* How do teachers assess the ordinary classroom work of young children?

* How do pupils understand and respond to that assessment - does it help or hinder their development?

* How can classroom assessment be developed to be more effective in assisting the learning process?

This book brings together various perspectives from the fields of assessment policy development, theories of learning and the sociology of the classroom. The book explores how the assessment of young children is carried out in classrooms and with what consequences for their understanding of schooling and the development of their learning in particular subject areas. The book is based on extensive video and audio tape recordings of classroom assessment 'incidents' along with interviews of teachers and pupils about the process of assessment.