Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 3. OBSERVING, DOCUMENTING, AND ASSESSING TO SUPPORT YOUNG
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation,
documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood
professionals. They a) know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment.
They b) know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective
assessment strategies c) in a responsible way, d) in partnership with families and other
professionals, to positively influence the development of every child

Brief Description of Evidence:

As part of my ECED 235 Preschool Practicum class in the spring of 2015, I worked at Head Start
and observed and assessed a preschool student in the class to complete a child case study. To
begin my child case study I first met with the students parents to find out their goals, culture and
individual characteristics. After speaking with the parents and doing a base line assessment I
identified significant actions I would take in order to foster the students positive development. I
then chose an assessment supported by Indiana Academic Foundations to use for documenting
my observations. Throughout the course I worked one on one with this student and observed her
in her normal school routine. To complete my assessment I constructed a portfolio of the
students physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language developmental domains to identify
the progress that was made with my time working with the student.

Analysis of What I Learned:

By observing, documenting and assessing a student I learned how to create and assess an
environment that supports physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language developmental. I
learned observing, analyzing, evaluating and planning are major components in early childhood
education. It helped me learn how to support learning, identify special needs, and monitor trends
in students.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the

NAEYC Standard:
This artifact demonstrates my competence by using applicable assessment strategies and
selecting activities that promote individualized skills and learning in preschool students. I am
able to meet Lev Vygotskys scaffolding theory by by using observation to determine where a
child is in their learning process and where they are capable of going, given their individual
needs and the social context surrounding them. I am able to observe a students skills,

knowledge, and behaviors and then analyze my observations and respond appropriately with
scaffolding.