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.
Good point it is important to use the culture in the environment to assess the children. There are more ways to asses children then with paper and pencils.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen,
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you. Children's other abilities should also be taken into account when assessing. I myself am not the best test taker, however regardless of my grade on a test these results do not necessarily evaluate my complete knowledge on a specific subject.
Best,
Elizabeth
Great post, I agree children s intelligence should be tested, but not just a paper & pencil assessment. Assess children with the different learning styles in mind.
ReplyDeleteAlisha