Testing for Intelligence?

Based on new research and a new understanding of the complete well-being of the child, early child development is increasingly being put on the agenda for children’s rights.  Ensuring the healthy cognitive, social and emotional development of young children merits the highest priority of every responsible government, organization, community, family and individual for the sake of raising healthy children worldwide.  Reaching children in a holistic manner and incorporating health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and interventions that support their full development is crucial. The effects of neglect in these formative years can be cumulative and lasting. Focusing exclusively on targeted interventions such as health and nutrition without considering the holistic nature of Early Childhood Development risks the hindrance of children’s complete growth and development (Childhood, 2010).

 Both biological and environmental factors affect brain development and behavior.  For example, young children who experience extreme stress are at greater risk for developing cognitive, behavioral or emotional difficulties.  These impediments can have lasting effects on children's readiness for school and later on their performance in school. Early Childhood Education (ECE) deals with young children aged 0-8 years and their overall development that takes into account of their educational, health, psychological, philosophical, cultural, historical and sociological domains. Young children at this age are vulnerable and need proper care and education for an appropriate stimulation and learning (Childhood, 2010).

During this period, children develop very fast, use all their senses and as a result the potential gains are tremendous. At this stage, an appropriate stimulation is necessary that can improve their motor skills, critical thinking, problem solving, enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher level of language development motivation. And to provide that, one needs trained teachers who could stimulate young children to learn and benefit maximum from all that is available. At the same time, there is a need to introduce a well planned ECE curriculum that could cater to development of physical, cognitive, social and emotional aspects, leading to an overall development of young children (Childhood, 2010).

China's Children too Busy for Playtime

Students bury their heads into the mountain of text books at a middle school classroom in a village in Jinzhai County, east China's Anhui Province, and May 11, 2007. Xinhua

According to a new survey conducted by the Chinese Youth and Children Research Center (CYCRC), increasing numbers of children in large cities across the country are experiencing joyless childhoods. The CYCRC surveyed 2,500 primary and secondary school pupils across the country in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changchun, Chengdu and Lanzhou. The results of the survey reveal how, due to long school hours and growing pressure from parents to study hard, children are feeling unhappy about a lack of playtime. On average, China's children spend 8.6 hours a day at school, with some spending 12 hours a day in the classroom. The survey also claimed that the majority of children spend longer hours at school than their parents spend at work (China, 2007).

Almost all of the students involved in the survey said they had to do homework, revise and prepare for classes after school.

 Around half of the students' parents testified that they often don't allow them to play outside as it means less study time. The CYCRC survey also reveals that when they do have spare time for play, many children are either too tired to play or have nobody to play with -- only 4 in 10 of the survey's participants claim they had friends to play with (China, 2007) Indeed, Sun Yunxiao, director of the CYCRC noted that heavy study loads have exhausted children, more than half of the survey's participants said that what they want most is, "A good night's sleep." Chinese students are put under ever-increasing pressure by their parents to study hard due to the country's highly competitive market for university places and jobs. Study pressure has led to an increase in stress, psychological problems and even tragedy (China, 2007).

My comments, related to assessing young children that I would like to share with my colleagues are children learn how to behave by imitating the behavior of those closest to them. As such, parents, teachers, and caregivers need the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the child with the best early learning environment and interaction.  All parents and caregivers should know the warning signs that indicate the child’s growth and development are faltering.  Parents, teachers and caregivers determine the level of development of infants and young children through interaction and play.  Their involvement is crucial for early learning and lays the foundation for future learning in school.  The overarching goal of early learning is to ensure disadvantaged children enter school on time and are cognitively, socially and emotionally ready for school

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What counts as literacy in early childhood - Harvard Graduate ...Retrieved from

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~snow/CV/Publication%20PDFs/SNOWWhat%20counts%20as%20literacy%20in%20early%20childhood_final.pdf

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China's children too busy for playtime Retrieved from

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/13/content_871182.htm