When I Think of Child Development …

"Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate." - Anonymous

I like this quote because it reminds us of how much children absorb when they are young. In addition, it also reminds me about how important it is for us to role model for children. Throughout this class, I have learned how much and how quickly children learn in their early years. This quote is a reminder to all of us to keep engaging children and explore together with them. Having a two year old also reminds me every day that he will imitate the good and the bad. That is why the second part of this quote is so dear to me because it helps me stay on track with being a great role model for him. I just hope that everyone who wants to work with children keeps in mind that we have to do something great that children can imitate.

Testing for Intellegence

In my opinion, viewing a child as holistic is very important. This is why I think IQ test are not very efficient. Most standardized test are not very accurate or show the capability of students because of the way they are designed. They do not take into consideration a child's culture, upbringing, learning style, etc. Growing up, and even today, I have a hard time with standardized test. I am average at best. However, I am a grade A student. I work hard on myself and gain knowledge whenever I can. I am focused, determined and hard working. In addition, I am proud of what I do and work hard to achieve it. All this cannot be shown by taking a test. Neither can a child's intelligence be measured by a test. Children are so diverse and they progress in their own time. Yet, as a society, we are so focused on providing prove that our child is the smartest that we often forget that we dissect the children rather than seeing what they are capable of. When children are asked "Where does the milk come from?" Most children will answer "From a cow." They have been taught that cows are milked and then the milk is delivered to the store. However, another child may answer the same question as "From the fridge." Now my question is "Is this a wrong answer?" An intelligence test would say "yes" since this is not the wanted answer. I would argue the answer is a valid since the child goes to the fridge whenever he/she wants some. Intelligence test only want one answer that someone decided is right rather than a creative one. Also, it only test for knowledge that a child should have acquired rather than testing for talents. One child may be interested in music and excel beyond his/her classmates but because the child is not interested in math might fail. So, is this child less intelligent than the child who is a math whiz? We have to start focusing on children as a whole to start seeing what children are really capable of.

I grew up in Europe and therefore chose Europe as comparison for this week. Growing up in Germany has taught me many differences. Children are never assessed by a standardized test. Parents have a choice in what their children need to learn to succeed. Germany has three different schools that emphasize different capabilities. If parents want their children to go to college, they choose a different type of school than parents who want their children a vocational training for their children. Every year, children take a sort of standardized test to show how well they compare to other countries. This test is called PISA. The test is not designed to test their intelligence but to show how well they do in areas of math, science, reading, etc. compared to other countries. The results are then taken to re-modify education to help children succeed in a multi-national world. Again, this test only gives a limited view of what children are capable of but it is to help improve the educational system rather than comment on their intelligence. Children do not have to take a college test to go to college. They can choose any college after their graduation. This is different to the US since all students have to pass the SATs before applying to college.