Assessment and Play-Based Learning in the Kindergarten Classroom

• In Event: Current Directions and New Insights in Formative Assessment

Abstract

In contemporary kindergarten education, teachers are required to integrate assessment practices within a play-based learning framework. However, there is limited research informing teachers’ efforts to assess academic and developmental domains within play-based instruction. The current study examined the integration of teachers’ assessment practices in play-based kindergarten education, both on a conceptual and practical level. In phase one, interview and observational data were collected with 10 Ontario kindergarten teachers. In phase two, five teachers participated in extended classroom observations and video-elicitation interviews. Three different contexts for assessment were observed: (a) withdrawal assessment, (b) teacher-guided activities, and (c) assessment during play, with the latter observed infrequently across classrooms. These findings provide key strategies for meaningfully integrating assessments into playful kindergarten classrooms.

Authors

• Angela Pyle, University of Toronto - OISE

• Christopher DeLuca, Queen's University - Kingston

• Erica Paige Danniels, University of Toronto