Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

Introduction

Assessment in school is used to determine the abilities of the children and the identification of special needs among children. Assessments in pediatric school-aged children entail a tailored and comprehensive process and are based on the needs and developmental expectations (Bellman, Byrne & Sege, 2013). School-aged children tend to grow at a slow and steady rate until they hit puberty. Children at this age are starting to build their self-esteem and understand the cause, effect, and reasons for a certain phenomenon. It is important to understand the developmental theories and stages according to the age groups. This paper explains the assessment of children aged 5-12 years old.

Physical assessment among school-aged children

Physical assessment informs the teachers on the background of the child and abilities according to the school curriculum and tutoring programs. Teachers use the interaction with the children to assess the learning necessities of each child and develop programs and involve teachers who are able to handle the physical, mental, and emotional issues of all the children individually (Bellman, Byrne & Sege, 2013). Among the physical features, the teacher considers are the physical status of the child and assess the presence of any physical disability or abnormality that might hinder learning. Furthermore, they observe the children as they interact with each other and play. The author would consider using modified assessment techniques, which will enable her to match the age and the developmental stages of the children.

The approach involves the mosaic approach and observation-based assessment. The latter method involves concentrating on how the child behaves, communicate, and retain information. Through the method, the author will match the results of the assessment with the age of the children and develop a program that has a sense of the children learning abilities, development, and life. With the mosaic approach, the children will be cooperative.

Development stages of a five-year-old

A 5-year-old child is still learning thinking, social, and emotional skills through playing (Bellman, Byrne & Sege, 2013). At this age, children play differently because they consist of fantasy and drama. Also, the child will want to work with other children to create something like a cushioned house. Their desire to play outside with other children is great; the child will do things to please her friends and is also aware of the rules and consequences of breaking them. Children at five years old might be skeptical about sharing their toys, but will eventually share; they can also express their feelings better and are less likely to feel sadness or anger (Bellman, Byrne & Sege, 2013). In addition, children may pay more attention to certain things such as days and food and like to choose the clothes to wear. They usually talk a lot and sometimes can talk to themselves. Their movements are well-coordinated, and they like to show new skills acquired during school and games. Physically, a five-year-old child should be able to do some tricks like standing on one foot or doing somersault (Bellman, Byrne & Sege, 2013). He or she should also be able to use a fork or spoon and can fight with other children.

Piaget Development Theory

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development talks about the nature and development of human intelligence. According to Ghazi & Ullah (2016), childhood plays an important and active role in human development. At the age of five, children are likely to have extensive knowledge of the environment, so they experiment to assess their cognitive development.  For instance, if one shows a child two containers with the same amount of liquid and later take one container and pour the same liquid into a tall thin container. Usually, children say that the amount of liquid in the container is not the same. This indicates that children cannot concentrate on the aspect that two containers contain the same amount of liquid, regardless of the different types of containers (Ghazi & Ullah, 2016). Calmly explain to the children that we are doing interesting experiments. The liquid will be a different color to get his attention. The containers also contain playful and colorful pictures, which make children more responsive. In conclusion, the socio-cultural environment plays an important role in child development. It teaches the child about the environment and helps him grow through the cognitive phase.