In this article, we describe the context of the Portuguese official evaluation in pre-school and review a number of studies and testimonies about the reality of assessment practices in the field of early childhood education in Portugal. Given the desirable alternative assessment practices recommended in literature from this field, we intend to present a conceptual framework and assessment tool called Children Follow-up Instrument, based on the work of Laevers et al. (1997), which offers possibilities for alternative assessment and/or "authentic" assessment, fully complying with the official guidelines and current scientific consensus on quality education. Finally, we highlight the dynamics and some of the effects generated by its use in educational intervention.
authentic assessment; pre-school education; children follow-up instrument; well-being and involvement; competencies development; educational intervention
