Key messages for Pre-primary parents
Educational needs vary from child to child and may constantly change, with children bringing to school
a wide range of experiences, skills and understandings.
Through constant and ongoing observations, your child’s teacher is able to ensure that programs continue to meet the changing needs of each and every child.
Important: There is no pass or fail in this assessment.
| Purpose | What is the purpose of the program?
The main purpose of the On-entry Assessment Program is to provide teachers with information about the skills and understandings that a child brings to school. Conducting this assessment early in the year ensures that your child’s teacher has information about the current skills and understandings of each child to assist in the planning and development of targeted learning programs that address the needs of each individual and identify children who may require early intervention or extension. This approach is supported by national and international research into the early identification of students’ literacy and numeracy skills. |
| What? | What does On-entry assess?
The literacy and numeracy skills and understandings considered critical to early and ongoing educational development. What doesn’t On-entry assess? Physical health, behaviour, creativity, social and emotional health, all important in the overall development of each child. While the purpose of the On-entry Assessment Program is to assess literacy and numeracy skills, the one-to-one nature of the assessments provides the teacher with valuable opportunities to observe other domains. |
| Who? | Who participates in the program?
All Pre-primary students in West Australian public schools. The Term 1 program is mandated in order to provide each Pre-primary teacher with information on all children in the class. |
| When? | When are the assessments conducted?
Weeks 3-6 of Term 1. Is the assessment repeated? The program is available again in Term 4 for teachers to reassess selected children in literacy and/or numeracy using the same module. The program is also available in Years 1 and 2 (Modules 2 and 3 respectively). |
| How? | How are the assessments conducted?
The teacher works through a set of tasks and questions with each child in a one-to-one situation and records their responses online. Some tasks can be incorporated into the classroom program during the assessment period. What resources are used in the program? Most tasks use ‘hands-on’ resources. Some of these are provided to schools in a kit; others are sourced from the classroom. |