School readiness, knowing how children are learning, to see if children are making progess, and to see how effectively children are be taught are among many reasons that children are assessed. After a child is tested, valuable information is provided to plan and individualize instruction. I think some assessing is required to know where the child is academically. Assessments should reflect the diversity of intelligences within the classroom. All children learn differently so one would think they would need to be assessed differently. Meaningful instruction includes singing, using hands-on activites, and other stategies. Educators could introduce assessments as a learning process and not a stressful painful event. However; I think we are assessing our children to death. I teach second grade and in the next few weeks we will start some major assessments that will last for three weeks. This is way too many! It is also unfair the way teachers are assessed and parents are held unaccountable.
When it comes to educating the whole child, many factors are present. When healthy children enter school feeilng safe, they are ready to learn. Children are more likely to stay in school when they have a connection with the school. Challenging and engaging academic programs need to be accessible for all children. Most importantly, children need to be supported by caring and loving adults. It is esssential, for educators, to know about children. What kind of environment do they live in? Do they have adequate food and sleep? Who takes care of them? Some children are raising themselves and face many issues that detours them from being successful students.
Assessing Children in Nicaragua
A few years ago I went on a mission trip to Corn Island in Nicaragua. I was able to visit one of the schools there, but I didn't know much about their testing procedures. After doing some research, I was able to find out that the Nicaraguan Govenment invests in education, but the student performance is poor. In many developing countries, children enrolled in primary school for three and as many as six years can barley read and are not able to comprehend or understand a simple text. RTI International designed a program, for International Development, to help educators in low-income countries break the pattern of illiteracy among the poor. RTI is administering the EGRA (Early Grade Reading Assessment) to first, second, and third graders across Nicaragua with the hope it will become a tool for their education system to obtain usable data on early-grade literacy. Finding out early the adjustments needing to be made is essential to overcome academic failure.
It's sad that these children who are able to go to school are not able to read and complete the tasks that we would expect from a child that is going to school.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI agree that children now a days are being tested way too much. I also agree that the majority of the pressure is put on the teachers and none on the parents. It is very difficult to teach a child something and not have it reinforced and practiced at home.
I hope that the newest interventions in Nicaragua are able to help these children get to the level they should be at. Thanks for sharing ;)
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteMy boys have not entered school yet, but I have spoke to my neighbors who have school age children. They also talk about the over testing of children and the questionable value of these tests. You say that it is unfair how teachers are assessed and that parents are unaccountable? I have heard how teachers are assessed and agree that it is not fair. But in what ways do you think parents are unaccountable? In what ways do you think parents should be held accountable? Who would enforce it?
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteYou made a very important point that I agree with and I think we sometimes forget about. Not only is important to focus on the whole child, but is extremely important for that child to feel supported in his/her journey. Feeling supported definitely helps the success of a child. I also feel we are testing way to often and for too long. Pinellas County Florida is also about to start their testing that last a week or so. I think these tests add so much stress to the children's lives. I agree we do need some testing to make plans for the child's progression, but we also use our daily observations, charts, and conversations with the children.
Amy, I agree that "we are testing children to death". I teach PreK and this year we are required to do a standardized test three different times throughout the year. Many of my students simply cannot perform this type of test. Others do very well. I am still stunned that I have to administer them!
ReplyDelete