Abstract
formative assessment are currently being developed and used regularly in primary school education. However, in the Czech Republic there are few approaches for practical use in pre-school education and a lack of theoretical understanding about this issue.
The aim of the article is therefore to explore this topic from the point of view of theory, both from an international perspective and in the form of action research. The research is based on a qualitative research paradigm.
The first part of the presentation summarizes the theoretical basis for formative assessment in pre-primary education. The authors review professional domestic and foreign literature, which reflects current concepts and approaches to formative assessment in an international context.
In addition, they undertake a comparative analysis of approaches to assessing child development in pre-primary education in the England, Germany and Switzerland. The comparison points to various approaches to assessment and documentation of child development, which correspond to the tradition of pre-primary education in each country, but also refer to changes in approaches associated with the increasing use of formative forms of assessment in pre-school pedagogical practice.
The third part of the article presents the results of action research based on the use of the Learning Stories method (adapted according to the German model Deutsches Jugendinstitut) for documentation, assessment and support of teaching and learning in selected Czech pre-schools. Action research has shown this method to be highly effective, especially in relation to children with special educational needs, children's motivation to learn.