When looking at the child as a whole it is important that we
take into consideration all areas of development as well as the child’s
culture. There are so many things that we need to consider when we are talking
about children as a whole. I think that when we are considering children as a
whole we need to consider the things that make them who they are. One of the
things that I think should be assessed when discussing the child as a whole is
responses to everyday things that mean something to the child. When assessing a
child’s ability it is always about generic things that usually have no
significance to the child. In order to get a true idea of a child as a whole we
need to look at more than just what is occurring in a controlled situation. How
does the child handle stress or challenges in everyday life? These are the
things that we should be using to assess the child as a whole being, instead of
individual pieces.
The way children are assessed and when, vary greatly from
country to country. In researching when children are assessed in another
country I chose to research Germany. In Germany children start formal education
at the ages of 4-5, by five all children are to be enrolled in school. There is
a push to postpone formal testing until the children are seven because the
results are more accurate that way. As of 2013, a child’s first assessment in
school was at age five when they start formal education.
One of the thinks that it is important to recognize and take
into consideration is the fact that not all children can do well on assessments
when asked to answer questions. This is something that I believe all professionals
need to take into consideration when assessing children.
Hi Krystal,
ReplyDeleteI agree that children need to be assessed in others ways besides standardized testing. Working in the childcare field, I see more and more children not being able to cope with real life situations. Schools are so focused on preparing children for these test that they do not teach them how to function in society i.e. coping with stress, practicing healthy living, and how to relate to people. When I was in school we did a lot of hands on projects, team based work, and role playing. We were not just sitting at a desk all day flooded with papers.
I agree that we need to examine how a child handles stress when considering the whole child. All children are not surrounded by loving environments and this can slow children's development. Great points!
ReplyDelete