but out
of their reach, can reveal the developmental level of their
social, communication, and problem-solving behaviors.
When using this strategy, it is important that the child is able
to see the object and that another person is available to
retrieve the object unless independent problem solving is
being encouraged.
In the housekeeping section, a little boy is playing with his train. The boy
pushes the train up to the teacher and she makes it move, saying “choo
choo,” and places it on top of refrigerator. Then the teacher says, “it’s
on a tall mountain now, what should we do?” He responds “we need to
get him down.” And a problem solving series of steps ensues.
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Effective Teacher Practices Supporting
High Quality Supportive Environments and Nurturing & Responsive Relationships
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014
Module 2: Formative Assessment
Strategy
Change
Expectations
Description
Omitting or changing a familiar step or element in a wellpracticed or routine activity. The purpose of a change in
expectations like this is twofold: 1) children’s recognition of
change provides information about their discrimination and
memory abilities, and 2) such changes provide ideal situations
for evoking a variety of communication and problem-solving
responses (e.g., child verbalizes a protest, the child turns the
pencil so that the pointed end is down). Children with severe
disabilities can often recognize changes such as putting a
mitten on a foot, and communicate this recognition.
Example
An adult who tries to draw or write with an upside-down pencil using the
eraser as the lead. The child notices the change and gives a response
such as verbalizing a protest or indicating by gesture or verbal response
that the teacher needs to turn the pencil so that the pointed end is
down. Children with severe disabilities can often recognize changes
such as putting a mitten on a foot, and communicate this recognition.
Delay/Pause
for Request
The delay strategy introduces a pause or small delay in an
activity in order to promote a response from the child.
Delaying fits easily in increasing the initiation of requests by
children.
An adult who is teaching a child to imitate a word or action may pause
after saying the word and wait several seconds for the child to imitate
the word or action. The teacher is playing with a child in the
manipulative center. They are playing with farm animals. She asks the
child to give her the animal that says “moo.” She watches for the child to
see if he is looking at the correct animal and allows time for him to
respond before providing additional cues or repeating the request. This
strategy is important for children who require longer response time due
to language delays or for children using specialized
equipment/materials.
Novelty
Children are generally enticed by new toys or activities. The
careful introduction of novelty may stimulate desirable
reactions from children.
A teacher who suddenly changes her/his appearance by putting on a
clown wig may generate inquisitive reactions from a child and reveal
his/her expressive language level.
Piece by piece
This play strategy can be used when activities require
materials that have many pieces. The play facilitator can
ration access to something in particular by separating it into
pieces so that the child must request materials piece by
piece.
When a child is working on a puzzle, pieces can be handed out as a child
asks for them. Labeling of the piece or action can be encouraged or
required. This strategy may be used effectively when children use paint,
glue, paper, crayons, blocks, or other small items. Snack time and food
such as cereal, raisins, or apple pieces also presents opportunities.
Observation
Watch and listen to a child. Be mindful of interests, skills,
activity level and interactions.
Observe the child in large or small group activities. Watch the child and
note which activities the child is interested in and the level of their
attention or interactions.
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Effective Teacher Practices Supporting
High Quality Supportive Environments and Nurturing & Responsive Relationships
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014
Module 2: Formative Assessment
Strategy
Questioning
Description
Open-ended questions do not have a right or wrong answer,
nor do they have just one answer, such as “is this block red or
blue?”
Example
In circle time, the teacher reads a book and intentionally uses opened
ended questions such as “I notice that he is jumping in the pond, I
wonder what will happen next?”
Open ended questions allow children to formulate their own
answers to situation, problems, or express thoughts.
When speaking with children individually, the teacher may ask open
ended questions like, “You drew circles on your paper, I wonder what
can go in them?”
Check for
understanding
One on one conversation with children to check their level of
understanding on a particular skill
In the science center, the teacher and child use a catapult to launch big
and little marshmallows across the room. The teacher asks, “which one
is near you?” “which is far from you?” The child indicates their answer.
Choral
Response
In response to a cue, all children respond verbally at the same
time. The response can be either to answer a question or to
repeat something the teacher has said.
In large group circle time, students are engaged with the teacher in a
review of safe and unsafe behaviors. The teacher has taught the
students which behaviors that are “stop” behaviors and those which are
“go” behaviors. Students are taught that “Stop” behaviors are not safe
(i.e., they may get hurt) and “go” behaviors are safe (they will not get
hurt). Each student has a green circle on a stick and a red circle on a
stick. Each student holds up the color matching the correct response to
the behavior that the teacher states.
Think/Pair/
Share
Teacher gives direction to children. Children formulate
individual response, and then turn to a partner to share their
answers. Teacher calls on several random pairs to share their
answers with the class.
The teacher has been working with students on giving compliments. The
teacher allows children to choose a partner. Children then take turns by
giving each other a compliment such as, “I like your shoes.”
Portfolio
A tool for children to track their learning: Where am I going?
Where am I now? How will I know when I get there? Work
samples can show progressions of skills overtime.
Children and teachers choose work samples for the student’s portfolio.
Teachers ask children why they chose a particular sample of work and
record their responses on the chosen piece of work.
References:
Greenspan, S.I., & Wieder, S. (1998). The child with special needs: encouraging intellectual and emotional growth. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley.
Linder, T. (2009). Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment (2nd ed). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
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Effective Teacher Practices Supporting
High Quality Supportive Environments and Nurturing & Responsive Relationships
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014