Assessment makes valued learning visible.  

Kaiako use assessment to find out: 

• what children know and can do 
• what interests children  
• how their learning is progressing 
• what might be the next step 
• areas in which they may need additional support.  

Formative assessment – assessment that strengthens learning – may be in the moment or documented. 

Kaiako use knowledge gained from assessment to: 

• make the teaching and learning more effective 
• enhance local curriculum design and implementation. 

Assessment practices will reflect the principles of Te Whāriki, considering the whole child and the whole curriculum. 

Assessment documentation records evidence of individual children’s learning progress in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki.  

It is used for curriculum planning. It is also used for celebrating children’s learning and progress over time with them, their parents and whānau, other kaiako, and external support agencies.  

Narrative forms of assessment, such as learning stories, make use of a formative assessment sequence: noticing, recognising, responding, recording, and revisiting valued learning.  

Use the downloadable workshop from Aromatawai Assessment to evaluate, reflect, and refresh your thinking on your assessment processes. 

The resources below support kaiako in assessment practice that makes children’s learning visible. 

• Te Whatu Pōkeka - Kaupapa Māori assessment for learning. 
• Approaches for assessing Samoan children's learning - Research paper by Pauline Luafutu-Simpson.
• Kei Tua o Te Pae Assessment for learning: Early childhood exemplars
  This resource provides some guidance on assessment for learning.