Pretty busy BUSY weeks...heading towards the end of the year (school year) and assessments are much demanded! This year has been quite different from last one regarding the age of the kiddos Im currently evaluating. I had never had so many middle schoolers at once. With middle schoolers I mean 7th graders specifically...about 5 assessments between this and past month. I have not been such a fan of teens..I have always been more prone to working with younger ages (they´re easier to entertain maybe?)...but today, after a hectic preschooler assessment session.. I might reconsider my testing preferences...uf! I don´t know what made me burn more calories...if running here and there during this session or my P90X workout of the day! So let me scan my pros and cons while I reconsider my age group selection:
- Seating: While testing middle schoolers, you can sit on your regular sized chair and remain seated for the whole time...point for the middle school
- Rapport: You can use your old "I can cut my finger trick" to start breaking up the ice....point for the preschoolers
- Testing time: this one is tricky...middle schoolers usually work with good smooth pace and for longer periods, but preschoolers sometimes you might discontinue quickly...hmmm can´t decide.
- Props: No need of blocks, manipulatives, puzzles around to keep the interest flowing....point for the middle schoolers.
- Assessment follow up: you are able to provide early interventions to preschoolers assessed early and prevent difficulties from increasing .....point for the preschoolers.
- Environment: Middle schoolers don´t usually throw things around and your office remains pretty much the same....point for the middle schoolers.
- Parent interactions: preschoolers parents are usually more relaxed than middle school kids who have been having a long and stressfull pattern of failure...point for the preschoolers.
well...its still not decided, I´ll keep assessing away and collecting more data...
