Reliable and valid measures of early learning and development are essential for research, practice, and identifying children’s support needs. We were delighted to host Dr. Laura Outhwaite from UCL’s Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities.
First, Dr. Laura Outhwaite summarised findings from a published systematic review of 66 measurement tools used to assess mathematical skills in children aged 0–8 years. The reliability and validity of the included measures were synthesised and evaluated, and only 15 tools met common acceptability thresholds across more than two areas of psychometric evidence.
She then presented new findings from an item-by-item content analysis of 18 widely used standardised measures of early mathematical skills in children aged 3–6 years in English-speaking countries. This analysis highlights important differences in how mathematics is conceptualised and assessed across the tools, with a strong emphasis on number skills rather than broader domains such as shape, space, and measure. It also raises critical considerations about how tasks are presented, how children are expected to respond, and the influence of domain-general skills such as language and motor abilities.
Finally, she outlined a recently funded secondary data analysis study titled SEEN: Screening Early for Educational Needs. In this new project, the team aims to evaluate the predictive validity of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS-P) for identifying later special educational needs. The EYFS-P is a statutory teacher observation assessment of 4–5-year-olds’ communication, socio-emotional, motor, literacy, and number skills.
In addition to Dr. Outhwaite’s keynote, the retreat featured a diverse program of presentations by members of the Helsinki SEN research community.
Doctoral researcher Lauri Ståhlberg presented a digital assessment tool he has developed for school-aged children, which is already widely used in several countries. The tool covers a range of basic skills, and the comprehensive data collected with it sparked rich discussion about the possibilities of tracking children’s development across cultures and in longitudinal settings.
Next, Professor Pirjo Aunio introduced her work on developing a teacher rating scale for assessing young children’s language skills. The scale is designed to support teachers in observing children’s abilities. A corresponding observation tool for assessing mathematical skills is already available
Senior University Lecturer Lotta Uusitalo then addressed the intriguing question of how courage can be assessed in children. She led a discussion on the conceptual challenges of measuring such a virtue, especially in the context of childhood.
Doctoral researcher Angel Park followed with a presentation on her work exploring parents’ experiences of inclusive education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in South Korea. Her aim is to shed light on the cultural and systemic factors that influence inclusion.
Finally, doctoral researcher Roosa Segersvärd presented her research on assessing existential resilience in young children with intellectual disabilities. The discussion delved into the rich possibilities offered by her data and the methodological challenges involved.
We warmly thank all presenters and participants for their contributions to this inspiring day and look forward to continued collaboration across communities.