When it comes to my commitment to viewing young
children holistically I believe that physical growth should be assessed and
measured to avoid future health problems. I also believe we should asses
developmental milestones by using an ASQ that teachers and parents use
cooperatively. The ASQ is a comprehensive tool that is noninvasive and requires
more from the teacher and parents than it does the child. Here is a link you
can follow for a free ASQ online tool: http://es.easterseals.com/site/PageNavigator/ntlc10_mffc_homepageasq.html
I think that these limited assessments are useful
tools in seeing deficiencies in developmental domains and they are not tools
that single children out or make them or their peers feel as if they are
different. They should only be used to individualize instruction and to show
early childhood teachers the best way to teach each child and what to teach
them.
I was curious what assessments if any were used with school
aged children in impoverished countries and much to my surprise children were
assessed in Uganda but not all children. Education is not available for all
school aged children. There was an assessment performed using computers that assessed
cognition of impoverished school age children. The assessments were done on
computers through games that tested response times, working memory, learning,
and retention. (http://www.capmh.com/content/9/1/38)
I am currently working for the Seattle Preschool
Program and it is a pilot program for Universal Preschool. The assessments we
are using are the PPVT (http://www.pearsonclinical.com/language/products/100000501/peabody-picture-vocabulary-test-fourth-edition-ppvt-4.html)
the ASQ and ASQ SE, as well as Health and Wellness checks that include; height,
weight, vison and hearing screenings. I think that if you are going to assess
young children the assessments should be done by someone the child knows well
if possible. Trust is important when trying to get an accurate assessment.
Hello Susan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, children should be assessed only to improve teaching strategies. Also, as you recommend assessments done by strangers provide inconclusive results, especially in the area of language development.
Alejandra
Hello Susan,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog this week. I am familiar with the ASQ assessment we use this at my school and I must say it is a great tool for teachers thanks for the link. I agree education is not being taught with all school age children because Africa has some issues with that as well. I agree the test should be done by someone the child knows so that the response will be accurate and they feel comfortable with who ever is giving the test. Great post this week and good luck in the master's program.
Vonecia West
Hello Susan,
ReplyDeleteI am surprised Uganda uses assessments. How interesting that you work for a pilot program! I work for head Start and the only assessments we use are the DECCA and the brigance but we only use them as a tool to see what we need to teach and where the children are at.
I enjoyed reading your post,
Jessica Arnold
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that childhood assessments should be non-invasive. My school uses a rather unique method called "learning stories". This is basically a way to document social, emotional, and academic skills, then present it to both children and parents in a narrative form. We document a situation in which a child is showing positive growth in a particular area, and it is written in an almost story-like fashion. Children take great pride in their own learning because of this, and become very involved in setting their own academic and social-emotional goals. While this particular style is more attuned to younger children, I personally believe that observing and documenting social and emotional skills is very valuable at the elementary level as well.
I wanted to take the time to thank your for your supportive comments on my blog. Thank you for taking the time to read through my work and leave me feedback. I have been challenged in this course with it all being online, but it has been great to make connections with people like you! I wish you well in your future work, and again, Thank you!
ReplyDeletehello,
ReplyDeletewe do ASQs at my job and I agree that they are an effective tool that helps you know where the child is developmentally, and you can compare the results with the parents. I use my results to plan, and provide the children with the tools that they need to learn and be successful. I enjoyed reading your posts, and having the chance to get another stand point from your knowledge and experience. Working with children is a pleasure and it helps change the world for the future. Good luck, and I know you will make a great difference!!