6 - Six
There are six essential areas of learning that are not tested in Kindergarten. That means that only 25% of the learning that students do is tested! This is one of the pitfalls the National Association for the Education of Young Children warns against in their book on Developmentally Appropriate Practice for early educators. Listed under assessment "practices to avoid," the NAEYC DAP includes "Assessing only one or two areas of a child's development" and "Overlooking important areas...such as social and emotional development" (NAEYC, 2022, p. 166)
The Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recognizes the importance of science, social studies, art, music, health/PE, and social and emotional skills. The state has developed a curriculum of standards to be taught in Kindergarten in each of these areas. Unfortunately, research shows that when certain skills and content are not assessed, those skills and content risk being excluded from or only minimally included in the instructional setting (Vargason 2019). And when it comes to students demonstrating growth and mastery, only math and literacy are assessed, which gives an unclear and incomplete picture of the learning happening in schools/classrooms and for students. Often a young student is still mastering the social, emotional, and fine motor skills in Kindergarten that will allow him to successfully focus on gaining literacy skills in first grade. Unfortunately, computer-based, standardized tests do not allow students and teachers to demonstrate that growth.
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