Childhood Assessments

Childhood assessments can be an interesting topic of discussion. In discussing the area there is much to consider. What comes to mind when we think of assessments and children?  In many ways many may believe that assessments begin and end with the assessments given in school to measure a child’s intelligence in areas of scholastic ability. I have always been of the opinion that assessments such as this can and do hold an important role when taken in the proper context. Assessments can be an important tool to help search out areas of concern as well as high achievement to help any educator look for areas of weakness and strengths in students. Areas of strength can be  encouraged while weaker areas can be retaught and strengthen.

Scholastic assessments set to side, the goal should always be to assess the whole child. When thinking about such assessments there can be much to consider from not only the child in their school settings and how they are developing but also the child in their home environment as well. Setting aside the obvious medical assessments that should always be considered. When seeking to holistically view children and assess them as one whole, instead of what many parts.

In viewing the whole child, all areas of child development should be measured. Any holistic assessment of a child would be incomplete without consideration to the following areas phychosocial  development such as their resiliency, as well their ability to handle stress or stressors in their environement and a child’s concept of self. The biosocial development such as physical activity levels, physical development, and as well as brain development. It goes with out saying children should as well be assessed on their cognitive development as well.

The whole child view is the goal of any such assessment tool. Much thought can be placed into the development of the child. The information attained in such an assessment could be priceless. In looking for areas of strength and seeking to help in areas of concern. In many assessment parents are often used as a source of information, however again in seeking to assess the whole child , parental involvement is a must.

 Chinese Childhood Assessments

In the country of China from the information that I have been able to gather there are several assessments that have been developed for the benefit of the children of their country.  On such assessments are carried to bring understanding in several areas all correlating to another. There have been assessments looking into links between child malnutrition and school performance.

           China also participated and excelled in 2009, in PISA. PISA which stands  for a tradition of international school studies, undertaken since the late 1950s by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). PISA aims at testing literacy in three competence fields: reading, mathematics, science on a 1000 point scale. In every area China excelled, giving some in China to contribute their success to the hard work, and the workload and testing given to Chinese children.

Link to an interesting article:

Implementation of family-centered practices in child assessments.

Crais, E. R., Vicky, P. R., & Free, K. (2006). Parents' and professionals' perceptions of the implementation of family-centered practices in child assessments. American Journal of Speech - Language Pathology, 15(4), 365-77. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204280084?accountid=14872