Reviewed by Karen James, head teacher, Oak Tree Children's Centre, Welwyn Garden City.
This book provides an excellent overview of how to make assessment for learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage meaningful. It is accessible and helpfully structured, so although aimed at students it has much wider appeal.
Its strong, principled approach is full of practical, innovative ideas. Reflective activities are useful in considering dilemmas of assessment, well supported by case studies.
Early years theory and pedagogy are effectively summarised, with thoughtful links placing assessment at the heart of good practice. We are invited to question the context for assessment to help us celebrate achievement and plan next steps in learning. These high expectations will inspire early career practitioners to adopt a holistic approach. Practitioners are encouraged to assess within enabling environments, though I would have liked an outdoor case study.
The importance of parents' and children's participation in collecting meaningful evidence is key to the book's success, including thought-provoking ideas to promote children's selfand peer assessment. The WOW Wall is an excellent example of empowering parents to contribute to their children's learning. Challenging questions include whether practitioners consider themselves more knowledgeable about children as learners than parents. By empowering parents to assess their children's learning, they can became champions for change.
Summative assessment through the EYFS Profile sits awkwardly in this book, despite assertions that it can be used in a formative way. But continuing early years style assessment for learning into KS1 mirrors the emphasis on teacher assessment.
Overall, this book certainly helps us find the process of assessment in the early years less daunting and complex.
