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.