This study aimed to address the teaching challenges encountered in the “Children’s Assessment” course within the preparation of pre-service early childhood educators. Instructors often face difficulties such as limited learning outcomes and students’ insufficient understanding of assessment concepts. To improve these issues, this study integrated the Sharestart pedagogy and scaffolding strategies into course design and implementation, exploring 1. the process of instructional practice and 2. students’ learning outcomes in the affective, cognitive, and skill domains. Adopting an action research approach, the participants were 47 junior students enrolled in the “Children’s Assessment” course in the two-year evening program of a university’s Department of Early Childhood Care and Education. The course design incorporated structured worksheets, group discussions, class presentations, and multiple scaffolding supports. Data were collected from learning performance and teaching process records. The findings revealed that 1. the course progression demonstrated students’ gradual transition from unfamiliarity to practical application, as the instructor adjusted worksheet items, feedback methods, and scaffold design in response to students’ needs, while the interaction between human and artifact scaffolds facilitated the Sharestart process; and (b) students showed positive engagement and attitudes in the affective domain, consolidated assessment concepts and operational understanding in the cognitive domain, and improved their abilities in designing and analyzing assessment tasks in the skill domain, indicating steady growth in assessment literacy. Overall, integrating the Sharestart pedagogy with scaffolding strategies effectively alleviated instructional challenges and enhanced students’ engagement and assessment competence. The paper concludes with recommendations for curriculum design, teaching strategies, and course planning to inform the improvement of teacher education programs.