Testing For Intelligence
Americans test the academic capability and levels of children in every grade level. There are emotional tests and academic tests that are given to the children in order to classify their age and mental level. Children that do not score as highly or as prominently as the next are then classified into other groups and with other children who might also have the same learning disabilities; of these classifications, children are then labeled into their group.
In other countries, Finland especially, they have been able to rank highest in academic testing because of their testing procedures. Linda Shaw wrote, "Sahlberg's message, although he is too polite to put it so bluntly: Stop testing so much. Trust teachers more. Give less homework. Shorten the school day," (Shaw).
If anything needs to be tested more, it needs to be children's academic levels. Emotionally, children respond to their daily routines and their interactions with other people; school needs to be an area where children want to be. School is a child's main factor of their life especially because for a good majority of it, they spend it at school.
Linda Shaw.
Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting. Seattle Times.
My Connections to Play
- "Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning." By Fred Rogers
- “The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do – such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening – are also the best for child development.” ~ Jerome Singer (professor, Yale University)
- “As astronauts and space travelers children puzzle over the future; as dinosaurs and princesses they unearth the past. As weather reporters and restaurant workers they make sense of reality; as monsters and gremlins they make sense of the unreal.” ~ Gretchen Owocki (childhood educator)
I enjoyed reading your blog. I have to admit Shaw has a point.....I do believe testing should be limited. It seems as though every two to three months my son who is in the 8th grade is taking some sort of standardized test. He often gets very frustrated because of the number of test they are required to take during the school year.
ReplyDeleteCatherine,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the valuable information you shared on your blog. I always enjoyed reading your topics and they were full of valuable information. I wish you the best as you continue your course at Walden. May you grow in learning about child advocacy and the early childhood areas. I look forward to reading more of your posts and learning about the different subjects you post. Best wishes...
Kate