When attempting to assess a child’s intelligence, there are several areas one must look at because there are several factors that may play a role in the learning process and development of the child. When testing a child’s abilities, we must make sure assessment methods that are developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, and tied to children’s daily activities. When administering a test, there is not a guarantee that the child was exposed to a particular test item he or she was asked to perform. I feel that every child is unique and learn differently. Therefore, every child will not respond the same way. In order to get an overall picture, educators must look into the child’s medical history, environmental background, intelligence, achievement, and social-emotional background.
I researched South Korea’s educational system and how the students are assessed. Recently, its system has reformed to align the curriculum with the ‘knowledge based society’ of the 21 st century. Most South Korean children spend their entire high school life preparing for the college entrance examination. Pre school education is not included in the formal school system. Kindergarten is the main facility for preschool educationin South Korea. The first ten years of school education from primary first grade to high school grade are set as a national common basic education period. During this period, students learn from a national curriculum. In revising the national curriculum, the MOEHRD judged that a flexible level differentiated curriculum would address each student’s different ability, interest aptitude and career direction; and also promote gifted and talented education while satisfying the requirements of a common basic education. Teachers at the start of the year are given a clear, succinct and easy to follow syllabus of what should be taught. School text books and teacher training support such syllabuses and there is regular testing to ensure that all students are at or above the required standard. There is also a very clear expectation that all students by the end of each year level will have reached the required level of ability.
References
South Korea
Retrieved from: www.det.wa.edu.au/education/accountability/docs/south%20korea.pdf
Gloria, you are certainly right that many factors play a role in the learning process and child development. Because children come from different backgrounds, it is safe to say children will not respond identically in a testing situation. Therefore, taking into consideration a child's medical history, environmental background, intelligence, achievement, and social-emotional background (as you stated) is essential when assessing the whole child. Thank you for the post!
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that preschool is not the norm in Korea. I would guess then that children stay with family until they enter school. Preschool is such a big part of the American Culture largely beacuse of the necissity for both parents to work outside the home, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteHi Gloria, I want to thank you for your insightful posts throughout the course, both in our discussions and on your blogs. You continuously provided strong comments with a lot of support from other resources. I admire your desire and motivation to help others by serving those in your community and at your church. You have motivated me to get more involved in the early childhood field and be a strong leader for children and families in my community. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowledge throughout the course. I look forward to collaborating with you in future classes. Best of luck to you on your professional journey!
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