FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT CYCLE (FAC)

Formative Assessment Cycle (FAC) tool will be used to help differentiate instruction is through

the Preschool Early Literacy Toolkit. Its primary focus is to ensure early childhood

administrators, parents, and preschool teachers meet the needs of all children by collecting data

on their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding that there is no one size fits all, because

children learn from different styles and strategies. Therefore using the Formative Assessment

Cycle will equip teachers to meet students where they are with the support they need. The (FAC)

process includes five important steps: (1) Collect data from a learning experience (2) Analyze the

data for what students know and do not know (3) Reflect on the data to plan intervention and/or

extension and enrichments (4) Implement plan of action (5) Repeat Steps 1- 4

It is essential to have realistic expectations of childrens abilities to

learn their alphabet and develop writing skills based on their ages and

stages of development. The Preschool Early Literacy Toolkit will implement the

FAC tool in both Early Literacy components: Alphabetic Knowledge and Early

Writing Skills. The Preschool Early Literacy Toolkit provides daily meaningful

experiences including hands-on experiences with writing and drawing materials, games,

charts, computer programs with writing and drawing activities, alphabet books, alphabet songs

and worksheets. Early childhood administrators, parents, and preschool teachers can gather data

from these experiences to assess childrens growth and development. They are encouraged to

use observations, interactions, anecdotal notes, and work samples for documentation and

checklists to record frequently observed behaviors. This information can be

used to make modifications to the learning instruction and to further

enhance childrens skills. Once data have been collected and analyze
concerning what the children know and do not know, then they are responsible for designing a

plan for intervention and/or extension and enrichments to address each childs developmental

need. Next, the plan is implemented and an assessment is completed again to learn of each

childs growth and development in the targeted concepts and/or skills. The assessment

process will occur on an ongoing basis, during childrens engagement in

meaningful everyday activities.

The main purpose of these assessments is improve students learning and teachers

methods of teaching instruction. In addition, assessments identifies children

needing special help, referrals and services. Assessments are necessary because it

provides a measure of which skill needs support and a guide to address them. Early childhood

administrators, parents, and preschool teachers are encouraged to preplan and implement

differentiation instruction to enhance students academic growth and success by using various

strategies and techniques based upon the childs academic (readiness), interests, and their sense

making (learning preferences).

For example, it is common for children to write letters in their name, because

writing their name represents ownership. According to (Epstein, 2007), children

begin to read by learning letters that are personally meaning for to them (p.120). Connecting

letters to something children already know, as well as things that mean

something to the preschooler, helps the process. Early childhood

administrators, parents, and preschool teachers may use their interests to

plan and implement activities developmentally appropriate practices to

enhance preschoolers Alphabetic Knowledge and Writing skills. Another

strategic practice is using Letter Links, which is included in my Digital Toolkit.

Letter Links is a name-based learning system that pairs a childs printed

name with a letter-linked picture of an object starting with the same sound

and letter. Not only will children begin to learn letters in their name, and

letter-linked objects, they will also begin to expand their alphabetic

knowledge.

In addition, early childhood administrators, parents, and preschool

teachers are encouraged to include children in their learning process.

Listening to the childrens voice about what they would like to offer toward

their learning experience makes them feel responsible for their learning and

success. Also, allowing children to make choices about what they will do and

carry out their ideas and reflect upon them, will motivate and lead their

learning (Epstein, p.13). Children can become overwhelmed with instructions

and guidelines instructed by the teachers. In addition, children gain

confidence as thinkers, problem solves and decision makers (Epstein, p.13).

Providing these differentiated strategies will encourage students to grow and

build expertise of concepts and skills. Teachers are encouraged to work

alongside children to offer supportive techniques and scaffold there learning

to ensure they are reaching their highest potential.