Popular history identifies the source of the gene pool of educational assessment in Ancient China, deepens it with the establishment of the university testing programs and reinforces it with a century of scientific rigour. Early childhood education provides an alternative genealogy which questions the parentage of many practices used to assess young children for educational purposes. Increases in government funding, regulation and public scrutiny have called for more accountability from all teachers against outcomes or standards. The heat is on as teachers seek to gather assessment data that can be used to improve children’s learning outcomes, and support them on the way to meeting educational standards. Traditionally early childhood teachers relied on observation, progress mapping and child development to inform curriculum decisions. The new culture focuses on regulation, standardisation and moderation to inform decisions. This paper will look at traditional practices in early childhood and rethink them in educational contexts.