Kim, Meagan, Anila, Zaydett

What stood out to me was new to me, a space for courage and vulnerability. It spoke about how shame can kill vulnerability, the slides. This really resonates with me. In my work as a young children’s teacher, I’ve seen first hand the importance of building an environment where mistakes are part of the language to be expressed, even if it means that it feels unsafe for them. The shame a child feels about getting an answer wrong or new activity wrong keeps them away from making mistakes and taking chances.

Some important points were discussed over IQ tests as well. These tests have been used for years but alone do not tell the full story of a child’s intellect. They may be culturally biased and do not effectively portray the range of abilities and experiences of a number of children. Since I am directly working with children, I understand the significance of observing and developing all sorts of intelligence, as the theory of Gardner postulates. Children come with a bag of strengths and talents that are individual to them. This also means that a child could have difficulty with verbal skills but outperform in the areas of spatial reasoning or interpersonal communication.  

Hello everyone,

In recent news, I read a Global News article about a UBC recent study about the effects of green spaces on children. More than 27,000 children in Metro Vancouver were surveyed by the study, which discovered that access to nature seriously improves language skills, cognitive capacity and socialization.

In this research I believe that my idea is right about the importance of nature in a child’s life. Green spaces beyond breath of fresh air and exercise help prepare children to learn essential social and cognitive skills. Children play outdoors where there is a lot of unstructured play that we did in structured indoor settings that cannot really replicate and learn cooperation, negotiation and teamwork skills.

Nature sparks curiosity and hands-on exploration, cognitively. Insects, forts, textures and more — these offer problem solving, creativity and critical thinking in its observational, building, exploring them. It also shows how green spaces assist in minimizing the adverse impact of pollution as well as noise and contribute to a better well being.

An educator or a caregiver should advocate more outdoor play and nature based learning. Outdoor classroom, daily outdoor activity and encouraging family visits to parks can be included in this.

How should nature play a part in the development of a child? How can you put outside learning into your work?

However, when children are evaluated solely through an IQ test, it fails to provide a comprehensive picture of their abilities and potential. In my view, relying on such a narrow measure can be disheartening and limiting. It is concerning that children are labeled based on a single test, one that can define their academic trajectory for an extended period without accounting for the full range of their talents and learning styles.

Tests and assignments, while useful in assessing cognitive development, allow children the opportunity to grow and improve over time, particularly when they receive feedback and have the chance to try again. In contrast, an annual IQ test offers no opportunity for children to show growth or demonstrate their true potential, ultimately fostering a negative self-perception. This lack of opportunity to improve can have a lasting impact on a child’s confidence and motivation.

I believe that children should not be limited by such one-time evaluations, as they deserve the chance to continuously develop and showcase their abilities. It is crucial that we, as educators and caregivers, recognize the full scope of their learning and development beyond a singular test score.