The Power of Feedback in Preschool

Feedback and grading looks different in a preschool classroom. ECE education is to nurture children's curiosity, creativity, and social skills at that age. Grading and feedback should support this by providing guidance and support for each child's unique developmental learning milestones.

I do this by providing constructive feedback in a positive and supportive manner while creating curiosity and guiding them into learning things about the world around them. Preschoolers are still learning and developing their social and emotional skills. Positive, constructive feedback plays an important role in helping them understand and navigate the world around peers and the start of their educational journey.

Some examples of feedback phrases are:
“It's a little messy; let's try to color inside the lines next time."
"You almost got it, keep trying,"
Words like "awesome," "fantastic," or "wonderful"
“How do you think you did?" or "What could you do differently next time?"

There are many differences between grades and feedback. Grades serve as a summary assessment and are often used for administrative and comparative purposes in the classroom and district wide, while feedback is a more personalized and informative approach to help students understand their performance and guide them on how to grow and learn. Both grades and feedback can be used in education to provide a balanced assessment and a support system for student success.