When I Think of Child Development

Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. Quote from John. F. Kennedy.


The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him. Unknown author


In serving the best interest of children, we serve the best interests of all humanity. Quote from Carol Bellamy.


The greatest truth must be recognition that in every man, in every child is the potential for greatness.
Quote from Robert F. Kennedy

If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders. Unknown author.


The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential ... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. Unknown author.

Testing of Intelligence

  In measuring the minds and abilities of children, the following main developmental domains are factored in such as biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial domains. Every child is unique. To use a holistic approach in assessing each child's development, needs the application of standardized test and other specific and compelling test. For a test to be used it must meet and satisfy the conditions for validity, reliability, and feasibility. Instances of meaningful and applicable specific test include physical, social, emotional, cognition, and language. For instanc, a child from a troubled household would exhibit some learning dysfunctions. If this child is tested cognitively and passes but is unable to socialize and communicate with his peers then there is an inherent emotional and social inhibited intelligence.
  I am of the opinion that a holistic assessment of the whole child should be more beneficial than using standardized test for assessing children. Standardized test tests intelligence (cognition and communication) mainly. Holistic test will be more inclusive in taking the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language aspects of the whole person into consideration.
  Another part of the world that I am familiar with is Nigeria. The assessment of school-age children in Nigeria is mainly focused on cognitive developmental domain. By focusing on cognitive developmental domain, the psychomotor and affective/emotional domains are left out of the picture. Recently, there has been improvement in Nigerian educational system that allows the replacement of once a year promotional exam with a 6-3-3-4 continous assessment for cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. This part assessment of the child is also prevalent in other parts of the world. Every effort should be directed towards the holistic assessment of the whole child.
  Therefore, Early childhood educators owe it as a professional duty to help in training and providing qualified and suitable staff to carry on educational works, and sourcing resources and funds to take adequate care of one child at a time. Summarily stated, physical, social, emotional,cognitive, and language assessments are good yard sticks for measuring intelligence other than stndardized tests.

References:
www.cse.ucla.edu/products/guidebooks/wolekid.pdf
www.nieer.org/resources/policybriefs
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/faces
www.iaea.info/documents/paper
Adaptive Behavior Scales for Infants and Early Childhood http://www.answers.com/