Indicator: Developmental progress: cognition

What to know about measurement

This indicator’s measurement considerations are similar to those noted under the developmental progress: language and literacy indicator. Children’s cognition skills can be measured through direct child assessments, but assessments that ask teachers to report and rate children’s skill development are increasingly common and less burdensome to implement at scale. For example, the DRDP has one subscale that measures cognition, including math and science skills. These items ask teachers to rate children’s development of number sense, measurement, patterning, shape recognition, cause and effect, inquiry through observation and investigation, and understanding of objects and their characteristics. As noted in the developmental progress: language and literacy indicator discussion, these assessments should only be used for formative purposes.

In the System Transformation for Equitable Preschools Framework, Child Trends emphasizes the importance of using multiple forms of evidence to assess a child’s developmental progress. This could include observational or direct child assessments, as well as information from parents, pediatricians, counselors, therapists, or other organizations serving the child. Using multiple forms of evidence can help ensure that preschool systems do not over-rely on a single source that might not be culturally or developmentally appropriate for the child, as well as provide information that is meaningful for families.