April 21, 2010
EARLY YEARS EVALUATION SESSIONS NOW TAKING PLACE ACROSS THE PROVINCE
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI — Students entering kindergarten next fall are in
schools across the province over the next two weeks to undergo Early
Years Evaluation (EYE) sessions. These sessions will help identify
children who may require some supports to increase their chance for
success at school, said Minister of Education and Early Childhood
Development, Doug Currie.
“The ability to read is a fundamental skill for a child’s
success at school and, ultimately, for their long-term health and
well-being,” said Minister Currie. “The aim of EYE is to assess a child
before they enter kindergarten so we have an early indication of
whether or not a child may have literacy challenges. It will also
assist us in providing advice to parents.”
The Early Years Evaluation has two components. The first
component is in progress across the province this week and is
administered to all children before kindergarten. The second is done
twice during the school year and is administered by the student’s
kindergarten teacher.
The first component takes about 30 minutes per student to
complete. It is administered by a team of retired and substitute
primary school teachers. This assessment requires the child to perform
age-appropriate tasks. Results are generated for each student and are
shared with the parent before their child begins kindergarten.
The first component of the EYE assessment measures:
• Awareness of Self and Environment
• Social Skills and Behaviour and Approaches to Learning
• Cognitive Skills
• Language and Communication
• Physical Development
The second component of the EYE assessment is an observational
survey and takes 10 minutes to complete. This survey will provide a
framework that kindergarten teachers can use during the first few
months of school to structure informal assessments on the same
developmental areas as the first component of the EYE. It will also
provide a baseline for future assessments.
The EYE assessment provides class level reports and can be used
to help teachers plan their instruction. Reports can also be generated
at a very high level to assess the needs of the kindergarten population
at a class, school, district or provincial level. These reports will
help administrators identify where resources are required.
“We know that literacy skills are linked to future success at
school and the later a child is identified as needing support the more
difficult it is to catch up. That is why it is important to ensure the
needs of Island children are identified as early as possible through
tools like the EYE,” said Minister Currie.
Previously, Prince Edward Island did not have a universal
screening tool to flag issues in kindergarten age children. Many
universal screening tools were considered by an inter-provincial sub
group made up of assessment and early childhood specialists.
-30-
For more information, contact Maureen Flanagan-LeClair, Education and Early Childhood Development by email at mxflanagan-leclair@gov.pe.ca or phone (902) 368-6449.
Leave a Reply