Data drives almost every aspect of teaching, especially when there is a need to teach young children. Teachers continuously need to see where the kids are thriving and the gaps that need to be filled. The data provides information on how the students learn and help to set learning objectives. Therefore, many teachers resort to data utilization to create a cycle of continuous lessons.
One of the methods to assess children’s areas for growth is to collect data during play. This way helps to observe students’ behavior, capabilities, social and academic growth. A teacher can follow a student’s process of alphabet learning or color recognition by taking notes or filming a video. The next step is named reflective supervision, which implies a meeting where the teachers can evaluate students’ successes. Then, the leadership team participates in the data dialogues, where they decide the directions for improvement.
There are many ways of collecting students’ data; for instance, a teacher can make a board and list the activities that are meant to be conducted during the day and then circle them after completing. This method helps to analyze every child’s activities, identify where they need to put more focus, and inform children’s parents (ESC Region 13, 2017). Communicating with parents is an excellent way to bridge a gap between school and home activities.
In general, organizing lessons using the data is beneficial for both teachers and students. Firstly, it helps assess students’ abilities and concentrate on learning the areas they have gaps in. Moreover, such lessons give an opportunity to implement individual approach so that the teachers provide individualized information for every student. Overall, data-organized sessions serve children’s needs in setting proper learning objectives.
Reference
ESC Region 13. (2017). Prove it! Data collection in preschool [Video film]. Web.