Baseline Assessment

First Published in 1998. Baseline assessment will be compulsory from September 1998. Enshrined in the Education Act 1997, and subject to cross party support, baseline assessment has high popularity - at least in principle. This book reviews these different elements and purposes, and their implications for practice. The authors review the educational, psychological and psychometric factors which are relevant to developing baseline assessment and consider the socio-political context in which these initiatives are occurring.

This book sets out to help teachers assess pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, multisensory impairments and other complex needs in a relevant and meaningful way. It offers teachers structure, guidance and a holistic approach to assessment, target setting, planning, recording, attainment and pupil progress throughout his or her life at school.

First Published in 1999. This book offers the reader a detailed picture of attitudes and self-concepts of pupils and their growing achievements as they move through primary education. Acknowledging the complexity of schools and schooling, Peter Tymms shows with many charts, diagrams and data displays how reliable measures can be used to track pupils' development. Systematic data collection and interpretation are based on the well-established Performance Indicators in Primary School (PIPS) project. Important policy and practical questions are addressed, and some surprising conclusions are reached. Gaps in knowledge are also identified and way to full them are outlines. Teachers, headteachers, middle managers, policy makers, INSET providers in primary schools and student teachers will welcome this text.

100 Ideas for Early Years Practitioners: Observation, Assessment & Planning is not only filled with easy to implement and practical ideas for the early years classroom, but it also demonstrates why assessment is an important formative tool to help further children's learning. In this book, early years expert and experienced author Marianne Sargent explains the cycle of observation, assessment and planning with advice on how to carry out different types of observation, guidance on how to make effective use of observations to assess children's knowledge and understanding, and explanations for how to use this information to inform future planning. The book also offers ideas on how to carry out summative assessments - as well as how to organise assessment information for reporting purposes. With the ever-increasing focus on observation, assessment and planning in the early years, this book is a must-have for all practitioners looking to effectively introduce all three into their setting while still ensuring the children in their care are in an environment where they can be confident, feel supported and still have fun as they grow and learn.

Now its fourth edition, Planning an Appropriate Curriculum in the Early Years offers a comprehensive guide for early years practitioners and students on how to plan and implement a suitable curriculum for the children in an Early Years setting. It examines the key roles and responsibilities of practitioners working in Early Years settings and those with responsibility for leading and managing provision for EYFS in primary schools. Completely revised and updated in line with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, latest research evidence and OFSTED requirements, this book covers the following aspects of the Early Years including: what we mean by planning an appropriate curriculum in the early years; transition from nursery to school and into Year 1; defining quality learning and play in the early years assessment procedures and examples; integration of two-year-olds into school; the role played by parents and carers in children’s learning and development; the ways in which vulnerable children are provided for; examples of planning material developed by practitioners. With case studies of good practice and questions for reflective practice and group work, this timely fourth edition will be welcomed by students and practitioners looking to provide high quality and effective learning experiences for the under-fives.

Ideas, resources, and a list of childrens' books that can be used to implement guided reading.

This book provides expert advice on perennial issues in teaching - planning and preparation. By taking the best ideas from a variety of sectors, and drawing on an unusual breadth of experience as a teacher, parent and business manager, the author's advice is uniquely well-rounded and pragmatic. Packed with anecdotes, reflective questions and exercises, this enjoyable read covers everything a teacher needs to plan and prepare effectively, and use assessment to inspire more professional and fruitful lessons.

Curriculum and Assessment in English 3 to 11: A Better Plan provides an overview of the subject in considerable breadth and depth, and offers a clear, balanced and forceful critique of the current language and literacy curriculum and its assessment arrangements for 3- to 11-year-olds in England, and of developments in the area during the past thirty years. The book restates fundamental truths about how pupils speak, read and write English with confidence and control. It describes how English can be taught most effectively, calls for an urgent review of some aspects of the current National Curriculum and its associated tests, and – crucially – proposes viable alternatives. This invaluable resource for those working in English, language and literacy education has a wide perspective and takes a principled and informed pedagogical approach. Based on a series of much-admired booklets released by the UKLA in 2015, this accessible guide to both theory and practice will be of interest to teachers, student teachers, teacher-educators, advisers and policy-makers in the UK and internationally.