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The Language of Assessment
February 25, 2008
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.
-Anais Nin
-Anais Nin
"An assessor asked individual children to identify triangles from a series of shapes. Most children could identify the more typically shaped triangles with little problem and also give a definition of a triangle as 'a shape with three sides.' During her assessment, however, one of the triangles fell off the table; and when she asked the child to identify it, she held it up so it was standing on the point. When she asked the child to identify the shape, the child replied that he didn't know, but he was sure it wasn't a triangle because it 'didn't look like it.' He was then asked to tell what a triangle was; and when he responded 'a shape with three sides,' she asked him again why the shape wasn't a triangle. Again, the child responded that it 'didn't look like it' and that, in fact, it 'needed to look like a girl' if it was going to be a triangle. Puzzled, the assessor asked where the child had seen triangles 'that looked like girls.' The child pointed to the restroom door down the hall. After a quick glance at the doors, the teacher understood the child's answer! The girl's bathroom had a circle with a triangle under it for girl and the boy's bathroom had a circle with a rectangle under it for boy."
The article discussed above, "Assessing Mathematical Learning," serves as the basis of the newest Exchange Out of the Box Training Kit. The kit offers those training early childhood teachers, the article for the teachers to read, along with suggestions for exploring the article in a staff meeting, and follow-up exercises. Check out this and other Out of the Box Training Kits.
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Nike teacher opportunities!
Nike's Child Development Programs is holding a virtual career event on March 20th. To learn more and register to attend the event go to www.nikevirtualevent.com
Nike's Child Development Programs is holding a virtual career event on March 20th. To learn more and register to attend the event go to www.nikevirtualevent.com
Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsMetropolitan Family Services
Chicago, Il, United States
Absolutely young children have a much more literal interpretation of language. For example, my 2 year old granddaughter burst into tears when I mistakenly commented that she 'sounded like she was a little hoarse', saying "I'm not a little horse, I'm Ariana". She also was very irate that her mother had said she 'took the train' with her to day care, saying "I did not take the train!"
We need to be cognizant of how children may interpret the world around them based on their experiences and be cautious about making assumptions that their understanding is the same as ours.
Hildebrandt Learning Centers
Dallas, PA, United States
Listening carefully to the responses given by children can give us great insight into their thinking and processing of information. Here is a similar story, I asked a 4 yr old "How high can you count?" Wondering about and wanting to document rote counting. We were seated at a table, the child began to count.."1, 2, 3, 4, (and began slowly rising from his seat...'til on his tip toes. . .all the while counting). . . 10, 11, 12. That's as high as I can go!" What a wonderful literal interpretation of my direction and tells me much about the child. It is these stories that families so enjoy hearing when it is time to share assessment. When we take the time to really listen, see and document children's learning within the context of their natural day and tell that story, we demonstrate to families that we really know their child.
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