Assessment and Documentation in Early Childhood Education

Documentation in early childhood education is typically seen as a means to enhance the quality of care and education, and as a way to take account of the child’s view.

Assessment and Documentation in Early Childhood Education considers the increasing trend towards systematic child documentation especially in early childhood institutions. The authors present ways in which assessment and evaluation is done sometimes explicitly but more often implicitly in these practices, and explore its means, aims, forms, and functions. They also examine the rationalities of child documentation from the perspective of professional practice and professionalism and suggest that documentation and assessment practices can weaken and constrain but also empower and strengthen teachers, children and parents. Topics explored include:

• Different forms of documentation and assessment
• Documentation and listening to the children
• Dilemmas of assessment and documentation
• Participation by children
• Involvement of parents

This timely book will be appealing for those studying in the field of early childhood education, teacher education, special education, general education, social work, counselling, psychology, sociology, childhood studies, and family studies.

Maarit Alasuutari is Professor of Social Work (FT) at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

Ann-Marie Markström is Associate Professor in Education at Linköping University, Sweden.

Ann-Christine Vallberg-Roth is Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Centre for Profession Studies (CPS) at the University of Malmö, Sweden.