Assessment and Use of Learning Data in Preschool Setting
Rebeca Rosa, Early Education Coordinator
The use of assessment has often resembled a pendulum, swinging between extremes. At times, assessment has been overemphasized as formal testing; at other times, it has been minimized or dismissed altogether. These fluctuations frequently stem from misunderstanding assessment as merely a tool for measuring performance rather than as a meaningful process of understanding the child.
In a Christian preschool context, assessment is far deeper; it is the intentional observation and evaluation of how God is developing each child intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually. It is not about labelling children, but about honouring the unique design God has placed within them.
Christian educators are entrusted with a sacred responsibility: shaping young lives during one of the most formative periods of development.
God, as the Creator, describes it so profoundly in Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT):
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous; how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
As Maria Montessori stated in her book “The Absorbent Mind,” published in 1949, “the most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the range of 0-6 years, the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed.” She, like other educators and founders of Child Development theories, merely repeated, in a different way, what God had already established.
Importance of Assessment in Preschool Education
In early childhood classrooms, assessment primarily occurs through observation, documentation, and reflection rather than formal testing. Teachers observe with intention and purpose when children play, interact, communicate, solve problems, and respond to instruction. Assessment serves several purposes:
Understanding Development
All areas of development are connected; although young children develop rapidly, their development is uneven. Assessment helps teachers to recognise milestones in language development, cognitive skills, social interaction, emotional regulation, motor skills, and early literacy and numeracy. Through observation and recorded data, educators gain a clearer picture of each child’s unique growth pattern.
Guiding Instruction
Assessment informs teaching decisions. As educators, we can identify the strengths and gaps to adjust lessons accordingly. With assessment, teaching becomes intentional and responsive.
Supporting the Whole Child
Edith Ackerman’s theory of the Whole Child Development identifies four natural, interactive forces: Being Me (Identity), the World (Exploration), Us (Relationship), and Human Creations (Expressions) (Koblin & Koblin, 2025).
God again provides a model of holistic growth in Christ’s early in the Gospel of Luke:
“And Jesus grew in wisdom, and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Luke 2:52, BSB)
Practical Ways to Use Assessment & Learning Data in Preschool
- Observe with Purpose: Move beyond general watching and observe with clear intentions.
- Document Learning in Simple Ways: Make documentation manageable and meaningful.
- Look for Patterns, Not Just Moments: One observation doesn’t tell the full story, but patterns do.
- Adjust Instruction Intentionally: Assessment should directly shape what you teach next.
- Use Play as Your Primary Assessment Tool: Young children reveal their understanding best through play.
- Support the Whole Child: Assessment should reflect all areas of development, not just academics.
- Communicate Clearly with Families: Use assessment data to build a partnership with parents.
- Set Simple, Measurable Goals: Turn observations into actions.
- Reflect as a Teacher: Assessment isn’t just about children; it is also about teaching.
- Use Data to Encourage, Not Label: Data should never define a child; it should guide support.
