Why Use the Rubric in Early Childhood?This is a featured page

  • The most important reason for using rubrics are to assist teachers in the evaluation of complex skills and learning samples, and to support students in understanding and mastery of those skills that are present in all the Saskatchewan curricula.

  • Teachers can see what areas need improvement and plan accordingly to meet the needs of the students.

  • Rubrics can also be useful in professional reflection, which is another important component of programming for young children. It has the potential to look at personal interactions, growth, and can assess the diversity of an environment.

  • A focus on learning and development is a child-centered approach and within this focus, observation is key. The Saskatchewan rubrics guide states that “When we “observe” …. One of the most effective (and simplest) ways to assess them is to use a rubric that clearly describes what we can expect…” (p. 7).

  • Rubrics, like any other form of assessment, are one piece of the pie in the early childhood setting. They fit well with developmental checklists, anecdotal records and portfolios, but they are not meant to be the only assessment method used.

  • One of the most vital components of early childhood education is the family and the rubric can be an excellent tool for opening communication and creating understanding about developmental expectations, assessing the home learning environment, and introducing techniques and language that can be used in the home.

  • Nixon and Wood state that “Rubrics offer suggestions so adults can guide and reinforce development of realistic goals in preschool settings… rubrics can facilitate learners to look at themselves in positive ways while continuing to take steps towards their goals” (2001, p. 53).

  • Rubrics make it possible to view the baby-steps and see the growth developing within the child. They also allow teachers and parents to see the strengths of the child.

  • It is more likely that children will be more successful when they know what is expected of them and rubrics give a definite outline for those expectations.

  • Rubrics encourage the teacher to look at the child as constantly emerging and changing.


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ritasingharath 		Latest page update: made by ritasingharath , Nov 4 2007, 12:13 AM EDT (about this update About This Update ritasingharath Edited by ritasingharath

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