Correct Answer - Option 1 : Portfolios
Portfolios provide the opportunity to observe and document a wide range of students behaviour, skills and learning over a long period. Portfolios can encourage students to take more ownership and responsibility for the learning process. Portfolios can improve communication between teachers and parents.
So, the best way to assess a child at the primary level is to use Portfolios.
The best way to assess a child at the primary level is to use Portfolios. Because:
- A portfolio is a collection of a student’s work, usually constructed by selection from a large number of articles, books, magazines, etc., that have been deliberately collected together for a purpose and often presented with a reflective piece written by the student to justify the selection.
- The involvement of the student in reviewing and selecting the content, strategy, and presentation is seen as the main activities for developing a portfolio.
- So, a portfolio is an innovative approach to promote reflective thinking on a wide scale.
- The evidence that teachers received from the work of students changes the method in which they teach and increases their expectations for their learners.
- If Periodical tests are conducted after each topic or unit, we can know a clear picture of where the pupil is and of how he is progressing. This knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the pupil helps plan effective teaching by teachers and ineffective learning by the pupil. This could be helpful regarding Formative assessment.
- Home assignments are not the best way to assess a child, because, parents or family members could have taken an active interest in doing that.
- Summative assessment is conducted to know the Assessment: Basics terminal behaviour of the learner. The keyword in summative assessment is “certification”. Summative assessment is conducted after completion of the whole course. So, it is not the best way to assess a child at the primary level.
The studies in a portfolio must be designed to present students’ performance and development in any period in detail. Portfolios can encourage students to take more ownership and responsibility for the learning process. Portfolios can improve communication between teachers and parents. So, to assess a child at the primary level Portfolio is the best way.
