8083 MD4 Assign3 Info

5

“Effective Selection and Planning for Assessment”

Angel Winslow

EDD 8083- “Assessment Practices to Promote Healthy Development and Learning”

Module 2 Assignment

Research Paper: How to Assess Play

Date Due: March 28, 2022

Assessment in Kindergarten

Scholars, policymakers, and teachers in Early Childhood Development agree that play is an integral part of the early education learning process because of the many benefits of learning through play. According to Matas and Lopez (2018), learning through play is one of the best strategies for teaching children new concepts. It allows learners to gain new ideas in a fun-filled learning environment. This research paper shall focus on the kindergarten class and explain the benefits of play-based learning for this category of students. The study will also explain the best procedure for assessing the effectiveness of play-based learning and conclude by recommending the developmentally appropriate practices to evaluate play-based learning for kindergartens.

Play helps in keeping learners active and alert throughout the learning process. One aspect of play is that it engages learners fully and thus keep the learners alert and attentive during the entire exercise period. Play-based learning keeps learners involved, making the learning process interactive instead of being unidirectional where the teacher does a lot of talking. Another important benefit of play for kindergartens is that it boosts full development of various learning domains, thus leading to the full development of multiple parameters of learner development (Matas & Lopez, 2018. Different versions of play contribute to the development of specific domains. For instance, songs help promote cognitive development; construction boosts both mental and fine motor skills. Playing games like soccer promotes balance, control, and decision-making among the learners. Children who engage in physical activities also have improved health status and concentration.

Early childhood education teachers have to assess the effectiveness of games and physical activities to train children. According to studies by O'Grady and Dusing (2015), effective assessment criteria for early childhood games should encompass different aspects of learning such as cognition, psychomotor development, fine motor and affection skills. The assessment criterion should focus on and enhance the learner's problem-solving skills as opposed to assessing different domains of development in isolation. Play assessment for kindergartens should encompass observation where the teacher watches over what the learners do in their respective groups. During such observations, teachers should interject and correct any activity not performed rightly. Children are generally curious and learn through exploration. The teacher's role is to monitor where the kids go astray and bring them back to the right course. While assessing learners, teachers should motivate them. Using harsh language may demoralize children. Teachers, therefore, need to be friendly to children even when identifying and correcting mistakes. While assessing children's progress, teachers need to employ a multivariate approach that factors in different developmental capabilities such as language, psychosocial, mental, and affectionate domains of development. Kelly-Vance and Ryalls (2015) recommend UDL because of its flexibility to match the different learner variability. Play-based assessment should incorporate relevant tools to assess the various skills acquired in the training session.

While designing play-based learning, some of the developmentally appropriate practices that teachers must envisage and infuse in the games include ensuring that play is full of fun. Teachers must allow kids to enjoy the game. Stressing so much on the game's educational benefits withdraws the fun from the play and thus makes it dormant and boring. Play should allow children to enjoy the fun and demonstrate their creativity without being restricted by other requirements. O'Grady and Dusing (2015) mentioned that learning moments should come spontaneously without being forced. Secondly, teachers should ensure that learners engage in interactive games and plays. Effective plays should bring children together in a fun-filled environment. Palys should introduce children to teamwork and guide them to learn different skills together. Teachers should ensure that plays are organized to foster and promote social interaction between learners. Through such organizations, children learn to appreciate the worth of a social network and friends.

When used appropriately, play-based learning is an effective way of teaching children. It allows children to rehearse on different aspects of human development, promoting a wholesome developmental approach to learning. Teachers need to apply a multivariate approach in assessing play-based learning.

References

Dalton, E. M. & Brand, S.T. (2012). The assessment of young children through the lens of universal design for learning (UDL). Forum on Public Policy Online, Vol. 12 (1), 1-18

Kelly-Vance, L. & Ryalls, B. O. (2015). A systematic, reliable, approach to play assessment in preschoolers. School Psychology International, 26, 398-412

O'Grady, M. G., & Dusing, S. C. (2015). Reliability and validity of play-based assessments of motor and cognitive skills for infants and young children: a systematic review. Physical therapy, 95(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20140111

Matas, J.& Lopez, P. (October 2018). Learning through play. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/UNICEF- Lego-Foundation-Learning-through-Play.pdf