"We learn far more from out children than we ever did from our parents."

-Boyd K. Packer

This statement reminds me that while it is important to teach children, it is more important to learn from them.  Being a life long learner and finding lessons from everyone and everything in your life is fundamental to who I strive to be.  Children teach us about ourselves and the world around us as well as how to best be an advocate in their lives.  All we have to do is pay attention and be teachable.

The typical method of measuring children’s intelligence and potential in elementary school today is standardized testing.  Tests like the WCAP (Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program) and MSP (Measure of Student Progress) are used in my community.  While I agree with the idea that assessment needs to happen in the designated educational areas that these tests hit, I believe that the tests alone do not give you an accurate picture of the child’s intelligence.  When assessing children for development I believe it is important to see the whole child.  I also think that the typical areas of development that are assessed should include social/emotional, cognitive, motor and creative.  There are several examples of individuals who have book smarts but not social smarts and visa versa.  Life does not offer very many opportunities to be successful by being really good at only one area.  Since the foundational purpose for education is to prepare children for their future, I think we need to not only focus on the areas outside the three R’s but assess them as well.  It is only once we find a deficiency that we can help to fill it.  With out assessing things like social and emotional development we may not be able to see what a child really needs.  To truly see the whole child and assess them in multiple areas I think that we need more than just a standardized testing system.  A series of informal tests that happen in the child’s natural environment can lend more insight into the progress a child is making.  Keeping a portfolio of the children’s work, informal observations, and photographs can all demonstrate growth over time. 

My husband’s family is from Oahu and since the Hawaiian people and culture have frequently been portrayed as more laid back so I was interested in looking into their testing system.  What I found was that the state has a very similar system to my state.  Testing is done on a regular schedule and the tests are focused on the areas of reading, mathematics and science.  The tests are administered using the on-line system set up by the American Institutes for Research.