Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Early Childhood Practice Exam

Which informal assessment tool would be most useful for tracking a preschool child's specific skill performance?

1. an interview

2. a rating scale

3. a worksheet

4. a running record

The correct answer is: a rating scale

Using a rating scale as an informal assessment tool for tracking a preschool child's specific skill performance is highly effective because it allows educators to quantify and evaluate behaviors or skills on a continuum. Rating scales can provide a structured way to assess various aspects of a child's development, such as social skills, cognitive abilities, or emotional regulation, by utilizing predefined criteria that indicate levels of mastery or frequency. This method offers several advantages. First, it enables consistency in measurement over time, allowing educators to compare progress and identify areas needing support. Second, the quantifiable nature of a rating scale can aid in making informed decisions regarding curriculum adjustments or targeted interventions. Additionally, these scales can be easily communicated to parents, providing them with clear insights into their child's development. Other assessment tools, while valuable in different contexts, may not provide the same level of specificity and structured feedback for skill performance tracking. For instance, an interview is typically more subjective and focused on gathering narrative information, which may not directly translate to tracking particular skills. Worksheets can assess understanding and application of knowledge but may not capture ongoing skill development effectively. A running record focuses on documenting a child's behavior during specific activities, which is useful for observational purposes, but doesn't provide a standardized measurement of performance across different skills.