Assessing Children
When it comes to measuring or assessing a child, one needs to take in a multitude of factors. Age, socioeconomic status, and mental disorders are three of the largest ones to look at. There are standards that students are held to currently such as milestones that they should be reaching by certain ages. However, some children don't have the same opportunities as others depending on their circumstances.
In my opinion, students should only be judged on what they themselves are capable of. Take for instance a child who suffers from ADHD or dyslexia. These students don't function at the same level as their fellow classmates. You can't judge a child's ability to read based on a standard set on what is considered 'normal'. In all honesty, I don't think any child should be measured up against standards. When you set standards and expectations for all children, the ones that are measured against it and can't meet them, end up feeling inferior to their classmates. Not only that, they end up ridiculed by fellow classmates because they aren't meeting the same bar that they are. It ends up causing a divide. I think, rather than assessing children against standards set based off 'normal' children, children should be assessed and then those assessments should be compared to different sets of standards based off different learning abilities that a child may face. This way, children aren't stigmatized because they can't keep up in the same way as their classmates.
I looked at how Finland works with their kids to see how their curriculum facilitates children learning. "Finland abolished ability grouping in 1985; curriculum reform to encourage collaboration and active learning began in 1994. Now, during middle childhood, all children learn together--no tracking--and teachers are mandated to work with each child to make sure he or she masters the curriculum. Learning difficulties are remediated in the early grades, within he regular classroom" (Berger, 2018, p. 356). This is the way I think that all places should do it. When things get handled so that children aren't stigmatized or separated because they are being held to certain standards, it works in the favor of the children, allowing them to flourish into the best people they can be.
Resources
Berger, K. S. (2018). The developing person through childhood (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
In my opinion, students should only be judged on what they themselves are capable of. Take for instance a child who suffers from ADHD or dyslexia. These students don't function at the same level as their fellow classmates. You can't judge a child's ability to read based on a standard set on what is considered 'normal'. In all honesty, I don't think any child should be measured up against standards. When you set standards and expectations for all children, the ones that are measured against it and can't meet them, end up feeling inferior to their classmates. Not only that, they end up ridiculed by fellow classmates because they aren't meeting the same bar that they are. It ends up causing a divide. I think, rather than assessing children against standards set based off 'normal' children, children should be assessed and then those assessments should be compared to different sets of standards based off different learning abilities that a child may face. This way, children aren't stigmatized because they can't keep up in the same way as their classmates.
I looked at how Finland works with their kids to see how their curriculum facilitates children learning. "Finland abolished ability grouping in 1985; curriculum reform to encourage collaboration and active learning began in 1994. Now, during middle childhood, all children learn together--no tracking--and teachers are mandated to work with each child to make sure he or she masters the curriculum. Learning difficulties are remediated in the early grades, within he regular classroom" (Berger, 2018, p. 356). This is the way I think that all places should do it. When things get handled so that children aren't stigmatized or separated because they are being held to certain standards, it works in the favor of the children, allowing them to flourish into the best people they can be.
Resources
Berger, K. S. (2018). The developing person through childhood (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
HI Delaney
ReplyDeleteI agree that children shouldn't be assessed with the aspect of all children are the same. Every child need room to express themselves without being judged or seen as different. Great Post!
Hello Delaney:
ReplyDeleteI would like to say, I appreciate your kind words and support. Good luck as you continue your degree.
Katrina