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In modern preschools, children learn best through playful learning—exploring, imagining, experimenting, and collaborating. Play is not just fun; it is the foundation for developing language, creativity, problem-solving, and social skills.
But here’s the challenge: traditional assessment methods don’t capture the richness of playful learning. End-of-term checklists or exams may show what a child can do at one point in time, but they miss the everyday progress and joyful discoveries happening in your classroom.
This is where formative assessment comes in. By observing and documenting learning as it happens, teachers can better understand each child’s growth, tailor their instruction to meet individual needs, and share meaningful progress with parents.
And with Kindiedays Digi Tools, formative assessment becomes simple, organized, and powerful—supporting teachers in creating evidence of playful learning while building trust with parents and showcasing the quality of your preschool.
Formative vs. Summative Assessment in Preschools
Formative Assessment
- What it is: Continuous assessment that tracks learning during the process, not just at the end.
- How it works in preschools: Teachers observe children during play, story time, or group activities and record notes, photos, or videos. These observations are linked to developmental goals like communication, creativity, or motor skills.
- Why it matters: Development in early childhood is ongoing and non-linear. Formative assessment captures this journey—helping teachers adapt lessons, celebrate small achievements, and encourage each child’s individual growth.
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Summative Assessment
- What it is: An Evaluation that sums up what a child has learned at the end of a unit, term, or milestone.
- How it works in preschools: End-of-term reports, progress charts, or portfolios presented to parents to show overall achievement.
- Why it matters: Summative assessment is used for curriculum reviews, quality checks, and giving parents a snapshot of their child’s overall progress at key points.
A New Way of Assessment for Playful Learning
In playful classrooms, learning doesn’t look like a test. It seems like children building towers, asking questions, singing songs, or helping a friend. These moments are powerful—but they can easily go unnoticed if teachers rely only on end-of-term assessments.
That’s why playful learning requires formative assessment. Teachers need to capture progress in real time, reflect on it, and share it with families. The focus shifts from “What grade did the child achieve?” to “How is the child developing every day?”
Summative assessments remain valuable for reporting and accountability, but the accurate picture of playful learning comes through formative, ongoing observation and documentation.
How Kindiedays Digi Tools Supercharge Formative Assessment
Kindiedays makes formative assessment practical, simple, and rewarding for both teachers and preschools. Here’s how:
1. Ready-to-Use Learning Objectives and Lesson Plans
Kindiedays comes with pre-installed objectives aligned with play-based curricula. Teachers can also adapt these to their own school’s curriculum. This ensures every observation connects to meaningful learning goals.
2. Real-Time Documentation
Teachers can instantly capture learning moments with photos, videos, or notes during play or classroom activities. Each observation can be tagged to learning objectives or developmental milestones, making assessments purposeful and curriculum-aligned.
3. Child-Centered Digital Portfolios
Every observation automatically builds into a digital portfolio for each child. Over time, these portfolios showcase growth across skills and subjects—perfect for teacher reflection, parent communication, and summative reviews.
4. Easy Reports for Reflection and Planning
Teachers and principals can generate instant reports to review progress, track development, and identify learning gaps. These reports also support school audits, curriculum evaluations, and summative assessments.
5. Stronger Parent Engagement
Parents want evidence of their child’s growth—not just grades. Kindiedays Digi Tools let teachers share highlights of the learning journey in real time. Photos, notes, and milestones help parents see the value of playful learning and build deeper trust with the preschool.
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Kindiedays Digi Tools support the whole learning process
A Day in the Life: Using Formative Assessment with Digi Tools
Imagine a typical day in a playful preschool classroom:
Morning Circle
During a song, a shy child begins to sing along for the first time. The teacher captures this moment in the app with a short note—tagged to communication and confidence-building goals.
Free Play
Two children work together to build a tall tower of blocks. The teacher takes a quick video, linking it to teamwork, problem-solving, and fine motor skills.
Story Time
A child asks a creative question about the story. The teacher notes this observation under curiosity and language development.
End of Week Reflection
The teacher reviews all notes and media in the app, noticing patterns—one child shows rapid progress in social skills, while another is developing strong creativity. Lesson plans are adjusted for the following week, ensuring every child is supported. Parents receive selected updates, helping them appreciate their child’s daily growth.
This is formative assessment in action: flexible, personal, and deeply connected to playful learning.
Tips for Teachers and Preschool Leaders
Learning assessment is continuous work; educators must observe children's play and learning moments regularly to see the change, growth, and steps in the children's development.
- Keep it simple: Short notes and quick photos are enough. The goal is regular documentation, not long reports.
- Review weekly: Spend a few minutes each week reviewing observations and adjusting plans.
- Involve parents: Share highlights regularly so parents feel part of their child’s journey.
- Use summative wisely: Combine formative records into end-of-term summaries—making reporting easier and more meaningful.
Conclusion: Showcasing Playful Learning with Smart Assessment
Preschools today are moving away from rigid, exam-style evaluations and embracing playful learning as the most natural way for young children to grow. But to make playful learning visible—and to prove its value to parents—you need assessment methods that capture children’s small steps, significant milestones, and joyful discoveries.
Formative assessment, supported by Kindiedays Digi Tools, gives teachers exactly that. It transforms daily observations into clear evidence of learning, builds stronger parent engagement, and helps schools stand out with high-quality education.
When teaching and assessment go hand in hand, playful learning shines through. Children thrive, teachers feel empowered, and parents see the difference—making your preschool a trusted choice in your community.
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Milla van der Burgh
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