Learn about ongoing child assessment and its components. Explore the ongoing assessment cycle, observation and documentation, engaging families, and additional assessment considerations.

Learn how observing children is a key part of what education staff in Head Start infant toddler programs do daily. Observation involves focus, purpose, and watching and listening to learn about individual children.

These are tools for learning about a child. They provide information about each child's interests, strengths, and needs. Screening gives a picture of whether the child's development is on track. Assessment is an ongoing process which provides information about development over time. Observation, watching a child in order to learn about her, is a part of assessment. When there is a concern about a child's development, early intervention providers do an evaluation.