"Many see what is, but we must see what can be"
-Albert Einstein
I doubt that Prof. Einstein was thinking about early childhood development when he expressed his belief, but this one rings true for young children as they develop, and especially for those children who have disabilities. When we see a child who needs help walking, we must not stop our vision there. We must ask ourselves, "What if we tried..." or "What if she could do it this way?" So many innovations that benefit children with disabilities have come from a vision of what might be.
" Part of the problem with the word 'disabilities' is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of the people who can't feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren't able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find no joy. no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities."
-Fred Rogers
Children's social/emotional development must be regarded with equal, if not greater importance than physical and cognitive accomplishments by those who care for them.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Testing Children's Aptitude
I am mystified by the practice of administering IQ tests to any child at any age. The IQ score is said to be a predictor of later educational and lifetime success (Berger, pg. 324). How can such a test be considered accurate for determining a child's capacity for learning when there are so many other factors that influence a child's learning? We know that the brain is plastic, and can develop or not develop according to environmental and epigenetic factors (Berger, 2009). Why bother submitting children to a test that has an outcome ignores the child's biosocial and psychosocial development? A capacity perceived as limited will limit the efforts of child and teacher. A capacity perceived as beyond average but is actually limited by social/emotional factors is no capacity at all. The Flynn effect is the explanation for the general IQ of entire nations rising, when IQ is believed to be genetic, and so fixed. (Berger, 2009. pg. 324). The learning capacity of children can be changed by the environmental and social experiences they have. The IQ score is not useful in educating children. Children should be assessed regularly, routinely, and naturally by their adult caregivers and teachers to determine their present level of biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development in order to plan for the child's next level of advancement. Here is where this child is performing today. Here is where we want to go tomorrow. This is how we are going to get there. This is real capacity for success without regard to IQ.
It seems as if Finland uses individual measures for determining a child's success in school and career. The Finnish National Board of Education determines the curriculum, and local schools are given authority to educate in the methods they deem best for their community of learners. Acceptable performance is determined by teachers who stay with young children throughout Primary Education. Depending on the needs of the children, there may be as many as 3 teachers in a classroom. Basic education begins at seven years old, which coincides with Piaget's theories of the beginning of concrete operational thought (Berger, pg.338). The assessment process is described as the evaluation of learning outcomes, and is "encouraging and supportive in nature" (FNBE) . The school system teaches and encourages self-evaluation to promote a child's self-concept and learning potential.
The practice of administering IQ tests to determine a child's potential for learning seems inconsistent with research regarding the influences on child development and the plasticity of the human brain. It is at best a waste of time and effort, and at worst, a burden that limits what a child is really capable of with individual and group support.
Resources:
Berger, K.S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
The Finnish National Board of Education. Retrieved from http://www.oph.fi/english/education
It seems as if Finland uses individual measures for determining a child's success in school and career. The Finnish National Board of Education determines the curriculum, and local schools are given authority to educate in the methods they deem best for their community of learners. Acceptable performance is determined by teachers who stay with young children throughout Primary Education. Depending on the needs of the children, there may be as many as 3 teachers in a classroom. Basic education begins at seven years old, which coincides with Piaget's theories of the beginning of concrete operational thought (Berger, pg.338). The assessment process is described as the evaluation of learning outcomes, and is "encouraging and supportive in nature" (FNBE) . The school system teaches and encourages self-evaluation to promote a child's self-concept and learning potential.
The practice of administering IQ tests to determine a child's potential for learning seems inconsistent with research regarding the influences on child development and the plasticity of the human brain. It is at best a waste of time and effort, and at worst, a burden that limits what a child is really capable of with individual and group support.
Resources:
Berger, K.S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
The Finnish National Board of Education. Retrieved from http://www.oph.fi/english/education
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