Viewing children holistically is important to understanding
early childhood development. Looking at
the whole child is a way to support and meet the individual needs of every
child. When looking at the whole child,
all areas of development should be assessed.
All areas should be assessed because each area of development
intertwines with each other and to fully understand a child’s development, you
have to understand how each part of development contributes to the whole child. Looking at children holistically is equivalent
to connecting the dots to complete the entire picture. Understanding children’s culture and families
is also an important step in looking at the whole child; understanding children’s
culture and families adds color to the picture.
In Northern Ireland, children enter primary school at the
age of 4. At this age children are
assessed cognitively; children are assessed on reading, writing, and arithmetic. This type of assessment has proven to be a
disadvantage for some 4 year olds because of the lack of attention to other
developmental areas such as social and motor skills.
I am concern with how children are assessed. The example provided about Northern Ireland shows
how focusing on one are of development can be detrimental to the learning and
development of a child. We need to
figure how to truly embrace the idea of viewing the child through a holistic
lens connects the dots so we may truly support each child's learning and development.
