Assessing the Whole Child

 

Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

howardgardner.com

The topic for this week's blog is, taking into consideration the whole child, what should be assessed or measured. I would like to use Howard Gardner's eight multiple intelligences to explain my theory. I believe that each child has the right to have a full life and become a positive member of their society. In my opinion, what this looks like varies completely from person to person. Each child has aspects that make up the whole child; however, each child has one area that is usually stronger than all of the rest. Through this area of strength they can demonstrate intelligence in a different ways; and it is by focusing on the individual child's strengths that they should be accessed.  I will use my family as examples. My oldest is a visual learner which, according to Gardner, means that she is "word" smart. Her assessments should be done using language (ie: essays or verbal answers). My next daughter is a interpersonal learner, or "people" smart, according to Gardner. She should be accessed using social methods (ie: group work or group discussions). My son is a kinesthetic learner and he needs to be touching things in order to show you what he knows. His "body" smart style means that he needs to be assessed using his hands to show what he knows (ie: projects and demonstrations). My youngest daughter is proving to be a musical learner. She excels in anything that has to do with music, and needs to be accessed using this media (composing, playing and analyzing music). My first son-in-law is a logical learner and needs assessment tools that use numbers and math. My second son-in-law is an intrapersonal learner. He needs to show, in every way possible, that he is intelligent. The best way for him to do this is to allow him to choose the assessment tool.  (Yes, family get togethers at my house are interesting and fun!) Interestingly enough, here are what my children have chosen to become: #1 Editor, #2 Teacher, #3 Chef, #4 Symphony Musician, #5 CPA, #6 Military. They all ended up playing to their strengths, and showing that they are intelligent using their whole person in different ways.

 In a Montessori school in Toyko, Japanese children younger than third grade are not given any assessments. Their teachers observe them and report on their progress. After that, they are given an annual assessment from the International Schools Association that uses  a culturally sensitive test using multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and prompts. The target learning areas in this test are reading, writing and math.

I believe that assessment is important as a tool of information, but not as a way to label children. An assessment can help a teacher know where a child is in a particular area of development. They can then make a goal and determine culturally and developmentally approriate learning experiences to help the child reach that goal. However, many schools use assessment tools that only look at one kind intelligence and use limited, and often culturally and developmentally inappropriate ways to measure what children know. The children are then placed in a category using only that one piece of information to determine that placement. I am pleased that there are charter schools emerging in my state that address these issues so that children of all types of intelligences can succeed! 

Source:

Azabu M. (2003-2001). Assessment of student development and academic progress. Retrieved from

http://montessorijapan.com/index.php.assessment