Reading Reflection on Testing

http://www.amazon.com/One-Step-Ahead-Closet-Organizer/dp/B002YQSBWC

In the NY Times, they're discussing possibly disregarding the E.R.B. test for entry into private Pre-K and Kindergartens. The world of children's testing, particularly for younger ones, is a world of politics and secrecy. As noted in my reflection of The Myth of the Gifted Child, studies have shown that testing at such a young age does little to reflect the true nature of intelligence in a child and most likely is highly insignificant. Still private schools continue to use it as a litmus. Most private schools are part of an association of Independent Educators who pay the E.R.B. to devise the test, so one can already see the tail wags the dog.

The argument is not as much the test itself but the alleged prepping for test which parents are not supposed to do. Three prominent private schools in Manhattan have already dropped the test as a admittance requirement. But at the same time the E.R.B. has published online a guide for prepping for the test and there are overpriced workbooks and prep handbooks for sale as well. Many people equate preparing for this test to trying to give their child a hand up in this already highly competitive urban society. I would say this is another example of how those with the funds to prep their child have already won the battle. Even if you are not wealthy, it is $510- to have the test administered to your child at all! How many wonderful children will not make it into programs simply because their parents didn't posses the wherewithal to prep their child.

We have good friends upstate near our summer cabin who have a 7 yr old daughter in a public school G & T school. Their culture is highly competitive (they're Russian) and parents in their culture tend to be very assertive when it comes to their children. They've already begun prepping their 5 yr old son for the G & T test as siblings only have to test in the 97% in order to be accepted. They were prepping him on holding his pencil and working in his workbook, at the beach all summer long. When I suggested they allow him to work with crayons a little more and practice by coloring they told me he didn't like to color and since it wouldn't help his scores they don't bother..

Schools have interview, play interviews and many other options other than testing to gauge a child's proclivity for learning. It's sad that we feel the need to put children on a treadmill so early in life. Studies have shown that young children all tend to equalize their abilities by the third grade no matter what previous learning has occurred. We have our whole lives to push, concentrate, be under pressure, buckle down, put our nose to the grindstone. Why can't we let the one time in our lives that its ok to be useless, silly, loud, noisy, messy, just be that way? Why can't it be enough in our society to just be child?