When I Think of Child Development

Words of Wisdom:

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."
~Ben Sweetland

"The true aim of every one who aspires to be a teacher should be, not to impart his own opinions, but to kindle minds."
~F.W. Robertson

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
~Chinese Proverb


My favorite quote of the above three is the last one.  As a teacher of preschool age children, learning is hands on and my children really do learn by doing.    This is true example of why teaching that is brought to life is the most memorable and lasting.  Special thanks to all of my classmates who added their wonderful words of wisdom to my blog, especially Elizabeth, who seemed to always have a special note...Thank you!

On a lighter note:

Testing For Intelligence

I believe that children s intelligence should be tested, but I am not an advocate of just a pencil and paper style instrument.  I believe that testing children's intelligence is a process and requires a battery of instruments to be truly indicative of the child's intellect.  Besides questioning and answering, work samples and hands on style problems should be utilized.  Not all children are successful test takers, nor do all children have the proper preparation skills and self diligence and drive for those style tests, therefore, the results can be skewed.
Similarly, I believe testing should be conducted with cultural aspects in mind. For example, in Mexico, children are tested for intelligence using toy looms and spools of thread, as well as other materials from the local environment.  Advocates have stated that testing materials and experimental designs need to b tailored to the needs and values of the culture in which it is going to be used.

Benson, E. (2003).  Intelligence across cultures. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org.