Formal vs. informal assessment: Tools to monitor a child's progress
Understanding formal and informal assessment
Assessment involves using both formal and informal techniques to monitor a child's progress in an educational setting. Formal assessments are standardized evaluations that measure performance against specific criteria, while informal assessments are flexible, observation-based methods used to gather real-time feedback. Together, these two approaches give educators and families a complete picture of a child's development.
| Assessment Type | Structure | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Formal assessment | Standardized, data-driven | Measure knowledge against benchmarks |
| Informal assessment | Flexible, observation-based | Gather real-time feedback on learning |
Early childhood development is complex. Children are actively cultivating cognitive, language, physical, and social-emotional skills, all while discovering how classroom concepts apply to the real world. As an educator monitoring this growth, using clear assessment tools provides valuable insight into lesson effectiveness and helps determine whether children are making progress toward learning outcomes.
A combination of assessment methods helps you evaluate children, strategize educational instruction, and implement new ideas. Understanding the distinctions between formal and informal assessment is essential to choosing the right tool for the right purpose.
What is formal assessment?
Formal assessment is a systematic evaluation method used to test a child's learning against a standard or benchmark. Educators use these preplanned tests to grade performance and measure retained knowledge, typically after completing a lesson or unit of instruction. The results provide reliable, comparable data about a child's strengths and areas for growth.
| Formal Assessment Type | Description | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Standardized tests | Administered and scored the same way every time | Kindergarten entry assessments, state benchmarks |
| Progress report cards | Structured evaluations across developmental areas | Communicating progress to families |
| Structured portfolios | Curated collections of student work over time | Documenting long-term growth |
| Criterion-referenced tests | Measures performance against a fixed standard | Determining mastery of specific skills |
| Norm-referenced tests | Compares performance to a peer group | Identifying relative standing among peers |
Formal assessments are administered to evaluate or monitor students' knowledge at a specific point in time. Some are given before learning occurs to help teachers identify instructional focus areas. Others are administered after learning has taken place and are designed to measure individual student performance or compare it with that of peers.
Standardized tests
Standardized tests are formal assessments that educators administer and score in the exact same way each time. This consistency applies to how teachers give instructions, ask questions, and grade results. In early childhood education, preschoolers typically encounter their first standardized tests through kindergarten entry assessments (KEAs).
KEAs do not decide whether children should or should not enter kindergarten. Instead, they provide a snapshot of what preschool-age children know compared to their peers. Educators use these results to inform classroom instruction, plan curricula, and identify which children might benefit from special education services.
Progress report cards
Progress report cards provide families with formal evaluations and updates on their children's overall development. They measure performance across the four main developmental areas: physical, language, cognitive, and social-emotional.
These reports create a direct line of communication between educators and families. They help teachers identify learning trends, spot behavior patterns, and recognize developmental delays early. This type of formal assessment also allows teachers to plan and improve their curriculum over time based on documented evidence.
Structured portfolios
Portfolios are formal assessment tools that document a child's progress over a long period. By collecting various samples of a preschooler's work, educators can create structured digital or physical portfolios that highlight cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical development.
These collections give educators and families direct insight into a child's experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. Digital portfolio tools make it simple to maintain consistency across a childcare program while sharing updates with families and fostering strong engagement.
Norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced assessments
Formal assessments can be categorized as either norm-referenced or criterion-referenced. If you want to know how a child's score compares to the average performance of their peers, a norm-referenced assessment is the best choice. These tests rank students relative to one another.
Criterion-referenced tests, on the other hand, measure a child's performance against a fixed standard or learning objective. The focus is on whether the child has mastered specific skills, regardless of how other children perform. Both types offer valuable but different insights into a child's progress.
What is informal assessment?
Informal assessment is a flexible, non-standardized evaluation method used to measure a child's understanding in real time. Unlike formal assessments, informal assessments do not rely on strict criteria or grading rubrics, allowing educators to observe progress naturally during daily activities.
| Informal Assessment Type | Description | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Observation | Watching and recording children's behaviors | Assessing social-emotional and physical skills |
| Work samples | Collecting artifacts from daily activities | Tracking skill development over time |
| One-to-one conversations | Talking with children about their understanding | Gauging comprehension and reasoning |
| Exit tickets | Brief prompts at the end of a lesson | Checking understanding before moving on |
| Group discussions | Collaborative classroom conversations | Evaluating participation and critical thinking |
| Project-based assignments | Creative tasks demonstrating knowledge | Assessing applied learning |
Educators have the opportunity to be much more creative when conducting informal assessments because of the loose structure and absence of standardized comparisons. This flexibility makes informal assessment especially valuable for capturing how children learn, not just what they know.
Observation
Observation is one of the most powerful informal assessment tools in early childhood education. Teachers watch and record children's behaviors, interactions, and approaches to problem-solving during daily activities such as free play, group time, and outdoor exploration.
This method allows educators to assess development across all domains without interrupting the natural flow of a child's day. Observation notes can be compiled over time to identify patterns, developmental milestones, and areas where additional support may be needed.
Work samples and conversations
Collecting samples of children's work, such as drawings, writing attempts, and craft projects, offers tangible evidence of growth. When combined with one-to-one conversations, these samples provide context that helps educators understand the thinking behind a child's work.
Conversations with children are particularly useful for gauging comprehension and reasoning skills. By asking open-ended questions, teachers can uncover what a child truly understands rather than relying solely on written or test-based performance.
Exit tickets and quick checks
Exit tickets are brief prompts given at the end of a lesson to check for understanding. Students respond to a question or complete a short task that reveals whether they grasped the key concepts. Entry slips work the same way at the start of a lesson, activating prior knowledge and helping teachers adjust instruction accordingly.
These quick formative checks are immediately useful. Teachers can review responses in minutes and make real-time decisions about whether to reteach a concept, slow down, or move forward with the curriculum.
Informal assessments can be especially valuable for multilingual learners. Traditional writing-based tasks, whether formal or informal, often measure a child's language proficiency more than their actual understanding of the subject. Observation-based and conversational assessments allow these children to demonstrate knowledge in more authentic ways.
Key differences between formal and informal assessment
While both assessment types serve the goal of understanding student learning, they differ significantly in structure, purpose, and application. These differences determine when and how each type should be used to monitor a child's progress effectively.
| Factor | Formal Assessment | Informal Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Standardized, consistent format | Flexible, varies by situation |
| Grading | Uses rubrics, scores, or benchmarks | No standard grading criteria |
| Timing | Scheduled at specific intervals | Ongoing, can happen anytime |
| Data type | Quantitative (numbers, scores) | Qualitative (observations, notes) |
| Feedback speed | Delayed (after grading/analysis) | Immediate |
| Comparability | Easy to compare across students | Difficult to compare consistently |
| Preparation | Significant planning required | Minimal planning needed |
| Adaptability | Fixed; cannot be changed mid-assessment | Can be modified on the spot |
| Student experience | Can cause anxiety or pressure | Low-stress, natural setting |
| Cost | Often requires purchased materials | Typically free or low-cost |
Structure and grading
The most fundamental difference lies in structure. Formal assessments follow a standardized format where every child receives the same questions under the same conditions. Teachers score them using pre-defined rubrics or answer keys, producing objective, comparable data.
Informal assessments have no such constraints. Teachers can adapt questions, adjust difficulty, and change the format based on the child's needs and the learning situation. While this flexibility is a strength, it means results are harder to compare across students or classrooms.
Data type and feedback
Formal assessments generate quantitative data: test scores, percentages, percentile rankings, and grade-level equivalents. This data is valuable for tracking progress over time and making high-stakes decisions about placement or intervention.
Informal assessments yield qualitative insights: anecdotal notes, observational records, and samples of student work. The strength of this data lies in its immediacy. Teachers can provide feedback during the learning process itself, addressing misconceptions before they become entrenched.
Purpose and stakes
Formal assessments are typically used for summative purposes, measuring what a child has learned at a particular point in time. They carry higher stakes because results may influence decisions about grade promotion, program eligibility, or special education referrals.
Informal assessments are more often formative, designed to inform instruction as it happens. They carry lower stakes and focus on understanding the learning process rather than delivering a final judgment on achievement.
Similarities between both approaches
Despite their differences, formal and informal assessments share several important characteristics. Both serve the overarching goal of understanding what children know and how well they know it.
| Shared Characteristic | How It Applies |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Both aim to evaluate student learning and inform instruction |
| Can be formative or summative | Both types can be used before, during, or after instruction |
| Inform instruction | Both help teachers adjust teaching strategies |
| Document progress | Both create records of student development over time |
| Identify learning gaps | Both reveal areas where children need additional support |
| Use similar tools | Quizzes, surveys, and portfolios can function as either type |
Both assessment types fall into the same three broad categories: formative, summative, and diagnostic. A formal test can be formative if administered during a unit to guide further instruction. An informal observation can be summative if it serves as a final evaluation of a child's skills at the end of a learning period.
Both approaches also use some of the same tools. For instance, a quiz can be a formal assessment if it is scored against a rubric and counts toward a grade, or it can be informal if used as a quick, ungraded check for understanding. What separates one from the other is how the tool is applied and for what purpose.
Practical examples in early childhood education
Seeing how these assessment types work in practice helps clarify when and why educators choose one over the other. Below are real-world scenarios showing both approaches in action.
| Scenario | Assessment Type | Tool Used | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten readiness screening | Formal | Kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) | Academic and developmental readiness |
| Watching a child during free play | Informal | Observation notes | Social skills, problem-solving, motor development |
| End-of-unit math test | Formal | Criterion-referenced test | Mastery of counting and number recognition |
| Asking a child to explain their drawing | Informal | One-to-one conversation | Language development, comprehension |
| Quarterly developmental report | Formal | Progress report card | Growth across all developmental domains |
| Group reading discussion | Informal | Group discussion | Literacy skills, listening, critical thinking |
Formal assessment in action
A preschool teacher administers a kindergarten entry assessment to a class of four-year-olds each spring. Every child receives the same set of tasks: identifying letters, counting objects, recognizing shapes, and following multi-step directions. The teacher scores each response using a standardized rubric.
The results show that 75% of the class can identify at least 20 uppercase letters, while 40% struggle with counting beyond 10. The teacher uses this data to adjust the summer curriculum, adding more hands-on counting activities and math games to strengthen number skills before the transition to kindergarten.
Informal assessment in action
During free play, a teacher notices that a child who typically plays alone has started joining a small group at the building block station. The teacher makes an observational note about the child's social interaction, recording the specific language the child uses to negotiate sharing blocks.
Over the following weeks, the teacher compiles several similar observations into a developmental narrative. This ongoing record reveals steady growth in social-emotional skills, information the teacher shares with the child's family during a parent conference.
When to use each assessment type
Choosing between formal and informal assessment depends on your purpose. Each type is better suited to certain situations, and using the wrong type can lead to unreliable conclusions or missed insights.
| Goal | Recommended Assessment Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Compare children to peers or benchmarks | Formal | Standardized data allows fair comparison |
| Check understanding during a lesson | Informal | Immediate feedback enables real-time adjustment |
| Determine program eligibility | Formal | Objective, reliable data required for decisions |
| Identify a child's learning style | Informal | Observation reveals how children approach tasks |
| Communicate progress to families | Both | Report cards (formal) and anecdotal notes (informal) together |
| Diagnose developmental delays | Formal | Standardized instruments provide defensible data |
| Guide daily instruction | Informal | Quick, flexible checks inform immediate teaching decisions |
| Evaluate curriculum effectiveness | Both | Quantitative scores plus qualitative observations |
When formal assessment is the best fit
Use formal assessments when you need factual, comparable data. This includes situations where results will inform high-stakes decisions such as special education referrals, program placement, or kindergarten readiness determinations. Formal assessments are also the right choice when you need to track progress against state or national standards over time.
Some formal assessments, such as benchmark tests, are designed to be administered multiple times during an academic year. These repeated measures provide accurate data about student growth between test windows, making them valuable tools for long-term progress monitoring.
When informal assessment works better
Use informal assessments when you want to understand the learning process, not just the outcome. These methods are ideal for gathering immediate feedback, adjusting instruction on the fly, and capturing the nuances of a child's thinking that standardized tests cannot reveal.
Informal assessment is also better suited for younger children who may not perform well under the pressure of formal testing conditions. Natural settings like free play, circle time, and small group activities allow children to demonstrate skills without anxiety or artificial constraints.
If you are not clear about the purpose of an assessment as you design or implement it, you risk using a tool that does not serve any purpose adequately. For example, a creative project may be engaging and student-centered, but if it is meant to measure specific content knowledge, its informal structure may make that measurement unreliable. Always match the assessment to the goal.
How to use formal and informal assessment together
The most effective approach to monitoring a child's progress combines both formal and informal assessments. Each type compensates for the limitations of the other, creating a well-rounded picture of student learning.
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Use informal assessment to prepare for formal testing | Observations and conversations identify focus areas before standardized tests |
| Follow formal results with informal investigation | Low test scores prompt targeted observation to understand the cause |
| Build portfolios with both types | Include formal scores alongside work samples and observation notes |
| Use informal data to validate formal results | Check whether test scores align with what you observe daily |
| Share both types with families | Pair report cards with narrative descriptions of growth |
Creating an integrated assessment plan
Start by establishing the learning goals you want to assess. For each goal, select at least one formal and one informal method. For example, if you are assessing letter recognition, you might use a formal letter identification test alongside informal observations of how children interact with alphabet books during independent reading time.
Collect data from both sources consistently throughout the year. When you analyze results, look for patterns. Does the formal data match what you see informally? Discrepancies can be especially revealing. A child who scores poorly on a timed letter test but correctly identifies letters during play may need a different testing format rather than additional instruction.
Communicating results to families
Families benefit from receiving both types of assessment data. Progress report cards provide the structured, objective information many parents expect. Anecdotal observation notes, work samples, and photos bring that data to life, showing families not just what their child can do but how their child learns and grows.
When you combine a formal score (such as "identifies 18 out of 26 letters") with an informal note (such as "loves singing the alphabet song during morning circle and is beginning to match letters to sounds independently"), families gain a complete and meaningful understanding of their child's development.
Strengths and limitations of each approach
Both formal and informal assessments have clear strengths and limitations. Understanding these helps educators make informed decisions about which tools to use in different contexts.
| Factor | Formal Assessment | Informal Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability | High; standardized conditions reduce variability | Lower; results depend on the observer |
| Validity | Measures what it claims to measure when well-designed | May capture unintended skills alongside target skills |
| Flexibility | Low; cannot be modified during administration | High; can adapt to individual needs in real time |
| Student engagement | Can feel stressful or disconnected from learning | Feels natural and integrated into daily activities |
| Cost and time | Often expensive and time-intensive | Usually free and quick to implement |
| Scope of insight | Focused on specific skills or knowledge | Captures a holistic picture of the child |
| Bias risk | Reduced by standardization | Higher risk of observer bias |
| Cultural sensitivity | May not account for cultural or linguistic diversity | Easier to adapt for diverse learners |
Advantages of formal assessment
Formal assessments provide objective, comparable data that is difficult to dispute. Because every child takes the same test under the same conditions, results can be compared fairly across classrooms, schools, districts, and even states. This makes formal assessment essential for accountability, program evaluation, and research.
The standardized nature of formal assessment also reduces the influence of personal bias. A clearly defined scoring rubric ensures that two different teachers would arrive at the same score for the same response.
Advantages of informal assessment
Informal assessments excel at capturing the process of learning. While a formal test can tell you that a child answered a question incorrectly, an observation can reveal why the child struggled. Perhaps they misunderstood the directions, lacked background knowledge, or simply needed more time to think.
This type of assessment also supports stronger teacher-student relationships. One-to-one conversations and observational interactions signal to children that their teacher is genuinely interested in their thinking, not just their answers. For young children, this emotional connection is a powerful motivator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between formal and informal assessment?
The main difference is structure. Formal assessments are standardized evaluations with consistent administration procedures and objective scoring criteria. Informal assessments are flexible, observation-based methods without standardized grading, allowing educators to evaluate children's understanding in natural, everyday settings.
What are examples of formal and informal assessment in early childhood?
Common formal assessments in early childhood include kindergarten entry assessments, progress report cards, structured portfolios, and criterion-referenced tests. Informal assessments include teacher observation, one-to-one conversations, work samples, exit tickets, group discussions, and project-based activities.
Is one type of assessment better than the other?
Neither type is inherently better. Each serves a different purpose. Formal assessments provide reliable, comparable data for tracking progress against standards and making placement decisions. Informal assessments offer immediate, nuanced insights that guide daily instruction. The most effective assessment approach uses both types together.
How often should children be assessed?
Informal assessments should happen continuously as part of daily instruction, through observation, conversation, and quick checks for understanding. Formal assessments are typically administered at scheduled intervals, such as the beginning, middle, and end of the school year, or at the end of instructional units.
Can formal assessments be used in preschool?
Yes. Formal assessments like kindergarten entry assessments and developmental screenings such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire are commonly used in preschool settings. These tools help educators understand where children stand relative to developmental benchmarks and identify children who may need additional support or special education services.
How can teachers reduce bias in informal assessment?
Teachers can reduce bias by using structured observation checklists, documenting observations consistently across all children, collecting data over multiple occasions rather than relying on a single observation, and collaborating with colleagues to compare notes and calibrate expectations.