One of the reasons that drew me to teach early childhood was the fact that we continually assess and look at the whole child. We as early childhood educators pride are selves in observing every aspect of a child's development.
I believe children's abilities go beyond how successful a child is at achieving good grades in core areas. I agree with Gardner's view on multiple intelligences. I think as educators we realize at children's young ages they often have specific areas that they excel in. That's not to say that as they grow these areas will not change or expand. I though think as learners, children carry with them a natural innate learning style and abilities. Our role as educators is to expound and help the children to discover their learning styles, and interests. How we assess these areas is something American schools need to expound on.
Within a six week period each child who enter's Kindergarten within the state of Ohio, is given an assessment called the KRAL. The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for Literacy. This assessment's purpose is to conceptualize the child's pre reading skills.
In the state of Ohio, Children's skills are assessed each year from grades third through eighth. The tests are in the areas of Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies. The children's preparation for these tests are based on the schools curriculum. The curriculum as well as the assessments are aligned with the Ohio Department of Education's content standards.
It is apparent that these assessments look specifically at how a child is functioning within the academic core areas.
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has their educational system split into key stages.
Stage 1 is 5-7 year olds
Stage 2 is 7-11 year olds
Stage 3 is 11-14 year olds
Stage 4 is 14-16 year olds
The skills assessed are in the areas of Math, Science, Reading and Writing
At the end of every stage children's skills are assessed and evaluated. After Stage 1,2,3 the educators looks at the attained targets for learning and determine what the children's skills are. At the end of stage 4 the assessment the General Certificate of Secondary Education is given to determine what additional schooling the child will pursue. They can continue their last two years of education, in one of two ways, they can choose to take on Vocational Education or Type A course work. Type A level course work is academics specifically geared for individuals who want to go onto higher level of learning, college.
Hi Millie,
ReplyDeleteI am with you assessments need to look at the whole child and should be made available in their learning style. As a preschool teacher I do this along with the mandatory accountability assessments that NC Pre-K has us do. Most of the children that I work with has a special need (diagnosis. I think the only true way to assess them is observation and data tracking this information. I have some children that can do a task in play however if you ask them they can not do it.
Lucinda,
ReplyDeleteWould you explain to me what you need by accountability assessments?
I also am wondering is your undergraduate degree in special education. If not is it in early childhood?
As part of the assessment team, our "teacher," portion is based on assessing classroom skills, but it is greatly based on observations.
Thanks, for your input!
Millie
Hi Millie, I really enjoyed your post this week and I made me reflect on several things regarding intelligences and the testing that is involved with them in our educational system. I wonder what would happen if we in the United States and in our different states adopted the kind of system that they employ in the United Kingdom. This would help us as well to tailor our education to the needs of children and the professions they will choose in the future. I know that we give students the option to choose some of their coursework or to possibly go to a vocational school-but I think that we as nation could do more to support education based on student's aptitudes and interests. We try and try to push all students to go to college, but I think this is an unrealistic and unsustainable as it now stands. College as we now have it is unaffordable and we have various unnecessary programs of study that end up forcing people into financial servitude for the rest of their lives because they can not find a job to support the college loans that they accrued. I like your information on what they currently do in the United Kingdom. I also think it is wonderful that you test the children on their aptitude in all different subjects in your school and keep in mind the holistic child. However, I am terribly frustrated with our current system of testing in this country. In our state we have the PSSA testing going on. These tests are based on the federal standards set by NCLB but these tests do not take into consideration the whole child and I feel they are fundamentally flawed.
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