This week we're looking at whether or not testing for intelligence is a good thing and what other areas should be or are already tested when children enter school. We were asked to look at how children in other parts of the country were tested. I found a story about children in China being tested by having their palms read. Some parents were paying upwards of $190 for the service, then the schools banned it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/01/us-china-fortunetelling-idUSTRE80U09620120201
A report last year stated that in India, the government was looking into more overall personality type tests to assess their school children.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-07/india/30368924_1_internal-assessment-punjab-government-child
In Africa, rural children obviously develop differently than do their more cosmopolitan counterparts which is why researchers have developed developmental milestone tests for rural African children.
http://wellcometrust.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/refining-the-milestones-assessing-child-development-in-africa/
My thinking is that we should also add emotional intelligence into the equation when assessing school-age children. We already incorporate this into the preschool level when we do developmental assessments, then it stops once the children get to Kindergarten. Instead of having age cut-offs to enter Kindergarten, we should have developmental readiness cut-offs. My son entered Kindergarten one month before his 5th birthday and the teachers assessed him based on his maturity, not his academic knowledge. They told me that if he was developmentally ready to learn (can sit through a story, plays nicely with others, has manners, can express himself verbally, etc) then his age didn't matter so much and that he would be able to learn the academics because he was "ready to learn." He did well until junior high school. He had too many friends, too many distractions and was going through puberty. He struggled a bit but then pulled out of it when he reached 11th grade. I do not think it had anything to do with his age or development. He was acting his age and doing things his peers were doing. He is graduating next week and is doing fine.
It was a positive thing that your son was able to enter kindergarten based on his maturity level. I agree that children's emotional intelligence should be assessed in school aged children. Depending on culture some children are highly emotionally mature than others. For example, my daughter is eleven but emotionally she's very mature for her age. Academics don't make the whole child there are other important components that assess children developmental growth.
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see how other countries assess school age children.
Kim I like the idea of a child being "ready to learn" rather than moving on based on age. Also I agree that during junior high children tend to be more interested in their social life rather than academics. That being said, I feel that this kind of indicates their social intelligence developing, which leads to more education about the child's social development.
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