Phyllis Doer, Defending the Early Years - My first sample vocabulary challenge as we began our practice test was the word "market," from the nursery rhyme “To Market, To Market.” After explaining the setup of the test, I begin. "The word is market," I announced. "Who can tell me what a market is?" One boy answered, "I like oranges." "Okay, Luke is on the right track. Who can add to that?" "I like apples. I get them at the store." We're moving in, closer and closer. A third child says, "It's where you go and get lots of things." Yes! What kinds of things? "Different stuff." Another student chimes in: "We can get oranges and apples and lots of other types of food at the market." "Excellent! Everyone understands market?" A few nod.
"Now, I will give you a sentence with the word 'market' in it. If the sentence makes sense, you will circle the smiley face, but if it is a silly sentence and doesn't make sense, you circle the frown." A hand goes up. "Mrs. Doerr, what's a frown?" I explain what a frown is.
Next, I read the sentence: "'I like to play basketball at the market.' Now, does that sentence make sense?"
The students who are not twisting around backward in their chairs or staring at a thread they've picked off their uniforms nod their heads. "Please, class, listen carefully. I'll tell you the sentence again: 'I like to play basketball at the market.' That makes sense? Remember we said a market is where we shop for food."
A hand goes up. Terrell says, "I like soccer." "Okay, Terrell, that's great! But did I use the word 'market' correctly in that sentence?" "I don't know."
Another hand. "Yes? Ariana? What do you think?" "My dad took me to a soccer game! He plays soccer!" "Thank you for sharing that, Ariana." The students picked up on something from the sentence and made what seems to be, but is not, a random connection. "Girls and boys, look at me and listen. I want you to really think about this. Would you go to a market and play basketball?" At this point everyone seemed to wake up. Finally! I was getting somewhere! "YES!" they cried out in unison.
Of course! It would be a total blast to play basketball in the market!
So here we find another huge problem with this vocabulary test: a 5-year-old's imagination. A statement that uses a word incorrectly sounds OK to a child whose imagination is not limited by reality. It is the same reason Santa and the Tooth Fairy are so real to kindergartners -- unencumbered imagination.
... During testing, I walked around to see that a few students had nothing written on their papers, one had circled every face -- regardless of expression -- on the whole page, another just circled all the smileys and one, a very bright little girl, had her head down on her arms. I tapped her and said, "Come on, you need to circle one of the faces for number 5." She lifted her head and looked up at me. Tears streamed down her face. I crouched down next to her. "What's wrong, honey?" "Mrs. Doerr, I'm tired," she cried. "I want my mommy." It was a moment I will never forget. I took her test and said, "Would you like a nice comfy pillow so you can take a rest?" She nodded. I exchanged her paper for a pillow.
So this is kindergarten.
We force children to take tests that their brains cannot grasp.
We ignore research that proves that children who are 5-6 learn best experientially.
We rob them of precious free play that teaches them how to be good citizens, good friends and good thinkers.
We waste precious teaching and learning time that could be spent experientially learning the foundations of math, reading and writing, as well as valuable lessons in social studies, science and health.
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