When and how do we assess?
I think that is a great question. These past few weeks of readings that we have done for this course highlighted doing assessments that were for children who were at risk for developmental delay. For example, Dial and Brigance are used to assess children to help teachers and professionals rate the child if they are developmentally on track or potentially delayed, and it is used to help them find the areas where the child needs focus on and to suggest professional resources to help the child. Many of us said that we hated tests because we would get nervous and forget everything; which I could totally relate to. How do you think a child feels when they are being assessed by an stranger? I know that I am very shy around people I am not familiar with. I am still very shy around the children's parents. I have a hard time trying to make small talk with them because I don't know what to talk about. But I try to do my best in every way possible because I know that having that bond with parents is very important.
Depending on what we mean by assessing a child, it could be many different times and ways that we assess children everyday. For one thing, we assess children everyday to check if they are healthy and for signs of any abuse. When we feel that a child is at risk for potential developmental delay, we use assessments and make observations for the child to have proof for the parents. How much of it is for the benefit of the child? How do you come to approach the fact that their child may be at risk? How do you tell a parent that there may be something wrong with their child?
Observations are a big part of how we assess children because we use them as proof of what we see when we are around the child. However, it is hard to capture everything that they do everyday because you have multiple children to assess for. Also, I think the saying that people act different in different situations. I know first hand that children do not show their true self at school because there is rules and limits that they understand. When I talk to parents, they ask about habits of the child that I have never seen before. I thought that this would make a great point that even with observations, what if we did not catch the child counting ever at school, or even trying to attempt to count. Yet the parent says that the child counts everyday at school. Yet, the parent does not have much say when it comes to school needing evaluations from teachers. This shows that the parent does not have much power when it comes to applying for top schools because some require portfolios or assessments from teachers. If the child does not display it, how would the teacher know? That would make a negative aspect of the child.
I found it quite interesting how our train of thoughts were so similar. The one thing that really caught my attention was when you posed the question regarding observations, "How much of it is for the benefit of the child?" which I find to be sooo true! When you really stop to think about it, we're really doing observations for who? Ourselves as teachers to see what steps we need to take next in order to get the child "ready," as well as for the parents, and to be able to communicate to them about their child's progress. Some may argue that in a way the child does in fact benefit from the observations because through these observations, it helps the teachers and parents plan for what's best for the child. True?
ReplyDeleteAloha Monica!
ReplyDeleteYou've brought up an eye opener question, "How do you think a child feels when they are being assessed by a stranger?" For me, they might not be open. As children they are taught to not to speak to strangers. If a stranger is asking them quesetions, how will they get a child to open up to them? In order for us to tell a parent that there may be something wrong with their child is, for one, we need to put ourselves in the parents' shoes. How are they feeling? It will be hard to tell them about it but when we have the same goal for the child, then we can work together to help the child get the help that he/she needs
Hi Monica,
ReplyDeletePower and assessment can be very tricky and may not always go the ways we want it to go. Is there a way to balance the power between the child, the teacher and the families? As we get further into the class, continue to keep that question in mind. Ashley brings up that observations may not benefit children directly - what are your thoughts? In some ways that may be the case, but how can we ensure that these assessments do benefit the children we work with? Are these observations and assessments just to appease our directors/families/stakeholders, or are they to help us learn about the children we work with and provide them with more enriching experiences? Are they a little of both?
I've been wondering a lot about what it means to really know a child. You discuss the different things that a child does at home versus at school and it makes me wonder if there is ever a way to truly see a whole picture of a child. If the answer is no, what kinds of implications does that have on our work? If families have one piece of the puzzle and we have another, it seems to highlight the importance of working closely together with families to get the best understanding of a child at this given moment in time. Things will change simply because children's learning is fluid and constantly growing, so even what we know right now about a child might not be as accurate tomorrow or the next day. So how can we use our assessments and observations to help children learn and grow in the best ways possible despite not always having the whole picture? I think that is the heart of what we are trying to get at, and I hope you will continue to investigate this topic as we continue. Thanks!