Assessment of Children’s Writing: Reasons, Types, and Information
Determining whether a child can express their ideas in writing coherently allows identifying whether they meet the development standards of their age. Thus, writing tests will help to locate cognitive development problems and the health issues that may have caused them. Traditionally, several types of writing assessment are identified in an academic environment. Similarly to the evaluation of other literacy skills, these include diagnostic, formative, benchmark, and summative types. The information that teachers seek to locate in these tests is how well students understand the subject and whether they can translate theory into practice.
Theories of Early Writing Development
The task of developing early writing skills can be approached from several theoretical angles. For instance, Dewey and Vygotsky’s theory will allow a teacher to approach the process of writing as the development of essential social skills. Ferrerio and Teberosky, in turn, argue that the acquisition of writing skills reflects the child’s understanding of how social interactions work and, thus, explain their perception of communication within their community (Richmond et al. 115). To embrace the importance of early writing development, one should examine it through the lens of both theories and view it both as the reflection of the cognitive process and the acquisition of social skills.
Strategies for Developing Writing in Kindergarten through Grade Three
The job of an early childhood development educator is very demanding since it implies the need to prompt early childhood development. The acquisition of writing skills is among these requirements, which is why the strategies such as starting with simple sentences, using descriptive ones, and appealing to learners’ individual experiences are often used by kindergarten teachers. The appeal to learners’ experiences helps to keep the process of writing skills development personalized and exciting. In addition, using different writing prompts and keeping a journal are good examples of how a teacher can encourage writing skills development in young learners.
Work Cited
Richmond, John, et al. Curriculum and Assessment in English 3 to 11: A Better Plan. Taylor & Francis, 2017.