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.
Dalhia. I am also concerned with how children are assessed I think young children are poor test takers. I think they are afraid to answer the questions they are being asked and this is a false take on what the child really knows. I see this almost everyday in the classroom, some children know the answer but wont say it for whatever reason and that makes their score lower.The items and behaviors assessed should have demonstratable relationships to the sigficant human functioning. The child's knowledge of the names of shapes or of the calendar at age 4 or 5 has little or no practicle significance or meaning beyond the performance itself.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Dalhia
Dalhia, I feel assessment is important for young children in identifying any developmental delays, but this assessment must be developmentally appropriate and done in the child's natural environment; at school or home. We know that children develop at their own speed and not all four year olds are developing the same way at the same time. Northern Ireland needs to reassess their goals for children. As you stated, four year olds should be working on their social and motor skills.
ReplyDeleteJill
Dalhia,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and believe with you that you need to look at the whole child in order to meet their individual needs. Children nowadays are scared of taking tests because of the pressure put on them. This does not mean that they don't know the information or wouldn't ace the test done another way. And I definitely agree that all areas need to be assessed because they all do work together in order for us to fully understand a chid's development.
Dahlia,
ReplyDeleteThe use of the illustration really drives home the point that we must examine each developmental milestone of a child to provide the best learning structure we can. As each child is unique different and learns at a different pace, observation and assessment allows us to be aware of these difference and make the necessary adjustments as teachers.