I can remember back to my childhood, sitting in a very hot, sticky, wooden seat with a freshly sharpened #2 pencil, waiting for my teacher to hand me my answer page for our State Standardized Test. While I do like a good, sharp pencil, I have never been found of standardized testing!
In our class this week, there are several readings over Needs Assessments and the value they bring while working with children and their families. Now, even as an adult, I am still not a fan of assessments but do understand their value. To better assist those we work with, we have to have somewhere to start, or a baseline-if you will.
Throughout my adult life, I have primarily worked with children and families, mostly in the Early Childhood sector. My last teaching job was with the Head Start organization and part of my role was completing yearly assessments on all of our incoming students, which was the ASQ Screen. For me, this is an excellent example of a needs assessment in relation to children, even though there are countless others to explore!
For those who may not be familiar with it, the ASQ, or Ages and Stages Questionnaire, is for children ages Birth to Age 5. The questions mostly have to deal with social and physical development and highlight basic everyday tasks and skills that "most" children should have. These general questions can help identify where a child may need some additional help, such as gross motor play or fine motor skills. It is important to identify these needs in children early on so that they can receive the assistance they need to improve.
Just recently, I had to complete the questionnaire for my own son, Kilian, who just started Kindergarten this year. While he is ahead of the game in many ways, I can remember other children who I have tested who scored higher or lower in different areas of the assessment. Still-this proves that point that these assessments are crucial to providing the best care and support to the children and families that we come into contact with.
I have to say, I'm somewhat jealous of how far things have come with testing for our children. My oldest daughter now completes any kind of assessments online or even with her school assigned tablet. I can't wait for the day that she complains about her testing, so I can remind her of the pain I felt while being instructed on how to properly color in the circle for my answer choice :)
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