Best Start

The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment has been developed by early learning experts in the Department of Education and Training, and is giving Kindergarten teachers across New South Wales, a common set of high quality assessment tools and professional learning.

It is important to emphasise that the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment is not a test. Its purpose is to help the teacher gather information to guide the teaching of your child. The teacher will observe each child and use tasks, such as talking about a book, and record what students know and can do. The teaching of the children will be based on the information gathered.

Teachers will look at children's early reading and writing, their ability to communicate with others and how they recognise and work with numbers, groups and patterns. Feedback is given to parents about what the child's teacher has learned about the child during the assessment .