Quote from the Association for Childhood International

Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a setting that values children, that provides conditions for a safe and secure environment, and that respects diversity. Because children are both the present and the future of every nation, they have needs, rights, and intrinsic worth that must be recognized and supported. Children must receive appropriate nurture and education within and outside their families from birth onward if they are to develop optimally. Attention to the health, nutrition, education, and psychosocial development of children during their early years is essential for the future well-being of nations and the global community.

Association for Childhood Education International. (2002). Retrieved February 26, 2011 from http://www.udel.edu/bateman/acei/wguides.htm.

I'd like the thank all my classmates for making this class more enjoyable. Reading your posts have enhanced my learning. Best wishes with your continued studies. Continue to positively change early childhood education in your area.

Should Children Participate in Assessment Tests for School?

Child assessments – When should they be done?  How should they be done? Who should be responsible that an assessment is done?  These are questions that both parents and developmentalists are asking in this 21^st century. Berger (2009) stated that clinicians cannot agree when and how children are tested for cognitive skills. As an Early Childhood professional I must say that children need assessments in cognitive, social and biosocial areas of their age groupings, preferably before grade school. Special needs children need to have thoughtful and professional caregivers to assist learning and development.

We have had a child in our center since he was 2 and he is now turning 3 years old.  The parent and some caregivers in the center were convinced that the child’s screaming ‘fits’ were behavioral.  Last month we figured out what his problem was. He was not able to articulate to his classmates what he wanted so he resorted to screaming, crying, and throwing things.  Now we are able to get him help with his speech.  Had we continued believing his problem was strictly behavioral his success in grade school would have been considering lower than his peers.

Egypt Assessment For Grade-Schoolers

I chose to find out a little more about Egypt’s educational assessments since Egypt has been in our news for the last two weeks.  They have begun a speech assessment for Arab speaking children to ascertain their speech levels.  According to Abou-Elsaad et-al (2009), children tested considerably higher on articulation tests when they were taught word association with pictures. 

Abou-Elsaad T, Baz H, El-Banna M: Developing an Articulation Test for Arabic-Speaking School-Age Children.  Folia Phoniatr Logop 2009;61:275-282 (DOI: 10.1159/000235650)

Berger, K. S. (2009). The Developing Person: Through Childhood (5th ed.). New York, N.Y. Worth Publishing.