Before watching these videos and reading these websites I had no idea what a screener  was or that teachers used these “kits” to evaluate children. I was left feeling uneasy because I think that using these types of developmental screeners at such an early age might do more harm than good. In a previous class I had read about the first intelligence tests that eventually led to the IQ tests. The people who made up these tests had a lot of power over people. These tests became very popular at Ellis Island and led to thousands of immigrants being sent home because they could not pass the test. However, the people who made these tests did not consider the background of these immigrants, nor a potential language barrier. These tests eventually led to the idea of eugenics, which gave Hitler validation to wipe out millions of people. I do not think that teachers intend to harm children with these screeners, but I see a red flag when an institution rates a child’s intelligence at such a young age. I believe socioeconomic status needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating a child in my opinion. Children that come from low income families may be at a disadvantage to children that come from more affluent families. If a parent has the luxury to stay home with their child they may be able to teach them more than a child that does not have as much time with a parent. Also, I believe that people are more likely to discriminate against students if they know that they are at a lower level than other students. Most of us in this class have had experience working with young children. Can you say that you have never thought differently about a child after you learned that they are “not as bright” as the other students, or noticed that their parents are low income? I do not trust these screeners because it automatically puts a label on the child that has no business being there in the first place. That being said, I can see some usefulness to these screeners only because it gives the teachers a good idea of what to look for in a child. I never would have thought that it mattered that a child could stand on one leg for 10 seconds. Did anyone else notice that the lady in the video giving the test actually prompted the child to stop at 10 seconds? Honestly I am not sure what kind of settings would best be equipped to use screeners. I am curious what others have to say about that. I think these screeners could give the teacher more information about the student, but should not be used to put a label on a child because they are too young and are still in the process of developing. It is like picking a piece of fruit before it has ripened and then saying it is not sweet enough. The only way I could see these screeners affecting instruction is if many of the children were deficient in an area then the teacher could focus more on those particular skills, like skipping, or writing name. The only person benefiting from these screeners is the company that sells them, and possibly the teacher could use this as a tool to help guide observations, but the student does not benefit, especially the ones that have a low score.