Assessment : Picture and name task

Picture and Name Task (for Pre-K)

Have the student draw a picture on a blank sheet of paper and write her/his name at
the bottom. Have the child tell you about the picture. You will write down on another
piece of paper what he/she tells you about the picture.

Comments during assessment: “That is you flying on a magic carpet, and me in pink super small.

I drew the carpet way up high so you are by the sun.” I asked why she choose the color she did

for the sun she said, “because the color was pretty and the sun is pretty!”

“We both have green hair because I like it and we both have the same color hair in real life too”

She was able to write her name without seeing it but does not know how to spell her last name so

she places an H after her name because she knows her last name and what letter it starts with just

not the spelling of it

 The purpose of this assessment was to see if she could write her name and also to see

how her writing conveys a meaning. She understands her writing means something as she told

me the story after completing her picture and name task. I would say she struggles with writing

the letter “a” and also with spacing. Her last name she placed the “H” really close to her first

name this would something to work on with her. The spacing and placement of words. One

challenge I faced with completing this assessment was she kept asking at the beginning what to

draw. I had to repeat myself saying anything just use your imagination. I really enjoyed this

assessment most, because I felt like it was something the child could enjoy without feeling like

they were being tested. I choose this assessment because it was one we were given but was fair

for the age group. I made sure to take anecdotal notes when she wrote her name and when she

explained her drawing. It is easy to jump to conclusions when a child is drawing a picture. I had

to make sure to listen closely to what was going on in her picture, because what she was thinking

I may be thinking something different. It’s easy to be bias in this assessment. This assessment

was in Virginia Literacy Foundation Block 6: Written Expression (2007).

 References

Morrow, Lesley, (1990). Assessment in Early Literacy: A Guide for Designing Instruction. 31-

38.

Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2009). When readers struggle: Teaching that works. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann, 206.

Virginia Department of Education. (2007). Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning:

Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds[PDF]. Office of Elementary Instructional

Services Virginia Department of Education.

Vukelich, Carol. (2018). Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy: Birth through

Kindergarten. 4th ed., Pearson, 2018.