Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 3. OBSERVING, DOCUMENTING, AND ASSESSING TO SUPPORT YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation,
and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know
about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic
observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership
with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child. (NAEYC, 2010)

Brief Description of Evidence:
During the spring semester of 2014 during my ECED 235-Preschool Practicum course, collaboratively I
worked with a single child for 4 months, targeting and improving specific key developmental and academic
areas. The assessment portfolio consisted of a collection of artifacts including photos, class work,
observations, anecdotal notes, artwork, and assessments. Upon this composition, I developed and conducted
assessments of the case study child, targeted key issues, composed activities and lesson plans to implement
with them, reassessed, and reflected on the changes upon completion.
Analysis of What I Learned:
Through completion of this child assessment portfolio I was able to understand that child observation,
documentation, and assessing children is tremendously important in being an effective child care professional.
This artifact ties into theorist Lev Vygotskys beliefs. Vygotsky believed in order for a child to develop skills in
learning, they must interact with their environment in order to benefit from it. Through limited assistance,
Vygotsky developed the Zone of Proximal development to determine a childs learning development. I now
know the importance of developing goals, understanding their benefits, and the effectiveness of assessment.
Through this artifact I have learned to conduct multiple, effective observations, responsibly develop
assessment strategies in order to benefit the child by improving specific areas of learning.
How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:
This project is just one of many in which I worked with a student in order to target key academic issues,
develop effective and responsible assessment strategies, systematically observe, and successfully implement
activities and lesson plans to improve said target areas. Through spending 4 months with my case study child, I
was able to collaboratively work with her, her family, and also my mentor in order to develop strategies to
guide her through effective development over the course of the semester. Through developing a partnership
with each of these individuals, I now understand how observing, effectively documenting, and appropriately
assessing a child can dramatically improve their growth and development within the classroom. I now
appreciate the importance of assessment as developing goals and seeing the benefits upon implementation of
activities and lesson plans prove to improve key target areas. Not only do I now know how to improve one
childs developmental areas of learning, I now realize how to properly observe, appropriately assess, and
effectively implement material to every child.