Essay Sample on Measuring Intelligence in Children: Reason & Assessment

Introduction

Intelligence refers to the mental capability that engages the reasoning ability of someone to think abstractly, to plan well, to quickly learn, solve problems, understand difficult ideas and learn from everyday experiences. This term is not obtained through books; rather this involves the thinking skills and adaptability of somebody to learn from the experiences of the everyday.

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Intelligence Measurement and Its Reason

Intelligence in children is measurable. Testing of intelligence involves estimating the current intellectual functioning of the child through the performance of a variety of tasks made to assess the different reasoning types. A child's intellectual quotient can be measured by Norm-referenced test in standardized testing. The various tasks would involve the thinking ability, problem-solving ability, analysis of situations and an understanding of the social values, norms, and customs (HOWELL, 2013).

The Necessity of Measuring Intelligence in Children

Measuring of the children's mental ability helps confirm the instances of mental disabilities and establishment of IQ to help in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. Secondly, it provides information on the approaches the children take to solve problems. This exercise helps educators develop designed instructions for the social cases in the education strategies for everyone (Logsdon, 2018).

Stanford-Binet Intelligence and Wechsler Intelligence Scale Pros and Cons

Stanford-Binet Intelligence test refers to an examination that is meant to measure intelligence by determining five factors of mental ability. The five factors are knowledge, visual-spatial processing, fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and the working memory. In this both the verbal and nonverbal responses are considered. Each of these factors is fully determined, and the score is an average of them all to a term known as the intelligent quotient (Roid, 2012).

The use of Wechsler Intelligence involves individual administration of tests to children often between ages 6 to 16. This test is possible without reading or writing. It takes an approximate of 65 to 80 minutes for completion. This test generates the intelligent quotient score which represents the mental ability of the child. This test is subdivided into 15 subsets, and of the fifteen, ten are always from the previous test versions. The supplemental subsets given to children accommodate their rare cases or replace spoiled results because of interruptions and cases beyond their control (Flanagan, 2000).

Pros of Measuring Children’s Intelligence

Measuring IQs helps identify the gifted children. Using tests, the teachers can identify the children with a need for more stimulation and them that can learn fast hence offering them richer educational experiences.

IQ tests using these scales are valuable tools for diagnosing insights. By the look of the subset scores, it is possible to tell areas where a person has got trouble and hence helpful design insights.

IQ tests using these scales provide important data. Through the test of many children, the psychiatrists learn much on the way brain works. This leads to constant efforts to the value of exams and tests that are set.

IQ tests using these scales inspire fun. It is good for children and individuals to know how their brains function. Most people enjoy knowing how their brains work on solid foundations or basic knowledge CITATION lov06 \l 1033 (lovinemi7, 2006).

Cons of Measuring Children’s Intelligence

It can be harmful to label children's ability. Those consider gifted often develop unreal concepts of self which may lead to looking down on others while those labeled disabled may soon suffer from low expectations of themselves.

IQ based on these scales can be very biased. Many mainstream assessments favor the fluent in the testing of languages or have a good foundational knowledge of languages.

IQ tests using these scales fail to measure other types of intelligence that are important. There are many types of intelligence that these scales of tests fail to consider hence the true abilities of a child may fail to be accounted for (Craig, 2019).

Which Theory of Language Development Most Accurately Explains How Children Develop Language?

Lev Vygotsky's theory focuses on the social learning ad Zone of proximal development (ZPD). The Zoe of Proximal development is a development level received when the children involve each other in social interactions with other children. During the process of social interactions, the distance between the potential to learn and the actual learning process of the child takes place. This theory demonstrates the importance of social interactions in children's language development (Boundless Psychology, 2016).

How to Make Television a More Positive Influence on Child’s Cognitive Development?

For children aged 2 and 3, there would be positive effects if they watch educational programming because it provides lasting benefits based on stable habits of proper viewing will be developed at this period. Television watching will reduce the time children use for social interactions. Therefore the verbal and non-verbal communications may not develop well. This calls for a need to reduce the time children watch and be substituted to social interactions with other children. On the other hand, children are likely to actively get engaged with content from the television that is comprehensible; hence a sense of mastery is developed in that child. This eventually assists them to grow mentally ( Center For The Advancement Of Health, 2001).

It is therefore important to regulate the time for a child to help them focus on social interactions and the other hand give them time to watch as they build their sense of content mastery.

References

Center For The Advancement Of Health. (2001). Television Can Enhance Children's Intellectual Development, Study Finds.

Boundless Psychology. (2016). "Human Language Development.". Boundless.

Craig, A. P. (2019). Pro & Cons of IQ Testing.

Flanagan, D. P. (2000). The Wechsler Intelligence Scales and Gf-Gc theory: A contemporary approach to interpretation. Allyn & Bacon.

HOWELL, E. (2013). Can Intelligence Really Be Measured?

Logsdon, A. (2018). Understanding Intelligence Testing for Children.

lovinemi7. (2006). What are the advantages and disadvantages of an IQ test?

Roid, G. H. (2012). The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales. The Guilford Press.