Tests for Assessing Infants and Young Children - Research Paper Example

Tests for Assessing Infants and Young Children al Affiliation 10th March Assessment is the act of finding certain information about an infant or a young child in order to make some decisions about her life and or education. There are a number of varieties of evaluation that can be made on children or infants. These measures consist of testing. In every institution, tests are given out regularly to find the extent at which we children gain from instruction. They may be given taken aptitude, and, personality tests or intelligence. Testing is where a child is presented with a set of questions for her to gain some form of performance or score. This score is intended to give the person assessing the child the clue about the child behaviors or capacity of knowledge tested. Name of the assessment The assessment of infants can take a wide range of area. This area can be a child reasoning capacity which is mainly depicted, through the child’s ability to answer the aptitude tests. In this research paper, the children were assessed to their capacity on thinking and acting on different situations (intelligence). Their intelligence here is tested to verify their ability to act or behave under different circumstances. The age group The age group in this research was children between the ages of two to five years (2-5). This Age group was chosen because the children here can be able to think and act accordingly when under some problem or situation. These children also are in the age bracket whereby one expects to see normal behaviors. Purpose The purpose of carrying this research is to have the accurate information about the best age range for a child to be taught new skills like school work. The research intended to give the best information on the ground and form of assessment needed by a child. In this assessment, two types of assessment were used to test the infants. The two methods used include informal assessment and formal assessment. The description for methods to be’ used in this research is discussed below. Formal assessment Formal assessment is whereby normal referenced tests are standardized. The normal, formal procedures are carried out to administer some form of tests to the infants. The results are timed and scores recorded. The results obtained are normalized and counter checked with a representative sample of the same age level of students in class, so that other final test results can be analyzed to students of similar characteristics. The results show the children relative performance and behavior. The tests must be brought to a context in the records to ensure accurate and reliable information is gotten. The formal assessment used in this research is the criterion referenced test normally referred to as (CRT). This assessment is used to measure what the infant or the child does. It also indicates to what extend does the child or the infant have the skills. The method also shows to what extent does the skills been mastered. It compares a child performance with own past performance. It is advantageous when students are expected to spell the numbers; here, the number of well spelt words in the first place is taken and compared to the second time. If a certain child spells 30 of 50words correct, that is, if 60% is correct, lower than the previous week when her score was 78% correct. In this criterion-referenced assessment, emphasis is on assessing certain behaviors that have been mastered other than showing the comparative repute in the group. Informal assessment. The informal assessment is to be used to show different assessment results such as cognition, communication, language, adaptive or self help. It is a play based assessment tool used normally when an infant is playing. It is often used in his/her natural environment. The assessor notes the interactions between the infant and peers. The tool was used as well as noting communication and language. In recording the behaviors, a checklist and rating scales were used to make recordings for the childrens behavior. The two were used differently to find the best patterns in the Childs behavior in school, and at home. (New & Cochran 2007). The parent was also interviewed, and their judgments were based upon the observation. This assessment mainly used observation as the primary source of evidence. The observation only mainly though the child’s ability to conquer challenges ahead. The infants hereby were mainly monitored while at play since most of them under this age spent, most of time playing. The comparison and contrast for the two methods It was increasingly relevant to find the best way to evaluate infants or children’s school performances using several assessment methods. It was; however, clear that informal methods scored higher in results rather than formal methods. The standardized methods and assessment procedures were more complicated and needed a lot of time. Data collection of infant behaviors’ through observation is largely thought of as informal assessment. This is because the information is mainly gathered from an interview. This can be a parents he infant teachers or even by using the teacher constructed tests. For a long time, some schools and institutions have increased use of standardized methods like the curriculum-based measurements (CBM). In this assessment of students performance, the infant are selected, and items used in the local curriculum. This is, usually some regular subjects of reading. In this assessment, the type cannot give relevant results since the curriculums are brief. The infant’s performances are best measured by an occurrence count. This can include; words spelt correctly and written or sequenced correctly. In areas like math, the sums answered perfectly are used. This sometimes does not give accurate results since the infants tend to develop with age. Infants performance is mostly been determined by testing arbitrary groups of children at each several levels. The salient advantage of using standardized tests in the infants is because the results can be of benefits to child developments. The norms for the infant or the child with similar age and circumstances can be measured. Another advantage is because of the predictive reliability of such tests. Children who have high performances on regular tests in their preschools do maintain their performances even in higher education. Even though this method has got positive effects it has also negative ones. The standardized tests are known to construe the data obtained. Other records from similar tests should be considered in contrast to similar infants, in similar conditions. Often, this evaluation is comparatively difficult to accomplish. A good example of this is the educational bias of early assessment tests. These tests were developed first and foremost in children of a certain region only. Therefore, the content in the assessments, of such things like the language the children used to identify, was criticized as not a true reflection on the ground. Another reason is the predictive validity of standardized tests—that is their ability to forecast success in the infantry schools. This may provide the other beneficial results that we may not want to know. There are more, alternatives to assessment tests for young children that are being developed. The tests include measures which have been thought to be more sophisticated and educationally appropriate in their focus and guide to infant assessment. Validity and Reliability For the assessment to be perfect and reliable, they should be accompanied by information regarding their validity and reliability. Therefore, in this research, the validity of information is indicated on the test to “measure exactly what it is believed to measure,” the research offers teachers the ultimate choice to find whether the test is reliable for its intended use. The reliability of this information and the assessment of these two methods indicate the test’s ability to give the user similar or exact result when repeatedly measured under the same child. The research helps to determine an infant’s degree of confidence when will be carried. The accuracy of both validity and reliability can be found by regularly conducting this test and reading further about the procedures necessary for conducting similar assessment. In addition to these, the assessment tests are designed to be used by persons specifically skilled in their management and explanation. However, standardized tests, although available for use, should not be used without previous experience. This is particularly because such tests should only be used in controlled testing conditions. The results, therefore, can be considered to be genuine and accurate. In addition, the results are meant to be interpreted by individuals well-informed in what the norms given in the research procedure. They should know when and how to best the children to such norms. In addition, a test may be developed and standardized infants of both sex. This can also be done separately for example, the test is done to a girl the results obtained can be compared to either the sample of boys and girls or just girls in the previous sample. References New, R. S., & Cochran, M. (2007). Early childhood education: An international encyclopedia. Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers. Read More