Screening and assessment have very different meanings and purposes. A screening is a brief procedure designed to quickly survey a large number of children to determine which children need additional assistance to master certain skills or whether they should be referred for a more in-depth assessment. Screenings can be conducted in a variety of areas such as vision, motor skills, speech and language, and cognitive functioning.

Typically, screening is conducted to provide initial information about a group of children and to inform when further assessment may be warranted. Assessment is the basic process of determining what children know and can do in relation to expectations for the peer group and goals for the program. Assessment is a global term for observing, gathering, recording and interpreting data to answer questions and make instructional decisions about children. Screening may be used to get an overview of a child's skill level at a single point in time, and is intended as a one-time measurement. In contrast, assessment is dynamic, ongoing, and used to guide decisions about individual and group programming and instruction over time (Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Birth to Three Learning and Assessment Resource Guide, 2004).