When I Think of Child Development...

The following is a video highlighting the importance of early intervention. RTI (Response to Intervention) is the buzz word in K-12 public education. Early childhood development and recognizing any developmental delays is essentially RTI at its best.  It is proven time and again that getting children the help they need to be successful, even as early as 8 months, is crucial for the child's later success in life. 

http://youtu.be/KrUNBfyjlBk

Testing for Intelligence

I believe classroom observation, or just observation in general is very important.  Depending on what you are testing, it is more important to give a child a natural environment in which he/she feels comfortable.  This will allow the child to show their full potential.  Often, people are not very good test takers.  They get nervous or feel pressured and may not be able to concentrate.  A more natural environment in which they can show their skill level will most likely show better results.  I also think that other factor’s need to be taken into consideration when assessing a child such as their social-emotional health.  The social-emotional area of development has such a great impact on other areas of a person that it is very difficult to ignore.  Tests and assessments are only a piece of the puzzle. 

I chose to look at China and how the children are assessed there.  I chose China because it is no secret that the U.S. and other nations often find themselves competing with this country as far as academics and later in the business world.  Children are under a lot of stress at a young age to be the best and the brightest in class.  Children spend about 9 hours per day in school.  In addition, after coming home at night find themselves buried in mountains of homework assignments.  The pressure on young children is immense.  One particular article I found stated a young girl and how the pressure got the best of her  “ Last June, a 16 year-old girl from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, committed suicide after failing to pass the entrance exam for a respected senior high school” http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/13/content_871182.htm.  China depends highly on standardized testing as a way to show intelligence.  Testing is rigorous and regular.  “Today, national tests determine which elementary, high school and university a student will attend. They are still the single most important factor in deciding one’s general career path,” http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5264.  However, China is beginning to realize that because of this history, many children are lacking in creativity.  There is a recent trend in China to change their education system to look more “American.”  I find this interesting when America has seemed so interested in the Chinese education system. 

I believe that our country is definitely on a track for more standardized testing rather than looking at a child holistically.  At least this is the feeling I get from school districts in my area.  The No Child Left Behind Act has moved our country in that direction.  To be honest, I do not know what is in store for American education.  We are in a transition phase.  The nation realized that the idea of NCLB was good, but its implementation was unsuccessful.  I look forward to changes in the future in which, hopefully, a more holistic approach is used.  A child’s future cannot be determined by tests alone; it is unfair.