The Teacher as a Gardener-Observer
Imagine a gardener who doesn’t just water plants randomly, but who observes each seedling: which leaf is wilting, which stem is strong, which plant needs more sun. Formative assessment in ECDE is this same careful, responsive observation. It’s not about ranking children or waiting for end-of-term exams. It’s the daily, intentional process of gathering evidence of a child’s thinking and skills, documenting it simply, and using it immediately to guide your next teaching move. In the context of CBC, which demands tracking of individual competencies, this is your most powerful tool.
Part 1: The Core Mindset: What Are We Really Assessing?
Shift from assessing products to assessing processes and competencies. Ask yourself:
- Not just: “Can the child write the letter ‘A’?”
- But: “How does the child approach the writing task? What grip do they use? Can they identify the sound /a/ in a word? Do they persist when it’s challenging?”
We track progress across four key domains:
- Cognitive Development (Problem-solving, numeracy, pre-literacy)
- Physical Development (Gross & fine motor skills)
- Social-Emotional Development (Play, sharing, emotional regulation)
- Language & Communication (Listening, speaking, vocabulary)
Part 2: The “How-To”: Observation & Documentation Tools You Can Use Now
Tool 1: The Anecdotal Record – Your “Sticky Note” System
- What it is: A short, objective note capturing a significant moment of learning or behavior.
- How to do it: Keep a clipboard with a class list or a small notebook. Jot down brief notes in real-time.
- Template:
[Date] [Child's Name] – [Observation]. - Example: “12/10 – Atieno, during block play, successfully built a bridge between two towers after 3 attempts. Said, ‘It was shaking so I put a big block in the middle.’ (Shows problem-solving & spatial reasoning).”
- Template:
- Pro Tip: Use symbol codes (▲ for math, ● for social skills) to quickly categorize. Dedicate 5 minutes at day’s end to file notes in each child’s portfolio.
Tool 2: The Developmental Checklist – Your “Quick-Scan” Overview
- What it is: A simple, skills-based list used periodically to see at a glance which milestones a child has demonstrated.
- How to do it: Create or adapt a checklist for a specific area. Use ✅ (Observed), ➕ (Emerging), or ➖ (Not Yet Observed). Avoid ticking boxes you haven’t actually seen.
- Sample Literacy Checklist Item: “Identifies the first sound in familiar words (e.g., /m/ for Mama).”
- Sample Socio-Emotional Item: “Takes turns during structured games with minimal prompting.”
- Kenyan Resource: Align your checklist with the CBC ECDE Curriculum Design or the ECDE Service Standard Guidelines from the Ministry of Education.
Tool 3: The Learning Portfolio – The Child’s “Growth Story”
- What it is: A purposeful collection of a child’s work and your observations over time. This is your master formative assessment tool.
- What to include:
- Artifacts of Learning: A dated drawing showing improved pencil grip, a photo of a block structure, a recording of a child singing a counting song.
- Your Anecdotal Records & Checklists.
- Child’s Voice: Note their own explanations of their work. “Mwangi said about his painting: ‘This is the rain falling on our shamba.'”
- Physical Setup: Use a simple manila folder or a large, sealed envelope for each child. Store in a labeled box. Update it weekly.
Tool 4: The Photo & Video Evidence – A Picture is Worth 1000 Words
- How to use: With consent, use your phone (in school policy) to capture:
- Process: A sequence of photos showing how a child solved a puzzle.
- Milestones: A video of a child confidently crossing the midline during a “Simon Says” game.
- Social Interaction: A photo of cooperative play at the water station.
- Documentation: Print 1-2 key photos weekly, glue them to paper, and write a caption explaining the skill observed. File in the portfolio.
Part 3: Structuring Your Classroom for Observation
You can’t observe what you can’t see. Organize your space and routine to make assessment manageable.
- Center/Station-Based Learning: Have specific areas (reading corner, math table, art station). This allows you to focus your observation on one small group at a time.
- The “One Focus Child a Day” System: Intentionally shadow one child for 15-minute intervals during free play. This ensures every child gets dedicated observation time each month.
- Embed Checkpoints in Routines: Turn daily routines into assessment moments.
- Lining Up: Who can count the first 5 friends in line? (Numeracy)
- Snack Time: Who serves themselves, pouring water without spilling? (Fine Motor)
- Circle Time: Who can retell one part of yesterday’s story? (Recall & Language)
Part 4: From Documentation to Action – Closing the Loop
Assessment is useless without action. Your notes must inform your teaching.
- Weekly Review Ritual: Every Friday, spend 30 minutes reviewing your notes/portfolios. Ask: “What patterns do I see? Who is struggling with scissor skills? Who is ready for blending sounds?”
- Differentiate Your Plans: Use your findings to plan the next week.
- For Child A (Struggling with one-to-one counting): Place them in a small group for a counting game with stones.
- For Child B (Excelling in letter sounds): Give them a “sound hunt” challenge to find objects starting with /s/.
- The Feedback Conversation: Give immediate, specific feedback during play.
- Instead of “Good job!” say: “I saw you try three different ways to balance that block until it worked. You are a problem-solver!”
- Communicating with Parents: Use portfolio artifacts for parent meetings. “Look at this progression of Peter’s writing over three months. Here, he’s now using a pincer grip. Let’s practice this at home by having him pick up small beans.”
Part 5: Navigating Kenyan Classroom Realities
| Challenge | Practical Solution |
|---|---|
| Large Class Size (50+ pupils) | Rely on rotational groups and peer observation. Train a responsible assistant or older student to help note observations during specific activities. Use whole-group checklists for observable skills (e.g., “Sings along to the national anthem”). |
| Lack of Time | Integrate assessment into teaching. Your observation notes are your planning data. The 5-minute end-of-day note filing is non-negotiable. |
| Limited Materials for Portfolios | Use what you have. Staple papers together. Use string-tied folders from recycled cardboard. A collection in a reused sugar paper is still a portfolio. |
| Parental Demand for “Marks & Ranks” | Educate through evidence. Show the portfolio. Explain: “Instead of a ‘C’ in Math, I can show you how Baraka progressed from counting his fingers to counting objects confidently. This is more meaningful than a letter.” |
Conclusion: You Are Writing the Story of Growth
Formative assessment is the narrative of a child’s learning journey. You are the author, using observation as your pen and documentation as your pages. By committing to this practice, you move from being a curriculum deliverer to a diagnostician and architect of learning.
Start This Term:
- Create the system: Get 50 manila folders or envelopes. Label them.
- Choose one tool: Commit to using Anecdotal Records for the next two weeks. Write just 3-5 notes per day.
- Hold one feedback conversation: Use one observation to give specific, growth-minded feedback to a child tomorrow.
In doing so, you will see each child not as a name on a register, but as a unique learner whose progress you are actively nurturing, one observed moment at a time.