When I Think of Child Development

When I Think of Child Development

Each Child is unique and will develop at their own pace. Instead of comparing their child to some one else's child, parents should take heed and meet their child where they are at developmentally and help them from their.

Scaffolding!!!

Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing For Intelligemce

Testing For Intelligence in the United States








The reality in the United States right now is that we focus extensively on test scores and far too little on the whole child. We then choose one-size-fits-all fixes based on those test scores while ignoring solid research about the infinite ways kids learn and children develop. The true measure of students’ proficiency and readiness for college, career, and citizenship must be based on more than just their scores on any state standardized reading and math assessments. It has to be based on valid, reliable information from multiple sources.


It is important to consider the meaning and purpose of assessment; the different types, including formative and summative, standardized and subjective, and informal and formal; and how assessments are used to monitor student progress, provide timely feedback, and adjust teaching-learning activities to maximize student progress. We should know what assessments can’t do for us and when we look at the data and assess its meaning, we should decide how to use it for future planning ("Assessment 101", 2011).








Assessments in Finland - Improve Learning

Finland has recently received international attention for its students’ high performance on the

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Every three years, the PISA is
administered to 15-year-old students in approximately 57 countries (Kupianinen, Hautamaki, &
Karjalainen, 2009). Finland has scored first or second in mathematics on the past four
administrations of the PISA and has the smallest variance across schools, meaning that Finland
does not have a large achievement gap. Because policymakers and education reformers often
assume that large-scale assessments are “indicators of the condition of school mathematics,”
educational practices in Finland have been examined and compared to those in other countries
(Dossey, 2007, p. 1435). Officials in many countries, including the United States, have visited
Finland to try to determine why Finnish students have performed so highly on the assessment (de
Lange, 2007).

Kupianinen et al. (2009) suggest that Finland’s high scores on the PISA are due to a lack of highstakes testing. Finnish students do not take a national, standardized high-stakes test until they

matriculate secondary school and then only if they intend to enter higher education. Instead, the
purpose of assessment in Finland is to improve learning; it is “encouraging and supportive by
nature” (Finnish National Board of Education, 2010, “Encouraging Assessment and Evaluation,
para. 1) (Hendrickson, n.d.).
Additional Thoughts
I feel that in the United States some people become teachers because they only have to work nine months out of the year. There are not enough teachers that are actually passionate about their job and want to be present with the children. I believe that alone stops our children from reaching their potential. In Finland the teachers are purposeful and get better results.

















References

Assessment 101.  (2011, December 7).  Retrieved from

http://www.wholechildeducation.org/podcast/assessment-101

Hendrickson, K.A., Assessment in Finland: A Scholarly Reflection on One Country’s

Use of Formative, Summative, and Evaluative Practices.  Mid-Western Educational Researcher • Volume 25, Issues ½  Retrieved from:
http://mwera.org/MWER/volumes/v25/issue1-2/v25n1-2-Hendrickson-GRADUATE-STUDENT-SECTION.pdf

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development




In the work that I do in the community I see either physical abuse and or neglect. These types of maltreatments can be detrimental to children. Each year, about 3 million cases of child maltreatment are reported in the United States; about 700,000 of these are substantiated. Rates have been decreasing in recent years. physical abuse is the most obvious form of maltreatment, but neglect is more common and more harmful. Health, learning, and social skills are impeded by abuse and neglect...Tertiary prevention may include placement of a child in foster care, including kinship care. In any case, families, whether biological or foster, need supportive services to prevent maltreatment (Berger, 2006. p. 274).


Many of my clients have experienced these stressors. Either they were neglectful or abusive to their children and Family Services have come in and removed the children from the home. The children are then placed with either another family member or a foster parent. This is usually devastating for the parent who has to now jump through hoops to get her kids back.


There is one family that this happened to that I know and they took her children away because the baby she delivered at the hospital tested positive for marijuana. Her children were 4 months old, 2 years old, and 10 years old. The children's psychosocial, biosocial and cognitive domains were definitely affected. They missed their mom and did not want to be with the foster mom. They begin to have excessive temper tantrums and meltdowns, reverted to not being potty trained and were angry and mad all the time. They were very unhappy and the mom use to cry on each visit as she hugged them tightly to leave. This is devastating to a family. My client sought out counseling and she hired a lawyer to represent her in court because it was all too overwhelming. This is how she coped.


Neglect and child abuse in third world countries:


Pakistan

Pakistan which is also known as the “Land of the braves” is not so brave when it comes to child labor. More than 2,500 cases of child abuse including sexual assault are reported each year. The country is mainly troubled with child labor more than any other thing.

South Africa

South Africa is not just a top sporting nation but it also suffers from problems like poor healthcare structure and child abuse. According to an estimate more than 3,000 cases of child rape and assault are reported annually.

Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a small, beautiful country located in Asia. The country has a severe child abuse and HIV issues. In Bangladesh it is a common belief that having sex with a virgin can cure you of AIDS. Every year around 3,200 cases of child abuse are reported and there are a huge number of cases that are kept as a secret by child’s family too.


United Kingdom
According to a study one in every 200 adults in United Kingdom is a pedophile. In England alone more than 16,000 cases of child abuse, neglect and assault were recorded 2012.


Afghanistan
The political unrest and unavailability of basic necessities of life in Afghanistan play a big role in child abuse and rape cases. The government here is either too busy fighting terrorism or is just not serious about its child abuse problem. Annually, more than 18,000 of new child abuse cases emerge in Afghanistan.


Australia
Number one on our list of 11 Countries With The Highest Rates of Child Abuse in The World is Australia. It is estimated that close to 50,000 cases of child abuse are reported in Australia each year.

Reference

Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

 Munawar, A. ( June 17, 2015) 11 Countries with The Highest Rates of Child Abuse in The World. Retrieved from

https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/11-countries-with-the-highest-rates-of-child-abuse-in-the-world-353626/?singlepage=1