Standard 3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families Students prepared in associate programs know

about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentations, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence childrens development and learning. 3c: Understanding and practicing responsible assessment Observing children, documenting experiences, collecting work samples, completing developmental checklists, and analyzing information from parent questionnaires are ways I practice responsible assessment in my childcare program (Cenedella, 1992). For NAEYC Standard 3c, I chose stories, artwork, and photographs from a childs portfolio that I created in 2011. I use the portfolio as a tool to gain a better understanding of a childs overall development (Smith, 2003). I continuously add to each childs portfolio and share it with the childs parents during our parent conferences or anytime concerns arise.

Reflection Through my experience, I have come to value the use of the portfolio because the contents that are collected over time depict the individual growth of the child. Parents have told me that they like the portfolio because it provides valuable information about children and is easy to understand. The portfolio serves as a compilation of responsible assessment tools in a format that can be readily shared with families and other professionals.

References Cenedella, J., M.S. (1992). Assessment through the curriculum. In A. Mitchell & J. David (Eds.), Explorations with young children (pp. 273-282). Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House, Inc. Smith, C. J. (2003). Planning for portfolios. In B. Neugebauer & R. Neugebauer (Eds.), The art of leadership Managing early childhood organizations (Revised ed., pp. 275-277). Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, Inc.