Gross Motor Observations is a test for preschool children which measures motor skills. Individual administration takes only two to three minutes and items are scored 0-3, low to high. The child is asked to perform a series of simple physical tasks which reveal the level of his motor ability. No skill is required for either administration or…

Determined the utility of the Behavior Problem Checklist (BPC) with preschool children. Found the BPC sensitive in differentiating clinical from nonclinical groups. Findings suggest that the Behavior Problem Checklist, although not specifically designed to assess preschool age children, may be effective with this population. (Author)

In this research project, the problems studied were as follows: (1) Are there differences in scanning patterns between preschool children who show Positional Response Sets (PRS) and normal adults? (2) Do the techniques utilized in "An Exploration of PRS in Disadvantaged children and a Technique for Reduction of Such Sets" change scanning patterns?…

The Preschool Academic Skills Test was developed from an analysis of first-grade reading and mathematics materials to identify those behaviors that were assumed to be in students' repertoires prior to first grade. The 105 items are grouped in 10 subtests: Vocabulary, Color Naming, Classification, Functional Relationships, Visual Matching, Auditory…

The Three Dimensional Auditory Test measures the preschool child's auditory skills. It requires 3 to 4 minutes individual administration. The examiner needs a collection of props, listed on the score sheet, and a large box in which to place them. These objects are presented to the child in pairs and he is required to discriminate between the…

Brief annotations of currently available general school readiness measures are presented. The annotation provides information concerning the purpose of the test; the groups for which it is intended; test subdivisions or tested skills, behaviors, or competencies; administration; scoring; interpretation; and standardization. An alphabetical listing…

Analyzes the uses and abuses of the Gesell School Readiness Screening Tests and similar tests. First, discusses developmental screening and readiness tests, then focuses on the Gesell tests, specifically addressing their validity and questioning their current uses. Discusses implications of using readiness tests for assigning children to…

Discusses the problem of how to record the progress of young children in nursery schools and suggests several benefits of recordkeeping. Briefly reviews existing tests, scales, and assessment methods. Describes a new guide to assessment developed at the University of Keele (England) and its evaluation in an initial study. (MF)

Illustrates the utility of nonreactive measures with preschool children in a variety of contexts. Offers a rationale for using nonreactive and observational tests and interview measures. Discusses four types of nonreactive measures and their limitations. (Author/BB)

The Berry Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration was devised as a measure of the degree to which visual perception and motor behavior are integrated in young children, measured by the copying of geometric forms. In this study, 64 three-year-old children were tested individually to investigate (1) whether there is a correlation between…

A model-testing approach for evaluating the stability of item response theory item parameter estimates (IPEs) in a pretest-posttest design is illustrated. Nineteen items from the Head Start Measures Battery were used. A moderately high degree of stability in the IPEs for 5,510 children assessed on 2 occasions was found. (TJH)

As concern about the developmental progress of preschoolers has increased, the number of assessment instruments available has expanded. This paper reviews recent advances in early childhood assessment and evaluation, and describes several screening and assessment instruments. Varying information is presented for each test, but may include a…

These papers deal with four specific propositions concerning the role of measurement in early childhood education: 1. measurement should play an integral part in early education, independent of special pressures to evaluate program effects; 2. the measures should be designed or adapted specifically to the continuing needs of preprimary educators…

This is an individually administered test designed as an aid in placing Kindergarten children in an appropriate developmental curriculum sequence, and in determining at what level to begin instruction. The test covers motor development, auditory perception, visual perception, and language development. Test materials consist of an administrator's…

Decisions based on the Fluharty Preschool Screening Tests and the Northwestern Syntax Screening Test (and their subtests) were compared to a validity criterion of passing or failing the Sequenced Inventory of Communication Development for 182 children aged 36-47 months. Validity differences were found that depended on test and subtest content.…