Focused Portfolios(tm): A Complete Assessment for the Young Child » (1st Edition)

Gaye Gronlund is an early childhood education consultant and trains early childhood educators across the country on topics ranging from observation and assessment to understanding and meeting state education standards. She holds a master's degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College with a specialization in early childhood education and teaching adults.

Knowing how a child learns is the key to fostering their healthy development.

By documenting children s discoveries, as well as difficulties, teachers and caregivers are given a glimpse at how children learn best. It is from this starting point that they can adapt teaching styles and curriculum to most effectively reach the children in their care.

Focused Portfolios is an innovative, new way to accurately document children s growth and development. Field tested across the country, this documentation method asks teachers to observe children in the natural context of teaching and providing care - not under an isolated microscope. Eight chapters outline the method focusing on the four primary areas of development for teachers to document: Favorites, Friends, Family and Developmental Milestones. All necessary documentation charts, checklists and forms are included.

Focused Portfolios provides teachers and caregivers with a simple way to self-examine the way they look at and assess the children in their care.