Preschool Assessment

Marla R. Brassard, PhD, Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, has been assessing preschool children and their families in research settings, public schools, and university clinics for over 25 years. Her research focuses on psychological maltreatment of children--its assessment, the emotional/behavioral injuries that result, and contextual factors that moderate the effect of maltreatment (particularly the role of schools, teachers, and peer relationships). Dr. Brassard has published four books and numerous articles and chapters, and cochaired the task force that wrote the Guidelines for the Psychosocial Evaluation of Suspected Psychological Maltreatment (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, 1995). She also studies psychological aggression in teacher-student and peer relationships, and its impact on children’s functioning, in a longitudinal study of secondary school children. Ann E. Boehm, PhD, Professor Emerita in the School Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, is well known for her groundbreaking work in identifying the importance of young children’s knowledge of basic relational concepts to their understanding of teacher and text directions. She has developed two widely used early childhood tests to assess this knowledge, and currently is working on editions for children with visual impairments. She has written extensively on assessment issues at the early childhood level and cosponsors an annual conference and teaches a graduate course entitled Observing and Assessing the Preschool Child. Dr. Boehm's research interests include cross-cultural development of relational concepts used in different direction formats, the role of comprehension in direction following, and intergenerational literacy.

“Brassard and Boehm have crafted an excellent reference on state-of-the-art practices in the preschool assessment arena. Their perspective is grounded in evidence-based inquiry, rooted in an ecocultural model, appreciative of the sociopolitical climate in which assessment practices have evolved, and reflective of a strong developmental focus. This unique text will be useful to clinicians-in-training and working practitioners.--Richard A. Weinberg, PhD, University of Minnesota Drs. Brassard and Boehm have done a masterful job compiling information on child, parent and family, and environmental assessment scales and procedures. This book will doubtless become the most-used resource on preschool assessment by both students and practitioners. I anticipate it will be adopted for many different kinds of testing classes at both the master's and doctoral levels.--Carl J. Dunst, PhD, Research Scientist, Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute, Asheville, North Carolina - This book is a valuable resource.....The bibliography is extensive....Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Choice, 9/18/2008

• 1. A Framework for Preschool Assessment 2. A Multifactor Ecocultural Model of Assessment and the Assessment Process3. Technical Concerns 4. Observation of the Child5. Observation of Environments 6. Screening Practices and Procedures: A Focus on Developmental Screening7. Assessment of Early Academic Learning 8. Family Assessment9. Assessment of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Preschoolers: Increasing Culturally Sensitive Practices10. Assessment of Language Development11. Cognitive Assessment, Susan Vig and Michelle Sanders12. Assessment of Mental Retardation, Susan Vig and Michelle Sanders13. Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders14. Assessment of Emotional Development and Behavior Problems