When I think of child development

"There is no development without relationships"  Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.  The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure"   Emma Goldman

The Tone of Voice
I'ts not so much what we say
As the manner in which we say it.
It's not so much the language we use
As the tone in which we convey it.

"Come here!" I sharply ordered;
And a child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I softly whispere;
And into my arms he crept.

Words may be mild and fair,
But the tone pierces like a dart.
Words may be soft as summer air,
But the tone can break a heart.

Author Unknown

Testing for Intelligence

The definitions of IQ and achievement test according to Berger are an "IQ test is designed to measure intellectual aptitude, or ability to learn in school.  An achievement test measures the mastery in reading, math, writing, science or other subjects" (Berger, 2009, p. 323).  Schools use these test to determine how well the children are learning and how well the teachers are teaching.  It has been said that the tests do not really measure how well a child is learning because the teachers have started "teaching to the test" and the results show what the children have memorized and not necessarily internalized.  England has the same issues regarding testing as we do in The United States.   According to a news article from the BBC news two teachers unions are boycotting the test and do not feel they actually measure what a child is learning.
"Mick Brookes, NAHT general secretary, said: "The current system has resulted in thousands of children moving to the next phase with misleading information about their ability.  It has also led quite unjustifiably, to schools and their communities being labelled as 'failing' with the consequence of damaging recruitment of head teachers and worsening their working environment" (BBC, 2010).  The schools are concerned that the tests do not accurately portray what the children are learning and feel that the children spend their primary years preparing for tests.  "The Sats tests are taken each year by about 600,000 pupils in England and the results are used for the annual primary school league tables.  In previous years, pupils have taken tests in English, maths and science - but the test for science has been removed. The Schools Minister rejected the criticisms of the tests" (BBC, 2010).  He goes on to talk about how they have been working with the teaching organziations to explain to them that drilling with practice exams is wrong and that if the teachers have been teaching the curriculum all year the children should have no issues with the tests.  The issues of achievement testing is not just a US issue as I have shown here as teachers in England are having the same battle.  To test or not to test...that is the question.

Reference

BBC News. (2010, January, 26).  Sats boycott ballot for teachers in England. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8479426.stm

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.