Module 08
Assessment & Observation
Assessment is how you stop guessing. It should never feel like a trial to the child. You watch free play, you invite a few tasks inside a game, you ask the family, and you write what you saw — not what you judged.
You will be able to
- Write five objective observation sentences.
- List what to scan: posture, balance, coordination, FMS, sensory, planning.
- Name two standardized tools and who is qualified to give them.
- Share a finding with a parent starting from a strength.
Why we assess
To see strengths and needs, to track change, to design the next session, to talk with families, to notice red flags. Never to rank children for your own ego.
A humane sequence
1) Free play — what they choose and avoid. 2) Structured tasks inside play — 'show me your jump.' 3) Parent interview — birth, milestones, worries, joys. 4) Document with date, setting, and counts.
Dynamic assessment: can they do it with a cue, a demo, a target, a hand? The gap between independent and supported is where you teach.
Look at
Balance
Example of objective note
Stood on R foot 4 seconds, L foot 2 seconds, shoes on, quiet room
Look at
Catching
Example of objective note
Caught 2 of 5 playground-ball tosses from 6 feet, trapped 3 against body
Look at
Avoidance
Example of objective note
Walked around the swing set; did not step on it in 20 minutes
TGMD-3, PDMS-2, BOT-2, MABC-2, and ASQ-3 require training. If you are not trained, use informal checklists and refer. Do not fake a standard score.
Reading notes
First notes of 24+ characters: +10 each.
Motor Learning and Development
Ch. 9–11
- Assessment should inform practice.
- Dynamic assessment (testing the limits) is gold.
- Observation is a skill.
“Assessment is not about labeling. It is about understanding.”
Lab & assignment
One-skill assessment
- Pick catching or jumping.
- Watch, then invite 5 trials in play.
- Write objective notes, stage of learning, and the next teaching step.
- File it in the Observation log.
Assignment: One-page report
Strengths, needs, observations, recommendations. Real or simulated child. Objective language only in the observation section.
Draft 40+ characters to bank +25.
Your notes
Where do your notes still sneak in judgment words?
How will you assess without the child feeling tested?
Which tool would you like formal training in later?
Tomorrow
What is one judgment word you will replace with a count or a description?
One honest sentence · +15
Play this week
Small games and puzzles that only use what this module taught. First complete +50; perfect +25.
Floor call
A random objection this week actually raises. Multiple choice. First correct answer banks +20. Shuffle for a new voice.
Week 8 objection
Drawing a live one…
Knowledge check
0/4 correct · 0 answered · +25 each