Early Childhood Development - Chapter Two (Trawick-Smith) 2014

7/18/2019 Early Childhood Development - Chapter Two (Trawick-Smith) 2014

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Early Childhood Development

Jeffrey Trawick-Smith

Sixth Edition

2014, 2010, 2006, 2003, 2000Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Multicultural Perspective


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Trawick-SmithEarly Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective, 6e 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Research and Assessment inEarly ChildhoodDevelopment

Chapter 2


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2-2Trawick-SmithEarly Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective, 6e 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY QUESTIONS

What are correlational and experimentalstudies of children, and do they differ?

How are qualitative/ethnographic methods ofstudying children different from

quantitative methods?

What events have led to an emphasis onassessment in schools in the UnitedStates?


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KEY QUESTIONS

What are summative assessmentsand how are they used?

What are formative assessments

and why are they useful toclassroom teachers and otherprofessionals?


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KEY QUESTIONS

What are quantitative and qualitative

assessments that teachers can use toidentify disabilities and supportchildrens learning?

What kinds of information are commonlyincluded in a case study?


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What are correlational and

experimental studies ofchildren, and do they differ?


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QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Definition: Research methods in whichchildren are observed and their behaviorscounted or rated numerically. The

numbers that are obtained are thenentered into computer programs andanalyzed statistically.

Includes: correlational and experimentalresearch.


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Experimental Research

Studies causes of characteristics orbehaviors

Researcher intervenes in one of twogroups and then compares outcomesof the groups

Often used to determine efficacy of

an intervention, but caution muststill be used


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When to use experimental orcorrelational research

Correlational: Unable to manipulatevariables, interested in describingrelationships between existingfactors.

Experimental: Interested in inferringcause, testing an intervention, canethically manipulate variables


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A wealth of research exists onwhat children are like and how

they develop in the early years.This research can guideprofessional practice.

CRITICAL CONCEPT #1


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PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Child development research helps usto:

Create developmentally appropriate curricula

Promote positive behavior and learning

Identify developmental delays or disabilities

Understand and appreciate cultural diversity

Guide advocacy activities and the shaping of publicpolicy


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How are qualitative/ethnographic methods of

studying children differentfrom quantitative methods?


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QUALITATIVE STUDIES

Results arethick descriptions

of children

s

development that capture all aspects of theirlives.

Rich and detailed narratives illustratechildrens development.

Purpose is to describe individual behavior ordevelopment within a particular context.

Patterns or trends in behavior can beidentified.


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How do they differ?Quantitative methods: Behaviors are counted or

rated numerically. Can capture trends inbehavior among large groups of individuals.

BUT:

Does not provide the rich detail of qualitativeand ethnographic approaches

May not take into account the cultural

contextMay not capture the important details of an

individual childs experience


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Many of the ideas in this text arederived from research on young

children. Although research studiesyield important information, flawsand biases are common.

CRITICAL CONCEPT #2


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We need to understand researchmethods so we can criticallyevaluate the results

We must be cautious in how weinterpret research findings

Study findings = good guess


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What events have led to an

emphasis on assessment inschools in the United States?


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THE ASSESSMENT ANDACCOUNTABILITY MOVEMENT

Push in the United States to focus onassessment in schools over the last fewdecades

WHY?

Assess the effectiveness of education and socialservices

Assess whether children of all backgroundsbenefit equally from services

Improve measures of educational success


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THE ASSESSMENT ANDACCOUNTABILITY MOVEMENT

A mixed blessing:Has helped teachers to focus on the impact of

their teaching practices, identify childrenwith disabilities, assess individual

childrens level of need and craftappropriate interventions.

BUT: Has placed increased stress andpressure on teachers, reduced emphasison important non-academic skills like artand play, does not always account forcultural diversity.


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What are

summative assessmentsand how are they used?


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SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

An overall evaluation of childrens growth afterthey have completed a school year or someother long period of learning and teaching.

Usually quantitative, can be averaged across children.

Used by schools/funding organizations to determine ifeducational goals are being met.

Are students making good progress? Are they ready tomove to the next grade or instructional level?


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What are formativeassessments and why arethey useful to classroom

teachers and otherprofessionals?


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FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

The evaluation of childrens behavior, learning,

and development over time, and relativelyfrequently, in order to immediately improveservices to individual children.

Can be quantitative or qualitative.

Used by teachers to chart the progress of anindividual child and determine how the needsof this child could be better met.


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TYPES OF FORMATIVEASSESSMENT- QUANTITATIVE

Developmental checklist: Teacher/ caregiverrates childrens attainment of developmentalmilestones, such as resolving conflicts or playingcooperatively with peers.

Time sampling: Teacher/ researcher observeschildren at regular time intervals and recordsbehaviors or interactions that occur during thatperiod.

Event sampling: Teacher/researcher records thenumber of times an event or behavior occurs.


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TYPES OF FORMATIVEASSESSMENT- QUALITATIVE

Anecdotal record: Teachers write detailed,objective notes on everything a particular child

says or does during a classroom observation.

Work sampling: Examples of childrens play andwork that reveal important information about

their development are collected and analyzedover time.


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WRITING AN ANECDOTALRECORD

Can focus on: An individual child, an individual play area, or a whole-

classroom observation

A single behavior, problem, or area of development, or canbe used to observe classroom behavior generally

1. Teacher takes brief field notes during observation.

2. When time allows, teacher writes up notes in moredescriptive form.

3. After several records are written, teacher rereadsand looks for patterns.


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What are quantitative andqualitative assessments that

teachers can use to identifydisabilities and supportchildrens learning?


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ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Quantitative and qualitative assessmentsdiscussed above can be used to help parentsand teachers identify special needs.

Examples of quantitative assessments include: Battelle Developmental Inventory- tests forgeneral cognitive delays

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- determinesprogress in language development

Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-assesses cognitive and academic ability andidentifies areas of delay.


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ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Qualitative assessments can also provide keyinformation in identifying special needs.

Better picture of ability in children of diversebackgrounds who may be at a disadvantagewhen taking formal quantitative assessments.

Richer description of childs abilities anddifficulties in context

Can take into account culture-, family-, andhome-related factors.

Include work sampling, anecdotal records, casestudy


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What kinds of information

are commonly included ina case study?


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CASE STUDYCan rely on both summative and formative

assessments. May include: Anecdotal records, observational reports, work

samples, videos

Descriptions of peer and family relationships, homeand classrooms environments

Health and medical assessment

Clinical interviews with child and family

Formal screenings (e.g. language assessment,

Autism Rating Scale, etc.)


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Qualitative and ethnographicstudies are gaining favor among

child development researchers.Such research is viewed as lessculturally biased and more usefulfor practicing classroom

professionals.

CRITICAL CONCEPT #3


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Qualitative and ethnographic data inthe classroom:

Anecdotal records can be used to

describe childrens learning and

development

Case studies provide an in-depthexamination, can be particularly

useful when it comes to childrenwith special needs


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2 35Trawick-Smithl h ldh d l l l l

We can ask ourselves frequently:

How can I use these methods to

discover what children in my careneed most to enhance theirdevelopment?


Early Childhood Development - Chapter Two (Trawick-Smith) 2014

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