NORTHAMPTON – When educators know the children in their classroom well, they can teach in ways that are more responsive to each child’s individual needs. A powerful approach for teachers to get to know their children well is through observing and documenting them in the midst of their daily activities.
The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) in Northampton, Massachusetts is launching Assessment for Responsive Teaching (ART), a statewide training program that will help early childhood educators across the state observe and document children in their daily activities, and adjust their curriculum to maximize the potential of each student. This program is funded through a grant from the MA Department of Early Education and Care.
Assessment for Responsive Teaching Project Director Jane Myers said the program aims to provide training to over 1300 kindergarten teachers in over 90 Massachusetts public school districts over the next year as well as at least 500 educators, directors, and family child care providers in 150 early childhood programs and family child care centers this spring.
“We are very excited to be able to present high-quality assessment courses on a large scale to help early childhood educators and caregivers become even more responsive to all the children they serve.” said Myers.
Myers said the program will focus on assessing “the whole child,” as children need a full range of social-emotional, physical, language, and other cognitive skills to be successful in school and in life.
The Assessment for Responsive Teaching program will work in collaboration with other agencies and organizations providing support to early childhood educators and providers throughout the state, including Readiness Centers and Educator and Provider Support (EPS) grantees.
For more information visit: http://www.ec-art.org