Considering a commitment to viewing young children
holistically (i.e., a commitment to "the whole child"), what, if
anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed? Explain your
reasoning.
It is important for children to be viewed and
assessed holistically. We know children are unique in learning styles and
individual needs. Thus, learning modalities refer to the style learners use to
acquire information and focus on the process. What should be measured or assessed should
depend on the purpose of the assessment. There are various tests such as; aptitude
test which is the potential to master a specific skill or to learn a certain body
of knowledge (Berger,2009). Berger further notes that IQ test are designed to measured
intelligence aptitude or ability to learn in school; and achievement test is a
measure of mastery or proficiency in reading, mathematics, science or some
other subject (Berger, 2009). Intelligence can then be defined as the ability to
solve problems and to adapt and learn from experiences (Santrock, 2008). If assessments
are intended, the focus should be on individual differences because individual
differences are the stable and consistent ways in which individuals differ from
one another. Using standardized test such as the Binet and the Wechsler scales
to assess all children does not seem fair and comes with some limitations; and
sometimes these tests are culturally biased and stressful (Berger, 2009). Berger
also notes that critics of IQ tests say that developmentalists affirm that
intellectual potential do change over lifespan another downside of the IQ
tests.
It would be reasonable therefore
to test or assesses a child holistically because according to Howard Gardner
humans have multiple intelligences. Consequently, relying on one form of IQ test
would be doubtful (Berk, 2009; Berger, 2009). Multiple intelligences are the
learners' biological potential and independent, diverse cognitive abilities
Howard Gardner refers to multiple intelligences as tools to use in teaching and
learning.; and he suggests at least eight elements of multiple intelligences; (Linguistic/language, logical/mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, naturalist) that provide better-quality
distinctions among behaviors (Hutinger, 2011). Authentic assessment gives a
better measurement of a child, and the methods of assessment must be
appropriate to the development and experiences of the child. As noted (Kakz,
2011; Shepard, 1997), assessments made during children's informal work and play
are most likely to minimize the many potential errors of various assessment
strategies. Young children are notoriously poor test-takers: perhaps because
they are sometimes confused by being asked questions that they think the tester
must already be familiar with the answers. Katz stipulates that there is reason
to suggest that the younger the child being evaluated, assessed, or tested, the
more errors are made. Katz (2011) further indicates that all methods of
assessment make errors: the errors made by formal tests are different from
those made by informal or anecdotal records and documentation notes; the errors
made by specific checklists of behavioral items are different from those made
by holistic impressionistic assessments. Based on cultural, environmental
influences on children’s development a holistic assessment would be a
preference for me to standardized tests. Through daily instruction, constant
holistic assessment does help to modify one’s instruction to meet children’s
individual needs which the IQ tests cannot give.
In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts
of the world? (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a
personal affinity.)
In other parts o f the world like in
the West African country of Cameroon, most school -age children have more of informal
assessment before they go to school and a sort of a holistic assessment on
social, cognitive development is done. Schools in rural areas would assess children
based on their cultural norms like counting in the child’s dialect or assessing
skills in a particular farming season. They may be asked to perform certain skills
to determine their abilities and talents and sometimes their age group; because
some child may not be very certain about their age if the parents did not
document when they were born. However, the scenario is different from the urban
towns. Children are assessed like in the case of Cameroon, with a standardized
tests called First School Leaving certificate at the end of class seven (equivalent
to 7th grade) and children are mostly
around 11 years of age. Assessment of individual students is solely to
make placement or promotion decisions.
Then
at a tender age of eleven, the children leave their homes to spend five years in
secondary schools. Based on family status and
choice children may go to a boarding, public, or private school, where admissions
are based on holistic assessment for the most parts. During each term or semester,
there is formal assessment and at the end of five years there is one
standardized test for all students called the General Certificate of Education
(GCE) Ordinary Level. The examination is very objective, and takes into
consideration the different ethnic setup in the society and background
experiences of the typical Cameroonian child. Those who pass are then admitted
into high schools for two years, which would be the equivalence of the 11and 12th
grade in the U.S. At the end of the two years, they write the GCE Advance Level
examination and they are ready to head off to various Universities. The content
of assessments of reveals and shows progress toward important learning goals covered.
On the other hand, the vocational technical schools assess its students using performance based assessments and other
informal educational settings undertake holistic assessment. According to (Miller,
2011), holistic education is based on the premise that each person finds
identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to
the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace. Miller
reiterates that holistic education aims to call forth from young people an
intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning. This is done,
not through an academic curriculum that condenses the world into instructional
packages, but through direct engagement with the environment. Miller’s ideology
plays out vividly in this part of the world. The vocational and many informal educational
settings in Cameroon fulfill the dreams of many children who are not gifted for
academic work and they still become successful and functional individuals of the
society.
What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples,
and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share
with your colleagues?
I would like to share the fact that assessment
can definitely bring down or raise a child’s self image or self esteem. Many teachers
for some reason do not seem to understand the purpose of assessment. Once a child
is not performing up to expectations the first thing is to find out what the child’s
problems are before rushing to conclusion about the child or family.
My son’s case has always resonated with
me. Fourteen years ago my son was nine when he came to the U.S and of course he
had an accent. His teacher for one reason could not understand him and for the
most part sent home little annoying notes about him. She felt by son had to be in
third grade or go to special education. We decided to meet the teacher and I told
him there was no point wanting to assess him because as his report card showed,
he was passing very well in his previous school. Before I knew she was adamant the child needed
to be in a special education class. Being
new to the country I didn’t know much about special education because it
doesn’t exist in my country. The name special Education sounded so attractive
to my ears that I would have thought it was really a “special” favor she wanted
to give my son. This lady talked about the child not respecting personal space and
could not keep his hands to himself. I was lost at words and I told her I would
go home and talk it over with my husband. I needed time to go home and find out
more about this special education, personal space and hands to him issue.
The next day I met the teacher and I
was swelling with anger in my stomach as I understood where she wanted my son to
go. “How dare she think of my son like that”
was all that kept coming to my mind. I thought about the first Halloween celebration
and how all of us in my family didn’t even know what it was all about when
every minute someone would ring the bell; and God alone knows what we heard in place
of “trick or treat”. And to save my child from embarrassment I told her that if
there was to be any assessment I would like to be part of the assessment team
to make sure contents were familiar to my son. That was turned down and I told her
then my son would not be assessed. The principal,
counselor tried to talk me in to it but I stood my grounds. I told them without
mincing words that the teacher’s only reason was because of my son’s accent. Based
on her little comments and notes she sent home. If my son insisted to call his pants
at the time as trousers, there was nothing wrong with that; it was just another
name for pants in a different culture. I remember her correcting my son for using
the word “boot of a car” in a sentence to “trunk” of the car. The irony with this
particular teacher was she too had a thick Texan accent. So I told her just as
she could not understand my son because of his accent, by the same token, he too
could not understand her because of her Texans accent. We all have an accent. I told her for the personal space and hands by
him I would work with my son on that, but she needed to understand that,
children from his background loved to play, touch each other and it was never an
issue. Honestly, those first four months
in the U.S was like going to hell and back. Bottom line my son was never tested,
within 6 to 7 months, the boy had almost assimilated and adapted to the culture,
he could speak clearly; he was loved by his teachers and peers. I guess that is what happens to most immigrant
children retain and wrongly placed indifferent grade levels. If I had accepted the
teacher’s offer of special education maybe my son would not have completed university
by now.
References
Berger,S. K.(2009). The Developing Person Through the Life
Span (5th ed). New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.
Hutinger,
P. (2011). Learning Modalities: Pathways to Effective Learning
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/learningmodalities.html
Kakz, L.G. (1997). A Developmental Approach to Assessment of Young
Children
ERIC
Digest. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood
Education
Retrieved
October 10, 2012 from
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1997/katz97.html
(Miller, R.(2011). New Directions in Education Selections from Holistic
Education
Review Retrieved October10, 2012 from
http://www.pathsoflearning.net/articles_Holistic_Ed_
Introduction .php
Santrock,J.(2008).Essentials of the Life-span development.(2nd ed).New
York, N.Y:
McGrawHill
Publishers
Shepard, L. A.
(1994). The challenges of assessing young children appropriately.
Phi Delta Kappan,
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