It is important to assess young children to provide instruction which is meaningful, effective, and efficient. Academics, behavior, social-emotional development, and physical development: gross and fine motor skills need to be assessed. Assessing children can be done in done by collecting work samples, observation, using a checklist, anecdotal notes, assessing completed work / projects / assignments for skills taught. These types of assessments are informal. Assessments like running records, benchmarks, and unit assessments are formal ways to assess children. Formal assessments are the same assessment without any variations completed by all students. I prefer to use informal assessment methods to assess children’s progress. This allows me to get a complete understanding of what each child is capable of in a variety of learning experiences. Using different strategies to assess children allows me to check for comprehension of a specific skill of a period of time. Formal assessments are also beneficial for collecting data, providing individualized information which should be used “to provide better teaching, and accountability” (Jones, 1996).
In Taiwan, high-stake standardized testing is extremely important to the advancement of students next level of schooling. Taiwan students standardized test scores determine if they are able to attend a high-status high school. To apply to a four-year college in Taiwan, students need to complete and pass a standardized test. Preparing for standardized test, Taiwan students spend many late nights at school studying. Taiwan teachers are less unsure on how to use the results of standardized tests to meet the needs of their students compared to teachers in the United States. Taiwan has an extremely high focus on standardized testing (Huang, 2012).
It is important and crucial to remember when assessing children to use a variety of strategies to fully comprehend what your students are learning. Assessments should be used to celebrate student accomplishments (with parents) and to address areas of strength and needs. Assessments are a beneficial tool to improve and advance children’s growth and development (Grace, 2001).
Grace, C. (2001).Assessing young children. Retrieved on April 6, 2012, from: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/assessing.html
Guddemi, M. & Case, B.J. (2004). Assessing young children. Retrieved on April 6, 2012, from: http://www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/FD21F054-A5AD-42AE-9A00-43878827FD76/0/AssessingYoungChildren_Final.pdf
Huang, K. (2012). Taiwan and U.S. education comparisons. Retrieved on April 6, 2012, from: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/huangk.356/standardized_testing
Jones, S. (1996). The neutralization of benefits in standardized testing. Retrieved on April 6, 2012, from: http://eserver.org/courses/fall96/76-100g/jones/
Hi Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that assessments are beneficial to the education of children and celebrating children's success with parents. I also prefer to use informal assessments and I am glad that there is not a formal assessment mandated for the preschool level. However, I do have to give the children a standardized assessment as a preschool teacher called CIRCLE. It does help to demonstrate where children are if they are at that level of learning, however the majority of my children are not ready for this kind of assessment.
I enjoyed reading your post.
I like how you included that assessments should be celebrated with the parents/guardians! Too many times are simple reports of assessments sent home and parents/guardians are unfamiliar with how to read or understand them. Our school system has integrated a mandatory end of year conference that includes an understanding of end of year testings and scores.
ReplyDeleteCrystal,
ReplyDeleteYou amazingly described your interpretation of formal and informal assessments. In the school districts where you live do the elementary schools take into account any other assessments besides standardized assessments when looking at the children's progress for the year?
In Ohio, we have content standards, which include benchmarks. In turn the teachers curriculum is closely related to the content standards and the benchmarks. And the annual assessments given to the elementary grades are a culmination of the curriculum.
Good Post!
Millie
Thank you for your very well done post. This was very informative on the topic of testing. I agree that poverty, nutrition, hunger, and family structure can all effect how a child does on testing. I do not have experience in testing children for intelligence as this is more the realm of a school psychologist, but this helps me to understand what is going on in regards to my students and helps me to understand the background on this topic. When I am testing more mastery or for academic skills, however, I think it is important to keep this in mind. One has to convey this information to the school team of professionals that work with this child to make sure the child will get the proper services that may be available.
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