Testing Children

            When the term or thought of testing a child’s intelligence or development is expressed, I get a bit reserved.  I refer to the testing I completed as a child and the testing my children are now encountering at school have changed a bit.  The main goal is still the same, to evaluate the intelligence of a child.  Where the child stood in the standards of mathematics and writing/English/language by requiring each child to participate in a yearly test.  Again, this test was to measure the academic comprehension as a student, young child.  Honestly, I have always been curious as to whom truly makes those standards?  Do these tests consider the child as an individual, a unique child?  I also think of the forms the pediatrician hands out at well-child visits, asking questions to where you felt your child was in development for the age of their visit.  I truly grasp the need to monitor the development and progress of children as they grow throughout their years.  Understanding that the individuals involved in evaluating these test and questionnaires are educated and experienced, we still must consider every aspect of the child in evaluating and testing.  As we find a discrepancy between the state testing and national testing in regard to the proficiency of a child’s academic progress.  “For example in the state of New York, states found 62 percent proficient in math, but the NAEP found only 32 percent; 51 were found proficient in reading on the state tests but only 35 percent according to NAEP” (Berger, 2015, p. 399).  Thereforth to me this information simple states that many aspects of children are being missed.  A child’s development in life roots from the diversity of who the child is.  For example we must consider the child’s culture, biology, attachment and nurture, family unit, socioeconomic status, and more.  These factors contribute to how a child learns and experiences life.  If a child comes from parents that are highly educated and read daily, promoting their child the same academic enrichment, but yet is cold, harsh, limited affection if any, limiting child to play and social interaction.  Does this child develop a healthy life?  The likely chance that this child will suffer emotional and social is high.  How do we measure one’s emotions and social development?  Approaching the reality that a child’s development is diverse and should be approached in considering every aspect of the child, a holistic approach.  Considering the healthiest life is a life that has developed healthy in every aspects of its life, socially, academically, physically, mentally, and more.  Back to the example as mentioned above with parents that were cold and reserved the child of social interaction.  Could we consider this child developmentally healthy, even after passing an academic assessment?  Will he develop proper social skills and contribute back as an adult?    

            With all the thoughts above and the realization that development is a diverse aspect, academic testing should not be limited to one style or type of test.  Many considerations should take into play, for example the concept of multiple intelligences.  As we are aware every child has different intellectual abilities.  A child also has different learning skills.  These are a set of hypotheses the child explorers with or approaches a task, such as: visual learning, auditory learning, reflective learning, impulsive learning, musically and more.  Thereforth much greater consideration should be made in evaluating a child’s development.  A holistic approach of the whole child should be considered.  Just as a teacher should adapt to the individual needs of the child in teaching.  Providing different content and engaging the senses the child has, can contribute to the child demonstrating their knowledge and skills. (2013, March 8, Edutopia).

            In other nations the measurement of academics is not necessary consider just math and English.  Based on the geographic area will depend on the values of life’s traits or skills.  The education practice many be different from the US.  Not to mention the courses an individual may take, as well as required amounts of school work.  In some parts of the world education is a luxury, not a requirement.  For those that have the privilege to engage in school, the activities and course will vary per location.  “For example, the average child in a primary school in Spain spends twice as much time studying science as does the average child in Italy” (Berger, 2015, p.393).  the fact is that we as a community should come together to observe the development and growth of our children, but should we classify a percentage with a test, no.  Unless a child’s entire development from a holistic aspect is not used in evaluating the child, then there should not be an evaluation performed. 

Reference:

Berger, K. (2015). The developing person through childhood (7^th ed.). New York, NY: Worth     Publishers.

March 8, 2013. Multiple intelligences: What does the research say? Edutopia.

Retrieved from:  https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-research