Assignment Task: The School Age Child
Zach started a preschool program when he turned 3 years old. He did not manage well and was asked to leave after 6 months. As the Supported Child Development Consultant, you helped Amber find another preschool program that was a better fit for Zach and where a teaching assistant was assigned to Zach and one other child throughout his hours in the program. You completed a developmental assessment when Zach was a little over 4 years old and documented moderate delays in the areas of social-emotional and cognitive development.
In the second preschool program, Zach slowly developed more functional self-regulation skills that allowed him to participate more appropriately in group activities. However, his high level of energy and desire for physical play led to him to falling off a climbing apparatus and breaking his arm 6 months ago. After a period of relative calmness while healing from this injury, Zach resumed his usual high-energy activities characterized as flitting from one play activity to another unless the teaching assistant sat with him one-on-one.
Zach's home life has also involved several upheavals. Carlos left the family about 6 months after Amber gave birth to Zach's baby sister, then came back a few months later. Carlos left again after a few months only to return several weeks later. This pattern has continued. When Carlos is home, he enjoys playing with Zach and has been teaching Zach how to manoeuvre a soccer ball and to catch a baseball. He misses his time with Carlos when he is away.
Zach is now 5 years, 1 month old and is enrolled in kindergarten that will start in 4 months.
QUESTIONS:
Q1. Select a formal (standardized) and an informal (non-standardized) assessment instrument that you may use to assist with planning for the child's needs in the transition to kindergarten.
Q2. Select an assessment tool that might be used to measure the child's cognitive development.
Q3. As the kindergarten teacher, select an assessment measure (formal or informal) that would be helpful to meeting [child's] needs in the classroom and school settings.