Term Paper on "Early Literacy Assessment"

Term Paper 5 pages (1608 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Literacy is one of the numerous skills that are needed to perform in day-to-day life. Literacy starts begins at home actually with the parents. These children at this place start to learn things such as what language is articulated around them, in addition to the gestures they pick up from their mother and father. If the parent's themselves are having poor literacy skills, it makes it hard for them to teach their children, as a result hindering their talent to learn. The things parents teach their children right before they enter school can be a wonderful aid in putting them on the correct route to literacy success. With that said this essay will discuss six articles and compare each piece to find trends, commonalities and contradictions.

Trends in Literacy Assessment

When it comes to trends, all six of the articles mention the trend of accountability. The trend of accountability according to Boudreau (2005) comes with a progressive focus on early literacy in early childhood. All of the articles make the point that in order to have high quality education there must be new and fresh ideas. These trends have pushed for solid evidence of the result of high-quality early education on children's later academic accomplishment has shaped a sturdy push for early learning standards and valuations that border with K-12 education (Agnew, 2005). All six of the articles make mentioned that trends are important because pressure is particularly strong in the early literacy-learning area where U.S. state and federal currency is connected to suggestion of the scientific research foundation in programs and assessments of program effectiveness (Teale, 2009). Recording results and showing getting better in children's literacy achievement in the early grades depends on quality assessment data from preschool through grade 3. According to (Roskos, 2004 & Hourcade, 2006) the need for "good" trends assessment data is growing at a fast pace. Those that are policymakers admit that trends in literacy are what decide what works and also helps to identify gaps that are in children's early learning experiences. Two of the articles state specifically that trends are what help parents and teachers look for want the latest information to screen children's development and to make instructional choices. The articles agree on the fact that early childhood programs and elementary schools do desire having the accurate information in order to be able to establish a starting point of children's weaknesses and strengths in order to be able to manage instructional objectives, and to assess their general effectiveness. Sustaining these numerous "wants" sensibly raises the position of finding and embracing the trends of early literacy assessment all through the early years of preschool and then again in primary education.

The articles stress then trends in assessments. Authors Teale (2009) and Roskos (2004) both stress that new trends in things such as aassessments are vital because they serve diverse resolutions from instructional decision making and categorizing children with special needs to program watching and accountability assessments. Dangers prowl, on the other hand, in the disparity of tool and purpose and the mistreatment of assessment outcomes. Consider, for instance, readiness trends in screening for kindergarten. Its envisioned drive is to "flag" children who might need more help and additional analysis upon going to school (Hourcade, 2006). Yet according to the six articles it does occur, regrettably, that screening evidence can be distorted to judge children "ill-equipped" for kindergarten or to put them in curriculums without follow-through valuation (Manning, 2005). These kind of trends in screening are not always effective because they do not necessarily assist children with learning to write and read; it does not assist them in obtaining the teaching they need to make advancement; and, unhappily, it puts them in harm's way according to the articles.

These articles did put a lot of the focus on the trends of assessments. They were clear, though, that this matter of purpose does not pivot on whether conduction of early literacy assessments should or should not be done. The articles agree that new trends in assessments need tom be constantly conducted. They make the point that they need to be conducted because people retain scientific knowledge in regards to literacy growth that can assist children (Hourcade, 2006). The issue instead is how to guarantee lucidity of drive and correct, ethical use of valuation information for the benefit of children in these new trends. Speaking to this issue in early literacy assessment necessitates a "strong hand" on our part to resolve what new trends in strategies and structures would need to be in place in early childhood schools and programs so as to first do no harm (Agnew, 2005). In this situation professional development is pivotal. According to Roskos (2004) and Teale (2009) aadministrators and teachers are constantly looking out for new trends that welcome in opportunities that will be able to acquire the skills and knowledge to create and execute sound early literacy assessment systems. All six of the articles stress the point that they want these trends to be able to meet the needs of the families and children that they are serving. However, some of the articles stress the point that when it comes to embracing theses new trends in early literacy, they need real, touchable, everyday provision from well-informed reading specialists.

Commonalities in Early Literacy

When it comes to commonalities in early literacy, the articles some of the articles had different shared purposes such as technology involving assessments. One particularly promising approach to implementing classroom technology for young learners is a 'toolkit' approach, in which a collection of appropriate types of technology (both hardware and software) is specifically selected to enhance student performance (Agnew 2005; Boudreau, 2005; Roskos, 2004; Teale, 2009). Some of the articles share a goal in accepting new technology that will make the lives of the teachers much easier such as using software that will bring about ease in making assessments Just as Handy Manny's diversity of tools helps him whole his tasks, an developing literacy technology toolkit is an collection of software and hardware tools that upkeep the building of developing literacy skills.

Some of the articles according to Hourcade (2006) and Roskos ( 2004) both agree that Handy Manny always brings along his toolkit when he sets out to do a task. Both agree that the use of a technology toolkit is good because it wil be able to support emergent literacy curriculum and instruction in early childhood education situations. Modules of the toolkit comprise of software and hardware that can ease important emergent literacy skills. However, the other articles such as Agnew (2005) and Manning (2005) state that the application of the certain comprehensive technology toolkit are also good to use because they improve the expansion of these critical literacy skills in learners at risk of academic problems.

Digital cameras is something that articles Hourcade (2006) and Boudreau (2005) believe is very effective tool in tecgnology when it comes to early literacy. The articles make the point that it has never been more relaxed for technological beginners to produce digital images. The rising obtainability of software and hardware to operate, store, and current images, causes it to be much easier for early childhood specialists to utilize digital cameras in their work (Hourcade, 2006). In 2005 about 60% of families had the hands on some kind of technological item either a video camera, digital camera, or both, with that figure possible even much higher today (Marsh et al. 2005). This does not comprise the near-universal addition of photo competence on most of the cell phones.

Contradictions to Early Literacy

Among the six articles, there is a lot of contradictions discussed when it comes to early literacy. For instance, Teale (2009) talks about the issues urban schools are having with early literacy assessments. The article makes it… READ MORE

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