Assessing Preschool Literacy Development —
Abstract of

Chapter 1
Multiple Assessments for Preschoolers

Billie J. Enz

Lesley Mandel Morrow

Assessment of children's growth and development is an essential component of all high-quality preschool programs. Assessment allows teachers and parents to see how a child is progressing and helps teachers to prepare instruction appropriate for their students' ever-changing language development and literacy needs. Testing, on the other hand, enables teachers and program directors to evaluate how effective curriculum materials are for their students. Effective preschool teachers use both assessment and testing to inform their practice and provide specific information about student progress.

This chapter deals with issues facing preschool teachers who face an increasing responsibility to account for children's achievement in literacy development. We will introduce the topic of authentic assessment through daily performance work samples and teacher observations. In addition we will also discuss the appropriate uses of formal high-stakes testing.

This chapter establishes a strong foundation in understanding testing and assessment vocabulary and provides explicit examples of both.

Enz, B.J., & Morrow, L. (2009). Multiple Assessments for Preschoolers . In Assessing Preschool Literacy Development (pp. 1-9). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.