When I think of Child Development...

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/momentsofmotherhood/4-year-old-aelita-andre-gets-her-own-ny-art-show-sells-paintings-for-27k-2494801/
This video tells a lot about the ability to let go and let a child create.  We all know children are creative and in their own way at that.  Somewhere along the way I think adults lose that sense of freedom.  In this video the little girl is able to create paintings without someone hovering over her or telling her about staying clean.  She is given the ability to not only be a child, but to be her own person and to be congratulated on her achievements.  This video reminds me to let go and let children be children and not to control them, but guide them. 

Testing for Intelligence??

I think this question is extremely inconsistent with what any paper test can measure.  Mainly because I know adults who never graduated high school yet they can decipher computer codes or take apart and put back together whole engines.  There are some people who couldn’t find it in themselves to ever accomplish an A, yet they have more common sense in their pinky than some with a law degree.  Measuring a child’s mind and their ability has to refer solely on that child’s ability to come up with an answer.  I would severely suggest not saying that a child who cannot run up to and kick a ball has a lack in ability to kick a ball, when the same child could throw a ball like a big leaguer, or finds that math comes easily. 

So, to measure or assess a child holistically I think more of a job interview should be approached to the child.  Verbal questions as well as written.  I also wouldn’t consider time as a factor in completing answers because if our elders have taught us anything it’s that patience is a virtue and also speaking too quickly often spoils what the mind intended to say. 

One thing I read that was interesting, and that also reminded me of a report I did on dinosaurs (ironically), is that children in Brazil who sell items on the street can confidently hustle prices and arrange payments and take and give back money.  However, these same children would not be as efficient if you put them in a classroom with other students and expected the same math greatness out of them.  Here’s the interesting part- they know math, only the math they need to know to survive.  “A drawback to the general intelligence school of thought is that it is heavily dependent on psychometric evaluations. Consequently, it cannot take into account the vast array of different talents that people have” (Paik, S. 1998)  So an IQ test would put these kids way below, when in fact they are running businesses! 

For the comparison to dinosaurs, I wrote a paper on the intelligence of these long ago creatures and found out that they had been mislabeled for years!  The brain size of dinosaurs were being compared to our modern day birds and reptiles and in return were being found to be quite small, thus equally less intelligence.  Although, dinosaurs managed to stay on this planet for millions of years and thrive and evolve.  They weren’t less intelligent than our friendly fliers today; they only were as intelligent as they needed to be to get by. 

Paik, Han S. One Intelligence or Many?  Alternative Approaches to Cognitive Abilities.  Washington University, 1998. http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/paik.html