Intended for parents, the booklet (part of a 10 booklet series on talented and gifted education) discusses the identification of gifted and talented children and offers general information on their development. Giftendess and talent are defined, and some guidelines for parents' identification of giftedness and talent are presented, focusing on…

Various approaches to language assessment of the preschool child are reviewed, and the use of language sample analysis as part of a language assessment package is considered. The pros and cons of such approaches as checklists, screening tests, and language sample analysis are considered. Procedures for administering the language sample analysis…

Results of a single Denver Developmental Screening Test performance on 823 infants attending maternal and child health centers were compared with developmental information recorded by public health nurses during routine well baby care of these same infants. Journal Avaliability: J.B. Lippincott Co; E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19105.…

The report presents a screening and identification model for use with primary children to identify giftedness. The procedure is designed to be objective and employs multiple selection criteria. The Bayesian approach is used as it applies a probability methodology. The steps in instrument development include, among others, a review of the relevant…

Analysis of data on 1,404 young children with hearing losses indicated that 80% of the children were identified via informal hearing-screening procedures, such as parental suspicion and referral. Auditory brainstem response technology provided the lowest mean identification age. The study concludes that formal screening programs are not locating…

Described is the Pennsylvania Training Model Individual Assessment Guide, designed to assist teachers in the development of specific programs for the severely and profoundly mentally retarded and multihandicapped. A section is provided for each of the system's four major components: the curriculum assessment guide for gross screening in the areas…

Screening and assessment procedures are described for Head Start personnel. An initial chapter focuses on the importance of teacher observation and discusses the uses of behavior checklists. Part II presents an annotated list of 18 screening instruments with information on the developer or distributor, the age range of children to be screened,…

The paper describes principles and procedures of naturalistic assessment as practiced in the Schaumberg Early Education Center (SEEC), a preschool setting for handicapped children. It is explained that a multidisciplinary team observes and interacts with students in an environment that encourages play and spontaneity. The SEEC screening procedure…

This study evaluated the procedures and results of the identification of children with Perceptual-Communicative Disorders (PCD) in Colorado. The process of identification includes referral, assessment, staffing and placement. The number of children identified as PCD by current procedures is large and growing. Variations in the prevalence of PCD…

Described is a cooperative preschool program for 20 handicapped children on a rural Michigan setting. It is explained that the program involved screening procedures in a naturalistic environment, weekly parent training sessions, and diagnostic prescriptive teaching. Included in three appendixes are examples of news releases about the program,…

Adapted screening devices and teacher observation were used in a 1974 study of 1003 Finnish students (ages 6-8) in an effort to predict future learning difficulties. Six areas were assessed: gross motor skills, sensory-motor integration, perceptual-motor skills, arithmetic skills, socioemotional adjustment, and verbal ability. In a follow-up study…

Presented is the technical report on development of the Observational Checklists for Referral (OCR), developed to assist teachers of young children in identifying problems that interfere with learning, making appropriate referrals to other professionals, and communicating with parents and professionals. Sections cover summaries of external…

In Spring 2001, Erikson Institute conducted two surveys to provide practical information on the current state of expert opinion and public practice with regard to the assessment of prekindergarten children. The first survey questioned a select group of 25 national leaders in the early childhood field regarding the most important components of a…

Contends that the high probability of error in placement decisions based on high school records and standardized test scores delays the academic development of many students placed unnecessarily in mandatory skill development programs. Advocates skills assessment based on current classroom performance. (DMM)