Description:
The Ounce Scale is an observational assessment
for evaluating infants’ and toddlers’ development
from birth to 3-1/2 years. The Ounce Scale has three elements:
(1) the Observation Record, which provides a focus for
observing and documenting children’s everyday behaviors
and provides data for making evaluations about development,
(2) the Family Album, which provides a structure for parents
to learn about and record their child’s development
as they write down what they see, using photos, telling
stories, and responding to observation questions that
are the same as the ones in the caregiver’s Observation
Record, and (3) the Developmental Profile, which enables
caregivers and other staff to evaluate each child’s
development and progress over time, comparing their observation
data to specific performance standards. The Ounce Scale
is organized around six major areas of development: Personal
Connections, Feelings About Self, Relationships With Other
Children, Understanding and Communicating, Exploration
and Problem Solving, and Movement and Coordination.
Uses of Information: The Ounce
Scale’s purpose is twofold: (1) to provide guidelines
and standards for observing and interpreting young children’s
growth and behavior, and (2) to provide information that
parents and caregivers can use to plan curriculum and
engage in enhancing activities and experiences with infants
and toddlers.
Reliability: Not yet available
as of July 2002
Validity: Not yet available
as of July 2002
Method of Scoring: The service
provider summarizes the Observational Record and the Family
Album in the Developmental Profile. Behaviors are marked
as “Developing as Expected” or “Needs
Development” and space is available to record comments.
Interpretability: Not yet available
as of July 2002
Training Support: Not yet available
as of July 2002
Adaptations/Special Instructions for
Individuals with Disabilities: Not yet available
as of July 2002
Report Preparation Support:
The Family Album helps parents keep track of their child’s
growth and development, assisted or mentored by service
providers. Also, the Developmental Profile, which is a
summary and evaluation of the child’s performance
and progress over four- to six-month intervals, is summarized
by the service provider and shared with the parent or
caregiver. In the Developmental Profile conferences, supervisors
review the information and documentation that the caregivers
have about each child and family, go over the Observational
Record, and discuss the rationale for the evaluations
made on the Developmental Profile. The supervisors also
discuss how the caregiver will share the Profile with
the parents and outline future steps the caregiver is
planning to advance or assist the child’s and family’s
growth and development.
References:
Meisels, Samuel J. “Fusing Assessment and Intervention:
Changing Parents’ and Providers’ Views of
Young Children.” Zero to Three, vol. 21, no. 4,
February/March 2001, pp. 4-10.
Meisels, Samuel J., Amy Laura Dombro, Dorothea B. Marsden,
Donna R. Weston, and Abigail M. Jewkes (in draft). The
Ounce Scale. Ann Arbor, MI: Rebus |
