Teaching Strategies (TS) GOLD

TEACHING STRATEGIES (TS) GOLD

Teaching Strategies (TS) GOLD is an ongoing observational assessment tool for teachers to use with children birth through kindergarten. Teachers observe children in the context of everyday routines and experiences in the classroom and record the documentation in the Teaching Strategies app. This helps teachers understand what a child knows, is able to do, and what steps they are ready to take next, which guides the planning and curriculum development process. 

Why Ongoing Assessment? Developmentally appropriate, ongoing, observation-based assessment occurs when teachers are observing children during regular, everyday activities on a continuous basis throughout the year. Unlike formal or standardized assessments, which offer a narrow picture of a child’s ability at a given moment, ongoing assessments offer a broad, more meaningful picture of development. 

Ongoing Assessment Is: 

Ongoing Assessment Is Not

COLOR BANDS

Children's expected learning and development progressions on TS GOLD are shown with color-coded bands. These bands are based on research and show the levels children are likely to be at throughout a program year based on age.  Development and learning can be uneven with ages, so the color bands also overlap, which help teachers guide realistic expectations of children, and see the full spectrum of development at once. The color bands by age are shown below:

OBJECTIVES

TS GOLD is based on 38 objectives in 10 areas of development and learning that are based on school readiness standards. These objectives are listed below and should be posted in each classroom for teachers to references while observing children and creating lesson plans. 

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL

1: Regulates own emotions and behaviors

A. Manages feelings

B. Follows limits and expectations

C. Takes care of own needs appropriately

2: Establishes and sustains positive relationships

A: Forms relationships with adults

B: Responds to emotional cues

C: Interacts with peers

D: Makes friends

3: Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations

PHYSICAL

4: Demonstrates traveling skills

5: Demonstrates balancing skills

6: Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills

7: Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination

A: Uses fingers and hands

B: Uses writing and drawing tools

LANGUAGE

8: Listens to and understands increasingly complex language

9: Uses language to express thoughts and needs

10: Uses appropriate conversational and other communication skills


COGNITIVE

11: Demonstrates positive approaches to learning

12: Remembers and connects experiences

13: Uses classification skills

14: Uses symbols and images to represent something not present



LITERACY

15: Demonstrates phonological awareness, phonics skills, and word recognition

16: Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet

17: Demonstrates knowledge of print and its uses

18: Comprehends and responds to books and other texts

19: Demonstrates writing skills


MATHEMATICS

20: Uses number concepts and operations

21: Explores and describes spatial relationships and shapes

22: Compares and measures

23: Demonstrates knowledge of patterns

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

24: Uses scientific inquiry skills

25: Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things

26: Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

27: Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment

28: Uses tools and other technology to perform tasks

SOCIAL STUDIES

29: Demonstrates knowledge about self

30: Shows basic understanding of people and how they live

31: Explores change related to familiar people or places

32: Demonstrates simple geographic knowledge

THE ARTS

33: Explores the visual arts

34: Explores musical concepts and expression

35: Explores dance and movement concepts

36: Explores drama through actions and language


ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

37: Demonstrates progress in listening to and understanding English

38: Demonstrates progress in speaking English

RESOURCES

REPORTS

How to pull & send individualized child reports:


Go to Reports on your TS GOLD account to PDF each child's Individual Report and make sure to show only finalized data for the current and past checkpoints. If the current finalized checkpoint is shown in the child's color band, you have marked them as typically developing in that particular objective. If it is shown to the left, you have marked them behind, and to the right- ahead. 


For each child, send their individualized report to the parents with a brief description of what TS GOLD is and why we use it to assess our children here at Wildflower. Please also make sure you are ready to discuss each child's outcomes with parents and answer any questions they have before sending their reports. Reports should be sent out to parents no later than two weeks after the checkpoint's due date. 


Parent-teacher conferences are always available to parents who request one or have a concern. Please let us know if someone requests a conference, or if you'd like to schedule a conference with any particular parent.  


Here is a sample blurb about TS GOLD to introduce or remind parents about the assessment (edit/add as you would like):


Teaching Strategies (TS) GOLD is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten. It helps teachers to observe children in the context of everyday experiences, which is an effective way to learn what they know and can do. It's based on 38 objectives for development and learning that include predictors of school success and are based on school readiness standards. The objectives are aligned with the Common Core State Standards, state early learning guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. These objectives are at the heart of the system; teachers use them to focus their observations as they gather information to make classroom decisions. Ongoing Assessment is happening during regular everyday activities, implemented on a continuous basis throughout the year, helping teachers meet children where they are, helping children meet challenging and achievable learning goals, and a broader and more meaningful picture of development. It is not formal or standardized, a narrow picture of a child's ability at a given moment, a one-dimensional measure of ability, or performed outside of everyday activities.


Attached is your child's individualized TS GOLD report for the Winter checkpoint. Children's expected learning and development progressions on TS GOLD are shown with color-coded bands. These bands are based on research and show the levels children are likely to be at throughout a program year based on age.  Development and learning can be uneven with ages, so the color bands also overlap, which help teachers guide realistic expectations of children, and see the full spectrum of development at once. The color bands by age are shown below:


If a child's checkpoint is shown to the left of their color band, either the teachers have not seen the skill demonstrated by the child to the fullest potential, or the child may be behind in that particular objective, based on their age. If they are shown to the right of the color band, the teachers have documented that child as showing advanced skills in that particular objective, based on their age. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have about TS GOLD or your child's seasonal report.