ASSESSMENT IN ANGANWADIS
(Dr Anusha S1, Ms Ashwini Srinivas2 & Dr L Sampath Kumar3)
Abstract:
Assessment is an important part of education. It is a tool that helps in understanding how learning has happened in the learning spaces, how transactions unfold in the classrooms. When assessment is clearly understood, it leads to the proper course of follow-up action for the forthcoming classes. In a way, assessment determines the course of curriculum and in turn the course of academic transactions.
The authors, working in ECCE, wish to present their understanding on the Assessment in the Anganwadis taking a deep look at the process, associated benefits and practical solutions. They propose to arrive at a set of implementable, yet affordable Assessment methods in Anganwadis. By such plausible solutions, they strive to support the teachers and help the parents of the children understand the process. Only with a clear understanding of the process, the parents and other stakeholders will be encouraged to contribute more to their children’s learning.
The authors also attempt to present a few of the relevant leads from the Ancient education system of our country which can be integrated to the present method of Anganwadi assessment, giving it a unique flavour of nativity & deep-rootedness in culture. They consider this sort of seamless integration an essential aspect as large scale Assessments,tend to overlook the distinct qualities and needs of each and every child.
Keywords:
Holistic Assessment, Anganwadi Assessment,Preschool Test, Child Assessment Card, Progress Report, Ancient Indian Education.
Introduction:
Oxford dictionary defines Assessment as the process of testing students and making a judgement about their knowledge, ability or progress4. UNICEF defines assessment as the process that allows teachers to understand what children know in relation to developmental milestones and expected learning outcomes and where there may be learning gaps, informing teaching strategies to meet children’s particular learning needs5. In the field of Education, Assessment for learning is part of everyday practice by students, teachers and peers that seeks, reflects upon and responds to information from dialogue, demonstration and observation in ways that enhance ongoing learning (Klenowski Valentina 2009). Also, Assessment is the technique of collecting facts as well as data – both qualitative and quantitative, to track a student’s progress helping in planning future educational-course of action. In the classroom, assessment considers performances of students on a variety of tasks in a variety of settings (Radha Mohan 2009).
Though the above definitions make it clear that it is vital to have Assessments for the learning processes, mere conduct of assessments is not an end in itself. After the assessment, due analysis of the results with the right parameters will help the teacher in taking the right step towards understanding the effectiveness in the Teaching-learning process and where the child is in the learning continuum. Only with such an analysis will the teacher be able to understand the areas where the child fares effortlessly and where the child is struggling. Finally, the teacher can decide on modifying the teaching appropriately. In the ECCE spectrum, assessments should look at the improvement in learning over a period of time, rather than comparing performance on standardized assessment tests6. Ideally, the focus of Assessments is periodic checks of the learning process, identifying learning deficits and challenges of every individual child7.
Assessment is categorised as Formative8 & Summative9. Formative assessment is informal and on-going assessments that are an integral part of the teaching-learning process. Formative assessments are low-stake assessments for both students and teachers. Formative assessment helps teachers to adjust the teaching-learning process on an ongoing basis, and create further learning opportunities/activities for children to develop a better understanding of concepts and practice skills. There are some strategies10 that are used to accomplish the formative assessment. Observing children while they participate in activities, listening to children, reviewing children’s worksheets during classwork, asking questions, short oral or written tests, asking children explicitly if they have understood and so on. At pre-school and early primary stage, teaching-learning activities themselves provide the basis for such ongoing observation and qualitative assessments of children. Summative assessments are conducted periodically, in a formal manner, usually covering a set of competencies or units of the curriculum. Summative assessments are done to assess how much children have learnt at the completion of a unit or a specific component of the curriculum or at a certain time of the academic year.
Apart from these, there is this Baseline Assessment11 which is done at the beginning of a school year or term. It is undertaken to identify the children’s prior level of learning so that the teacher (who may have not worked with the children in the previous class) can identify a concept or skill to be revised and the level to be adopted for further teaching for the entire class. It is essential that children receive extra support to learn and practice basic skills in the first few weeks of the new class in which they join.
Moreover, when the children transition from pre-school or pre-primary class to Class 1, the baseline assessment should focus on the school readiness skills of the child. In Anganwadis, there is the CAC that is used for assessing the child’s learning.
Discussions & Analysis on the CAC12:
The CAC, has neatly laid out the particulars of the child, note to the Parent and the Anganwadi worker. There are three pages, one each for 3-4 years, 4-5 years and 5-6 years, covering four sets of
assessments, on the parameters covering the different domains of development of the child, namely:
- Physical & Motor Development
- Sensory, Perception & Cognitive Development
- Language, Literacy & Communication
- Personal – Social & Emotional Development
- Creativity
There is a final column to provide overall opinion. The parameters are graded for the three levels, ages 3-4, 4-5 & 5-6. It captures all the possible activities and learning facets of that particular domainsuitably. The following table presents the parameters of the CAC under the various domains, under the various age-groups.
1. Physical & Motor Development
| 3-4 years | 4-5 years | 5-6 years | |
| a. | Participate actively during playtime (indoor/outdoor) | Participates actively during playtime (indoor/outdoor) | Participates actively during playtime (indoor/outdoor) |
| b. | Can throw a big ball with both hands | Can throw, kick and catch a big ball | Can throw or kick a ball in a given direction |
| c. | Can jump at one place | Can run at a fast & slow pace | Can walk backwards/forward/ sideways |
| d. | Can thread beads | Can thread beads in a given sequence | Can thread beads to form a pattern |
| e. | Can colour within a large space with crayon | Can join dots to form a shape/figure | Can join dots to form a complex figure |
2. Sensory, Perceptual & Cognitive Development
| 3-4 years | 4-5 years | 5-6 years | |
| a. | Can identify different odours, tastes, sounds & textures etc., | Can classify different objects based on odours, tastes & textures etc., | Can classify different objects based on odours, tastes & textures etc.. |
| b. | Can identify colours (yellow, red, blue) | Can classify objects on basis of two concepts (shape & colour) eg. classify yellow circles | Can classify objects on basis of three concepts (shape, colour & colour) eg. classify small yellow circles |
| c. | Can classify objects on basis of any one concept, eg. all circles or all red objects etc., | Can complete a simple pattern | Can complete a complex pattern |
| d. | Can solve a simple maze / puzzle of three pieces | Can solve a maze/puzzle of five pieces | Can spot differences between two pictures |
| e. | Can repeat a given pattern of different shapes | Can count objects upto 5 in numbers & match these with the numerals | Can arrange number cards from 1 to 9 |
3. Language, Literacy & Communication
| 3-4 years | 4-5 years | 5-6 years | |
| a. | Can follow simple instructions | Listens with attention to spoken conversations & stories | Listens with attention to conversations & stories |
| b. | Can express feelings & ideas in gestures, words, phrases or simple sentences | Can express feelings & ideas in simple sentences & asks questions | Can express feelings & ideas in simple sentences and asks questions |
| c. | Enjoys exploring storybooks & doing picture reading | Can narrate an already heard sequence using appropriate vocabulary | Participates in story making with other children by sharing his/her ideas |
| d. | Can describe a picture in a complete sentence | Enjoys exploring books & other printed material & shows interest in | Enjoys exploring books & other |
| decoding printed words | printed material & can decode some | ||
| familiar words | |||
| e. | Can recognise own (written) name | Can recognise the first sound of a given word | Can classify words on the basis of similar beginning & ending sounds |
4. Personal – Social & Emotional Development
| 3-4 years | 4-5 years | 5-6 years |
| a. | Enjoys playing in group of children | Enjoys playing with a group of children | Can play as team member in games with rules |
| b. | Interacts comfortably with familiar individuals | Interacts comfortably with familiar individuals | Interacts comfortably with familiar individuals |
| c. | Shares with friends/peers | Shares with friends/peers | Shares easily with friends/peers |
| d. | Waits for turn while playing | Waits for turn while playing or in other situations | Waits for turn while playing |
| e. | Can recognise & express simple emotions such as joy, sadness & anger | Can recognise & express simple emotions such as joy, sadness & anger | Can recognise & express simple emotions such as joy, sadness & anger |
5. Creativity
| 3-4 years | 4-5 years | 5-6 years | |
| a. | Shows curiosity & interest in learning new things | Shows curiosity & interest in learning new things | Shows curiosity & interest in learning new things |
| b. | Enjoys engaging in pretend play | Enjoys engaging in pretend play | Enjoys engaging in pretend play |
| c. | Shows creativity in daily activities (eg. experiments with objects/words in new & different ways) | Shows creativity in daily activities (eg. experiments with objects/ words in new & different ways) | Shows creativity in daily activities (eg. experiments with objects/words in new & different ways) |
| d. | Participates in dance, drama & music activities | Participates in dance, drama & music activities | Participates in dance, drama & music activities |
| e. | Uses imagination in drawing, artwork & problem solving | Uses imagination in drawing, artwork & problem solving | Uses imagination in drawing, artwork & problem solving |
The different domains covered are significant for the overall development of the child. These are all intimately interrelated and interdependent and interact with each other, so it may be often difficult to separate them (Mina Swaminathan & Prema Daniel, 2020). All these domains demand due consideration and integration into the learning process and consequently into the assessment of the child (in the card).
According to these domains, the teaching, activity sessions and learning processes need to be streamlined.
Activities involving prominence to the physical self, using the whole body actively to do exercises, games comprise the first domain of physical & motor development. The games & playtime could be indoor as well as outdoor. The fine motor skills are nurtured by employing the fingers to do artwork like coloring or threading, completing patterns by joining dots and so on. The activities of this domain inculcates the awareness that one develops towards one’s self, learning to understand the whole-body functionality and appreciating the rhythm of the bodily movements.
The next domain of sensory, perceptual & cognitive development focuses on the child’s ability to use the senses to see, hear, smell, taste and touch.The child’s cognition is nourished towards classifying objects of different shapes, patterns, sizes, colours and so on. They are encouraged to solve mazes and replicate given patterns. The five natural elements of sun, water, fire, earth and space are the basis for this domain. Based on these five elements, activities of, playing under the sun, using the body in movements (kinesthetics) to get the sense of space, playing with water, sand, doing clay work, basic cooking etc are conducted.
The third domain is about language, literacy and communication. The children are taught songs, rhymes, stories, engaged with informal talks as well as conversations. They are also introduced to puppetry, picture and chart reading activities. By all such activities, the children learn to follow simple instructions. They learn to explore the world of books, by listening to what is read and reading simple words and sentences. They start developing their speaking skills as they learn to express their feelings and thoughts in simple words, phrases or sentences.
The fourth domain of emotional development, is that domain that has activities to develop the imagination of the child, the way they develop their individual selves by taking part in routine activities, making them ready for the next stage of learning. Activities like gardening, doing collages, taking part in music and movement activities nourishes their aesthetic sense and helps in their emotional well-being.
The final domain of creativity mentioned in the CAC, is a domain that actually overlaps with all the other domains. It states how creative the child can get while engaging in activities, doing imaginative play and how the child exhibits interest in learning new things.
The authors opine that the Card is exceptionally well-designed covering various facets of the child’s assessment. The ICDS system, the largest in the public provisioning system, is a torch-bearer in the non-formal kind of education in the ECCE segment. The authors observe some interesting commonalities of the CAC with our Ancient Indian Educational system, which they are highlighting in the following section.
Ancient Indian Education System:
In the olden days, the concept of pre-school was non-existent. Children learnt at home, from their family in the initial years (ECCE). They got introduced to good practices in their daily routine, got initiated in performing their duties according to their familial traditions and customs.
When they reached the age suitable for upanayana, they were sent to gurukulas. The children who learnt vedas in the gurukulas, were given oral tests to assess their learning levels. There is substantial
evidence for this. There were many systems of Assessment practised in those days. One among them is called as ghaṭika system. The respective gurukulas who employed this system were denoted by this very
term as ghaṭikāsthānas. Here, a ghaṭikā 13(small pot) was used. Palm leaves carrying the exact number of the vedic instance were put in the ghaṭikā. For instance, 1/1/10/6 referred to the sixth r̥ k of the tenth sūkta of the first anuvāka of the first maṇḍala. When the student picked the palm leaf carrying this vedic instance, he had to recite it.
The interesting aspect to be noted is that the child was assessed for the skill that he was trained in a fair manner without prompting anything orally. There is another interesting paradigm included in this. The student learnt to accept what was given to him and worked his best to excel in it. This is with respect to the oral examination in vedādhyayana.
This reference tells about the assessment done for young children. But there are no references for pre-school level of learning and assessments. By logical thought process, it is inferred that since early teaching of the children happens organically in their homes, the question of assessment does not arise at all.
When they grow up, depending on the family and the profession practiced in the family, the children were sent to academic or vocational educational programmes.
There are few more distinct instances where children learnt exceptionally well in the organic gurukula atmosphere. In the Mahābhārata, Arjuna starts dhanurabhyāsa without light / blindfolded in order to master his dharnurvidyā. He gets his cue from eating in the dark14. He understands the effect of regular and sustained practice to achieve one’s goal even if the general conditions are not met. Then he sets out to practice dharnurabhyāsa without light and excels in that. When young students face challenges in learning, they discover new facets of learning in tough situations, take it in their stride and over time, probably excel in it. When such dimensions are thought of and blended in the teaching-learning processes, young children develop confidence and resilience in the process.
The bottomline of the process was to go by the distinct learning abilities of the child, preparing him for life by instilling life skills and a value system that is deeply rooted in the moral and cultural fabric of our country. The authors observe that the CAC reflects nurturing the child as well-rounded individuals. The physical, emotional & intellectual facets of the personality of the child are taken into account for assessment. This is closely similar to the holistic approach adopted in the educational system of Ancient India.
By customising the Assessment method for their ongoing project, the authors endeavour to implement the best aspects of CAC in the light of the Ancient Education system.
Conclusion:
The whole CAC is structured suitable for covering three different age groups. It is designed with ascending levels of complexities to ensure appropriate monitoring of skill development. All through the card, the parameters in the matrix capture the child’s progress in the different domains. The authors suggest a condensed summary of the child’s progress in the local language, as the final summing up of the CAC. The parents will find it easy to understand the whole picture of the assessment of the child in a nutshell. The teachers could be helped with common phrases to build the condensed summary.
The authors are presently working on their research, in the language, literary and communication domain. They are teaching rhymes with a multi-lingual approach and endeavour to see the development of the child’s skills with this approach. They propose to build on parameters for their research-specific assessment based on the current topic of study. They will base their assessment on the CAC, include dimensions from the Ancient Indian Educational system, fine tune it with respect to their project needs and arrive at the analysis.
1 Research Associate, Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
2 Country Project Coordinator, The Ashoka Tree, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
3 Associate Professor & Head, School of Linguistics & Literary Studies, Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
4 Oxford dictionary https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/assessment
5 Early Childhood Education Formative Assessment Package – Part I, Page 5
6 Guidelines for Design and Implementation of Early Learning Programmes, page 67, para 2
7 Guidelines for Design and Implementation of Early Learning Programmes, page 67, para 4
8 Guidelines for Design and Implementation of Early Learning Programmes, page 67
9 Guidelines for Design and Implementation of Early Learning Programmes, page 69
10 Guidelines for Design and Implementation of Early Learning Programmes, page 68
11 Guidelines for Design and Implementation of Early Learning Programmes, page 70
13 Talk on Deivathin Kural by Dr. Sudha Seshayyan
14 ततः कदाfचद भुǐजाने ववौ वायुरजुने । तेन त दkपः स दk यमानो fवलोfपतः ॥
भुưRत एव तु कौǎतेयो ना यादǎय वतते । ह त तेजि वन त य अनु हणकारणात ् ॥
तद8यासकृ तं मता रा ावfप स पा डवः । यो यां च े महाबाहुधनुषा पा डु नǎदनः ॥
References:
- UNICEF ROSA and ARNEC, (2022, March). Early childhood education formative assessment package. UNICEF South Asia.
https://www.unicef.org/rosa/documents/early-childhood-education-formative-assessment-package
- CHILD ASSESSMENT CARD 3-6 YEAR OLDS . (2017).Ministry of Women & Child
Development.https://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/CHILD%20ASSESSMENT%20CARD%203-6%20Y EAR%20OLDS_2.pdf
- Child assessment card 3-6 year olds.
https://chdsw.gov.in/uploads/media/1626332292-Child_Assessment_Card_3-6_years_olds.pdf
- Design and implementation.
https://www.unicef.org/india/media/2586/file/Guidelines-for-Design-and-Implementation-of-Early-Lear ning-Programmes.pdf
- Guidelines For Preschool Education.NCERT. https://itpd.ncert.gov.in/pluginfile.php/10327/mod_page/content/42/PreschoolEducation.pdf
- Klenowski, Val. (2009). Assessment for Learning revisited: An Asia-Pacific perspective. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice. 16. 10.1080/09695940903319646.
- Mahabharata, Prathama Khanda Gita Press.
- Mina Swaminathan, & Prema Daniel. (2020). Play Activities for Child Development (A Guide to Pre-School Teachers). National Book Trust.
- Mohan, R. (2016). Measurement, evaluation and assessment in education. PHI Learning.
Acknowledgements:
The authors express their gratitude to the following scholars for discussions on the topic of study.
- Dr. Meera Subramanian, Retired Principal, Resource Person MGNCRE, Ministry of Education, Government of India, Baroda, Gujarat, India.
- Sri. Srinath Mohandas, Assistant Professor, School of Ethics Governance Culture & Social Systems, Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.