Having standards for early childhood education does not mean that one has to assess those standards with standardized tests.
All children are different and progress at different rates. Developmentally appropriate education, to me, means finding and then working within the child's zone of proximal development. I've seen some folks use the words developmentally appropriate as a reason to hold all kids to the same expectations... In some cases holding kids back...! What if standards were goals for teachers instead of benchmarks for failure? Kids benefit from high expectations in conjunction with instruction that provides moderate challenge but not frustration. I think standards could provide goals for educators rather than benchmarks for students... And appropriate formative assessments rather than standardized tests would allow us to find that appropriate level of challenge that enables young children to reach even level C-D at the end of Kindergarten. My biggest concern with ECE is that we are often forgoing play time center time and physical education and that is most certainly not the way to get students to meet high standards ... Sent from my iPhone On Sep 15, 2012, at 3:59 PM, "Ruth Weil" <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree that there is near total agreement in regard to ECE testing. > However, there actually are some who feel that the standards can have > benefit to ECE. See > > Camp, D. (2007). Where do standards come from? A phenomenological study of > the development of national board early childhood/generalist > standards. *Journal > Of Research In Childhood Education*, *21*(4), 420. > > Goldstein, L. S. (2008). Teaching the standards is developmentally > appropriate practice: Strategies for incorporating the sociopolitical > dimension of DAP in early childhood teaching. *Early Childhood Education > Journal*, *36*(3), 253-260. > I believe the actual controversy lies within the whole of education, which > would include the powers that be (government authorities) as well. I > absolutely agree that MOST ECE teachers and experts are in agreement > against the extreme testing that can come as a result of the standards. > But the whole of education does not feel so strongly about it. So the > controversy, in my mind, comes within the field of education and includes > experts, teachers, those people who create the standards, government > officials, etc. The literature review attempted to bring into focus the > main issues at hand (standards and testing) and the responses to them by > the many experts in ECE. If you'd like a copy, I'll be happy to send it to > you. > > Thanks for your feedback! It's very helpful and great to think through all > these issues. > > > On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM, Beverlee Paul <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Wonderfully said...but....I think some of the language of the piece is in >> "error," and it's a serious, powerful issue. I would agree with the writer >> with all points, EXCEPT I probably not have used the word "controversy," >> which implies two or more opinions or points of view. Within the field of >> ECE, I do not see a controversy. As a matter of fact, I have never heard an >> early childhood expert speak positively about testing at that level. I >> think there is near-total agreement In the field and I personally would >> hesitate to represent the points of view as controversial. I think they >> are, in fact, highly consistent. It seems nit/picky to say this, but I >> think it's a good example of the importance of word choice and connotation. >> Of course, it could also be that I am just plain wrong--and there are >> indeed early childhood experts advocating for inappropriate testing..., >> >> >> On Sep 15, 2012, at 6:57 AM, Mena <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the >> United States will >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
