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I think tests in these early ages are not appropriate. We can just continue to observe and assess children and their abilities. Tests may have harmful effects on child’s social –emotional life. We should build self-esteem in them .We should let children explore the world at their time and in their way.

I believe learning standards in early education and standardized tests are different things. Standards are broad guidelines on what children should learn and be able to do. They define what should be taught but not HOW. They are a basis for decisions and teachers still have a lot of freedom to find authentic means to assess play based learning. The tests, however, have shown to be very controversial in young children. Young children develop and learn in an uneven way, they have limited language skilss, some are sensitive to context and resist to the idea of being assessed. Therefore, I believe we should give preference to assess young children using different approaches such as portfolios,work products, narrative and non-narrative tools on a daily and systematic way.The challenge is to balance standards with a child-centered perspective.

I have mixed thoughts about everything. There's always pros and cons and two sides to every story. I do believe we are making our children grow up way too fast and putting too much pressure on them. But I also believe we need to start implementing some kind of assessment early on. But I think it's how we go about it and gently do things. Children have many years to take tests, why not just let them have a worry free life for awhile. Because once it starts, it does not stop. It's sad that this generation just keeps doing things younger and younger, with clothing, electronics, and other things that shouldn't matter until you are older. Life is short, but living day to day should be fun for kids. I was probably ruined with tests, because I get so stressed out now, and its hard on me. I wonder if it is worse now, I sure hope not, but it seems like it is. I hope for the kids of the world, that they enjoy their young life. And I hope that everyone else, leaves them alone and lets them enjoy their young life!

Accountability is wonderful. While a test may appeal to some teachers, do we really want to force our children to conform to some test? Let's let children demonstrate their skills and document that through observation. We need to work with the children on their level, not expect them to come to our level.

AND WE WONDER WHY TEEN SUICIDE IS UP IN THE UNITED STATES. Please stop the practice of testing young children, they have to face the stresses of the big world soon enough, allow our children to PLAY without fear of being tested on if they play correctly. Also what message is this giving to the parents whom then also pressure the children to "work" at home and not play. Parents will feel the need to practice with thier young children at home to prepare them for the upcoming tests in Preschool robbing them of the little time they have with their children due to their already busy lifes. We should be encouraging our Early Childhood teachers to set up areas of interest to enhance play which will help our children learn the necessary skills to be successful, not support testing.