PerspectivesThe aim of education is to provide children with the opportunity to accumulate a wealth of knowledge, a love of learning and academic strength. Children go to school to read, write and learn various subjects. Even though education is supposed to be exciting for children, there must be standards to ensure that progress is made and that these children are where they need to be in order to move on to the next phase of their education. Education is built as it grows, and students need a solid foundation to succeed and continue. Without these solid building blocks, students will continue to go backwards and repeat the same material over and over again. That’s why testing and assessments come into play to ensure kids are where they need to be. However, in early childhood settings, testing is almost non-existent due to the stigma surrounding it. The current debate in our education system maintains that tests are not a good measure of a child's actual knowledge. Rather, assessment gives teachers a better idea of ​​a student's capabilities and capabilities in the classroom. Thus, the debate currently continues between classroom assessment and testing due to the demand for knowledge on whether or not testing is a good way to measure a student's progress in school. In the context of education, testing refers to “a method of determining a student’s ability to perform certain tasks or demonstrate mastery of a skill or knowledge” (Danuri 2012). Assessment is “the process of gathering information to monitor progress and make any necessary decisions” regarding curriculum and instruction (Danuri 2012). Assessment is a process that measures growth over time, while testing is a form of assessing how much a student knows mid-paper. Accessed May 7, 2014, from http://eyeonearlyeducation.com/2011/02/10/why-and-how-should-we-assess-young-children/Snow, CE (2008). Early childhood assessment: why, what and how. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Solley, B.A. (2012). On standardized testing: a position paper from CIRA. Childhood Education, 84(1), 31-37. Accessed December 3, 2012, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2007.10522967Stipek, D. (2006). No child left behind comes to nursery school. The Elementary School Journal, 106(5), 455-466. Understand the difference between assessment and testing. (2008, January 2). The Faculty Center. Retrieved May 4, 2014 from http://facultycenter.stonybrook.edu/articles/understanding-difference-between-assessment-and-testing Zumwalt, C. (2012). Authentic assessment and early childhood education: An update and resources. Small prints, 6(1), 1-15.