Quick Answer
In the Preschool Vibes classroom, assessments are used to understand where each child is and decide what to teach next.
Rather than constant testing, assessments are simple, organized checklists that help identify:
• what skills students already know
• what skills they still need to learn
• which goals to focus on during small groups
Each student receives two individual learning goals based on their assessment results.
These goals help guide instruction throughout the year.
Preschool Assessments
Assessment in preschool should be simple and practical.
The goal is not to create paperwork.
The goal is to understand each student’s learning progress.
Assessments help teachers:
• identify skill gaps
• group students effectively
• plan meaningful small groups
• monitor progress across the year
• make sure important foundational skills are developing
Without this information, it is difficult to know which students need support and which students are ready to move forward.
When Assessments Happen
Jess typically completes assessments three times per year.
• Fall (baseline)
• Winter (progress check)
• Spring (end-of-year growth)
The fall assessment is the most important because it determines each child’s starting point.
After the fall assessment is complete, two learning goals are chosen for each student.
These goals guide much of the small-group instruction during the year.
How Assessments Are Organized
To keep the process manageable, assessments are tracked using a master classroom checklist.
This checklist includes every student in the class.
Each row represents a student.
Each column represents a skill.
This layout makes it easy to quickly see:
• how one student is performing across all skills
• how the entire class is performing on a single skill
It becomes a quick visual snapshot of the classroom’s learning needs.
Identifying Individual Student Goals
After completing the fall assessment, Jess reviews each student’s results and identifies two priority goals.
These are the most important skills that student still needs to develop.
Examples might include:
• color recognition
• shape recognition
• counting
• number recognition
• letter sounds
• name writing
Students who share similar goals are often grouped together during small group time.
For example:
Students who still need color recognition may work together in a small-group color game.
Students who need help with number recognition may practice numbers together.
This keeps instruction focused and efficient.
Tracking Growth
The same checklist is used throughout the entire school year.
When a new assessment period begins, the updated scores are recorded right next to the original ones.
This makes it easy to see progress over time.
For example:
Fall score → Winter score → Spring score
Teachers can quickly see which skills improved and which skills may still need support.
Sometimes the scores are simple:
• completed / not completed
Other times a small scale is used such as:
• 1
• 2
• 3
This provides a quick picture of how well a student understands a concept.
How Assessments Connect to Teaching
Assessments directly guide what happens in the classroom.
They help determine:
• which students should be grouped together
• which skills should be practiced in small groups
• which skills may need additional instruction
This means small group time is not random.
It is guided by real information about what students need.
For example:
If several students struggled with rhyming on the winter assessment, the teacher may schedule more rhyming activities and small groups.
If several students need help with number recognition, that becomes a priority skill for the next few weeks.
Assessments Are Only One Part of the Picture
While assessments are helpful, they are not the only way teachers understand student learning.
Teachers also observe students throughout the day during:
• center play
• conversations
• group activities
• games
• storytelling
• problem solving
These everyday interactions often reveal just as much about a child’s development as a formal assessment.
The goal is to use both observation and simple assessment tools to support student growth.
The Preschool Vibes Approach
Preschool Vibes is a structured play-based preschool approach designed to build character, independence, and curiosity through engaging lessons, free-choice play, and strong classroom relationships.