Descriptive Review of the Child

• In Event: If Not Standardized Testing, Then What?

Abstract

In this paper an experienced teacher describes her experiences with the Descriptive Review Processes developed at the Prospect School in North Bennington, VT. Descriptive Review involves carefully and painstakingly describing observations about a child, and not simply defining students on the bases of strengths or deficits in content standard skills or in comparison to other students.
When conducting a Descriptive Review of the Child, one person acts as a presenter (or teacher–presenter) and another as the facilitator (or chairperson), along with peer participants. The facilitator opens the discussion with a short reflection on a word, such as lazy, normal, or achievement. The participants privately write associations with this word, then share what they wrote. The purpose is to see that we have multiple ways of understanding even one word, that words can carry unintentionally harmful hidden assumptions, and that human beings are much more complex than a single word. Participants understand that as we try to better understand the child under focus, we must be mindful of hidden or unwarranted assumptions about this child or about children in general.
After the opening reflection, the presenter offers a framing or focusing question for all to keep in mind throughout the Descriptive Review. The presenter then describes in vivid detail the child under review. The Process asks the presenter to describe the child, under five headings: physical presence and gesture; disposition and temperament; relationships; interests and passions; and ways of thinking and learning (Himley & Carini, 2000, p. 15). The presenter strives to be objective, describing what she sees about a child and avoiding interpretations of those observations.
Throughout the discussion, group members are invited to ask questions of the presenter. Questioning begins with clarifying questions, or questions with short answers, meant to fill in factual gaps, but not critical of the teaching practice of the presenter. Participants are then invited to ask probing questions, or questions that may be suggestive to the presenter, often beginning with phrases such as “Have you tried . . . ” or “Have you thought about . . . ” Finally, participants offer suggestions to the presenter. The presenter then responds to questions and suggestions. The facilitator generally allots time at the end of the Review for members to share how the Process seemed to work, asking questions such as “Were we respectful of the child and the family?” and “Were we respectful of the Process and of one another?”
This paper is an account of a Descriptive Review of the Child written and presented by the author and a reflection of how the process benefitted the teacher and the child under focus. The author describes how the Descriptive Review broadened and deepened her perspective on this child, leading to a more nuanced and detailed understanding of the child’s strengths, needs, and opportunities to support the child’s growth. The author notes that this more complete view of the child helped her become a more effective teacher for this student.

Author

• Kristin M Roberts, Audubon Nature Preschool