Testing for Intelligence

As an early childhood educator, we assess daily whether or not a child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported or is being challenged academically.  When utilizing standardized testing to assess children academically, I believe these test should not only assesses a child’s knowledge and skills but should execute a long term commitment in developing and implementing a way to assess on the social and emotional development of the child.  So in order to be able to tell the whole story of student learning we must be able to identify strengths and areas that are in need of improvement so that we know what areas to focus our resources on; that will help teach our children problems solving skills and how to avoid conflict, which I believe in the long term will help save our children in thinking that shooting and killing one another is the only alternative to solving a problem.  With these types of assessments implemented in our schools I believe it will help reveal problem areas and in turn will help educators, administrators, parents and the community to design interventions based on the results of these types of assessments.

Japan utilizing a standardized test-based education system which begins when their school-age children reach the age of 12.  Up until the age of 12, children in Japan classes were filled with creativity, the teachers were caring and on average the children were happy and excited about learning.  Unfortunately, this all changes once the child enters junior high school at which time standardized test-based education is implemented, this type of testing kills any kind of initiative, creativity and especially the ability to be able to think outside the box for these children, their creative thoughts are literally stripped from them.

Japan has utilized this type testing for many years in which educators and parents are only concerned about rather or not their child passes the school base test; as a result of the test-taking and stress, Japan is producing educated adults who become order takers and who have trouble making decisions, let alone stating their own opinion.  This type of school base test education has stripped Japanese children ability to problem solve and think for themselves.

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

I can remember as a child when my best friend died, she had leukemia, at the time I didn’t understand what that was or why she was sick all the time and wasn’t able to attend school for several weeks at a time.   I can remember her mother was always sad, I didn’t understand it at the time, but after Sheri died, I was sad and angry for a long time.  I didn’t want to go to school and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I just stayed in my room.  I didn’t know what to expect or how to feel.

When Sheri died, I didn’t understand what death really meant, I heard her mother say she was at rest.  The first couple of weeks after Sheri died I was afraid to go to sleep because I was afraid I was going to die while sleeping.  I remember asking my grandmother if I got sick was I going to die while I was sleeping.  She smiled and told me no, and tried to explain to me that sleep and death are not the same.  And that death is something we all have to bare, but for those who believe in Jesus will live in Heaven forever, with no more sickness and no more pain, that our bodies will be made whole again.  For some reason I still remember those words as clear today as I did many years ago.