Testing in Early Childhood

I live in a small, rural community of approximately 250-275 people. Somehow, about eight years ago, we started having families move into our town that were of Finnish descent. These families are also very large, ranging from young families just starting out, to large families of 12 or more! I've learned a lot about life in Finland in the past 8 years, having at least 1 Finn student each year. What I've become most interested in, however, is hearing the parents explain the school system in Finland to me. Finland is ranked among the highest in the world for education, and when thinking about the early childhood setting, I think they're priorities deserve a second look.

While reading the article, "No grammar school, lots of play in Europe's top education system" written by Patrick Butler for the US Edition of The Guardian, I found so many statements and practices that I agree with and wish the United States would follow suit, as a nation. Their breakdown of grades is different from ours, and children don't start formal school until the age of 7. This doesn't mean that children aren't learning, however. Daycare in Finland is structured for kids through the age of 6 and "is to help them develop good social habits: to learn how to make friends and respect others, for example, or to dress themselves competently" (Butler, 2016).

In the United States, what will come to mind for most adults at the mention of "daycare" will be playing, napping, and eating in someone else's care so that the parents can work. It was noted in the article that this frame of mind was popular in Finland in the 1970s but has since changed. Daycare is now looked upon as an opportunity to prepare children to be lifelong learners by incorporating carefully organized play to help develop qualities in children like attention span, perseverance, concentration, and problem-solving - which in a child of only 4 years old are stronger predictors of academic success than how early they learn to read, according to Tiina Marjoniemi. 

I haven't forgotten that my purpose is the discussion of testing in an early childhood setting, but I had to talk about my love for the Finnish education system first. First of all, I am not a supporter of the formal testing or the United States' idea of "teaching to the test" because honestly, how is that helping the students? As an early childhood educator, I have kids coming into my classroom in the fall that cannot hold a pencil, have problems with buttons and zippers, can't sing the ABC song, and have a low self-esteem. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to be able to provide them with structured play to build these skills BEFORE working on the academics, because unfortunately when all of the components are jam-packed into one school year, all of the social and developmental skills are pushed aside to start "teaching to the test." The only testing that early childhood kids should have to endure is the type that the daycares in Finland use; walking around observing the children and taking note of how their social skills are developing as well as making sure they are being encompassed by the ideals of teaching to the "Whole Child." I dare even say, the type of teaching Finland institutes seems like a fairy tale I'd love to be in. A fairy tale where kids get to be kids and instead of making them cater to the needs of the government, we cater to their needs.

Source:  Butler, P. (2017, November 28). No grammar schools, lots of play: the secrets of Europe’s top education system. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/sep/20/grammar-schools-play-europe-top-education-system-finland-daycare