Testing for Intelligence?

Testing for Intelligence?

I believe children’s abilities should be measured so that all stakeholders  i.e., parents, students, administration, and the state, can track a child’s growth and find out what their strengths and weaknesses are so that the school can partner with families and develop strategies to “move” the child forward academically.

As a kindergarten teacher, we used to administer a Terra Nova (a state standardized test) and issue report cards, but stakeholders found that these tests did not inform one of a child’s true abilities and were are now comprising work samples which speaks directly to a child’s abilities. Personally I like the idea of conducting work samples because you have something concrete to support your findings of a child’s abilities, and parents/caregivers are able to have a better understanding of their child’s academic performance.

In Canada, it is common for families to interact with stakeholders to assess children between the ages of 4months and 60 months. The ASQ  is a series of 19 parent-completed questionnaires designed to screen the developmental performance of children in the areas of communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving, personal-social skills, and overall development across time. The age-appropriate scale is completed by the parent or caregiver. Research on this version has not yet been published. This form of assessment is often used by the following people:  Early childhood educators, social workers, nurses, pediatricians, and other early childhood professionals.

Reference:

http://www.cebc4cw.org/assessment-tool/ages-and-stages-questionnaire/

Nicky