3. Meaning of ECCE
ā¢ The term ECCE comprises of three key terms:- āEarly
Childhoodā, āCareā, and āEducationā.
ā¢ Early childhood is the period from birth to six
years.
ā¢ According to the National Policy on ECCE, 2013,
there are three sub- stages of early years, each
with its own age-specific developmental priorities.
These sub-stages are:
(a) Conception to birth
(b) Birth to three years and
(c) Three to six years
4. ļ¶Early childhood is the most important period of life
characterized by rapid growth and development.
ļ¶By āCareā we mean providing love and
affection and ensuring a healthy, hygienic, protective and
stimulating environment for all children.
5. Health, Nutrition and Hygiene
Providing regular health interventions to both the mother and the
child. It encompasses providing prenatal and postnatal care to the
mother in terms of provision of healthy nutritious food, timely
immunization of the pregnant mother, regular health checkups,
stress-free environment and safe child birth at a hospital or a
health centre.
6. ļ¶Similarly, all children need to be provided with a healthy and
hygienic environment comprising of well-balanced and
nutritious food, protection from infections, timely
immunization and provision for medical care.
7. Care and Protection
A physically and emotionally safe, secure and
protective environment is essential for all children for their optimum
growth and healthy development.
Providing acaring and protective environment is an integral
component of ECCE.
It is essential for caregivers to ensure psychological and socio-emotional
needs of children.
It can be done by responding to their needs through
interaction and ensuring a healthy
appropriate stimulation, supportive and warm
and safe
environment.
8. Early Learning / Education
skills,
is a process of acquiring attitudes
and values
ā¢ āEducationā
knowledge,
through exploration, experimentation,
observation, participation and interaction.
ā¢ All such experiences help children learn more about themselves and the
world around them.
9. Socio-emotional Development
Social development is aprocess of acquiring social norms and cultural
values.
Healthy social development enables children to form positive
relations with family, friends and other people in life.
Emotional development refers to the development of emotions and
feelings in children.
Children are born with basic emotions such as love, fear, anger and
happiness etc.
They develop complex emotions and their ability to recognize,
express, and manage feelings over time.
10. Cognitive Development & Language Development
ļ¶Cognitive Development :
It refers to development of mental or cognitive abilities such
ability to think, remember, recognize, categorize, imagine, reason
and take decisions.
ļ¶Language Development :
It is a process of acquiring, understanding and using language.
It involves the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
These skills help children to communicate with others and to
express their feelings.
11. ECCE refers to providing care including health and nutrition as
well as early learning opportunities to all young children.
A protective and stimulating environment consisting of play-
based and developmentally appropriate activities are vital for
childrenās physical-motor, cognitive, socio-emotional and
language development.
12. AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF ECCE
ļ¶ECCE aims to:
ļ¼ensure that children feel safe, secure, accepted and
respected
ļ¼ensure children have good and balanced nutrition
ļ¼inculcate healthy habits, hygiene practices and self-
help skills among children
ļ¼enable sound language development, skills of
communication and expression
13. ļ¼ensure optimum physical and motor development of children
as per their potential
ļ¼foster sensory and cognitive abilities of children by providing
engaging, participative and stimulating activities
ļ¼promote development of pro-social skills and social
competence along with childrenās emotional wellbeing
ļ¼prepare children for formal learning in schools.
14. Definition of Early Intervention
ļ± Early intervention is the process of providing services, education and support to
young children who have developmental delays or disabilities.
ļ± Early intervention is a system of coordinated services that promotes the child's
age-appropriate growth and development and supports families during the critical
early years.
15. Early intervention History
In 1986, Congress established the program of early intervention for infants and toddlers with
disabilities in recognition of āan urgent and substantial needā to:
ā¢ minimize their potential for developmental delay.
ā¢ reduce the educational costs to society, including Nationās schools, by minimizing the need for
special education and related services at school age.
ā¢ maximize the potential for their independent living in society.
ā¢ enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with
handicaps.
In the 1990s, many states in the US put into place a program where the child's pediatrician can
recommend a child for early childhood intervention screening. These services are usually provided free
of charge through the local school district or county, depending on the state.
16. ā¢ 1968, Handicapped childrenās Early education
Assistance Act set up model program to demonstrate
how early intervention could work.
ā¢ 1986, PL 99-457 extended mandated services for
children with disabilities from birth to age 6
ā¢ 2004, IDEA Part C addresses the needs of children
from birth to 2
ā¢ IDEA Part B addresses children from 3 to 6
Legislation on Early Intervention
17. Early intervention legislation In Pakistan
National disable policy 2002
Area of focus &
Special Attention
Prevention
Detection
intervention
counseling
Genetic Counseling
Family Guidance
18. ļ§ Lessen the effects of the disability or delay.
ļ§ To identify and meet a child's needs in five developmental areas:
Physical development
Cognitive development
Communication
Social or Emotional development
Adaptive development.
Purpose of early intervention
19. Milestones birth to three
At age one month most children can:
ā¢ Raise their heads slightly when lying on their stomachs
ā¢ Briefly watch objects
ā¢ Pull away from a blanket on their face
At age three months most children can:
ā¢ Lift their heads and chest while lying on their stomachs
ā¢ Make cooing sounds
ā¢ Follow a moving person with their eyes
ā¢ Smile back at someone
20. Milestones birth to three
At age six months most children can:
ā¢ Sit with minimal support
ā¢ Roll from their back to their stomach
ā¢ Respond to their name by looking
At age 12 months most children can:
ā¢ Pull themselves up to stand and take steps with hands held
ā¢ Follow with their eyes in the direction that you are pointing
ā¢ Start a game of peek-a-boo, imitate clapping hands, point to show
you something
ā¢ Say two or three words on a regular basis
ā¢ Sit up when prompted
21. Milestones birth to three
At age 18 months most children can:
ā¢ Walk backwards
ā¢ Walk down stairs holding an adult's hand
ā¢ Use words and gestures (like taking you by the hand) to get needs met
ā¢ Perform simple pretend play like talking on the phone, feeding a stuffed
animal
22. Milestones birth to three
At age 24 months most children can:
ā¢ Kick a large ball
ā¢ Describe an injury or illness to an adult (bumped my head)
ā¢ Show interest in other children by offering them a toy or taking
their hand
At age 32 months most children can:
ā¢ Pretend to be an animal or favorite character
ā¢ Talk about the past/future
ā¢ Answer "what", "where", and "who" questions easily
ā¢ Imitate drawing a horizontal line after being shown
ā¢ Hold a crayon with 3 fingers.
23. Timeframes for all this
Within 45 days, the early intervention system must complete the critical
steps discussed thus far:
ļ±screening (if used in the state),
ļ±initial evaluation of the child,
ļ±initial assessments of the child and family, and
ļ±writing the IFSP (if the child has been found eligible).
Thatās a tall order, but important, given how quickly children grow and
change. When a baby or toddler has developmental issues, they need to
be addressed as soon as possible. Soā45 days, thatās the timeframe
from referral to completion of the IFSP for an eligible child.
24.
25. Process of Early Intervention
Parents &
Families
Referral
Initial services
coordinator
IFSP Review(every 6
Month)
On-Going service
coordinator
Evaluation Early intervention
services
Transition
IFSP Meeting
26. Infants/ Toddlers
ā¢ Lead agency: Agency appointed by
governor
ā¢ Transitioning: to preschool program
ā¢ Orientation: family, parent/ infant
interaction
ā¢ Law: Part C, IDEA
ā¢ Age: birth to 2
ā¢ Plan: IFSP
Preschoolers
ā¢ Lead agency: State education agency
ā¢ Transitioning: to general and special
program
ā¢ Orientation: developmental,
cognitive learning of child
ā¢ Law: Part B, IDEA
ā¢ Age: 3 to 5
ā¢ Plan: IFSP and IEP
Key points of process
27. ā¢ Can provide both intermediate and long terms
benefits.
ā¢ Mandatory preschool for children with
disabilities.
ā¢ State that receive early intervention funds must
serve all infants and toddlers.
ā¢ State must serve all infants and toddlers who
are identified as at risk.
The Importance of Early Intervention
29. Services provisions of IFSP and IEP
Individualized Family Services Plan
ā¢ A written plan for providing early intervention
services to an eligible child and his family.
ā¢ Birth through age 3.
ā¢ Is inclusive of the familyās needs.
ā¢ Services provided in natural environment.
ā¢ Families are assigned a service coordinator.
ā¢ Generally reviewed every 6 months.
ā¢ IFSP team makes decisions.
ā¢ Governed under the Part C of IDEA.
Individualized Educational Plan
ā¢ A written plan for providing special education
and related services to a child with a disability
covered under the IDEA.
ā¢ Age 3 to 21
ā¢ Focuses on the childās needs.
ā¢ Services provided at school.
ā¢ No service coordinator.
ā¢ Generally reviewed per year.
ā¢ IEP team makes decisions.
ā¢ Governed under the Part B of IDEA.
30. IFSP Services
A child who qualifies may receive one or more of these services:
Speech and language therapy
Physical or occupational therapy
Psychological services
Home visits
Medical, nursing, or nutrition services
31. IFSP Servicesā¦.
Hearing (audiology) or vision services
Social work services
Transportation
Assistive technology
Special education and related services
32. IFSP Servicesā¦.
Extended school year programs/services
Supplementary aids and modifications
of supports for the student
Assistive devices and supports needed
Program modifications or supports for
school personnel that will be provided
Individual testing modifications
33. General role of service providers of
early intervention
ā¢ Consulting with parents, other services providers and
representatives of community agencies
ā¢ Training parents and others regarding the provision of
early childhood special education services
ā¢ Participating in the multidisciplinary team assessment
of the child (and family in Part C) and in the
development of integrated goals and outcomes of IFSP
and IEP
35. Benefits of Children with disabilities and
developmental delay
1. Increase IQ, Communication and Social Interaction
2. Decrease problematic behaviors from becoming a habit
3. Develop meaningful and lasting relationships
4. Gain essential social skills and thrive in society
36. ā¢ Early referrals/ wait and see
ā¢ Assistance with referral to specialty care
ā¢ Waiting for diagnostic appointments
ā¢ Coordination
ā¢ Early Intervention
ā¢ Early Childhood
ā¢ Medical
Challenges in Early Intervention
37. Parents in denial or experiencing difficulty in convincing others.
Accommodations for children with physical and cognitive disabilities so they are
not excluded from other early childhood settings and activities
Responses within child welfare to ensure that children retain ties and
connections with caring adults in nurturing environments
Early identification and response to developmental disabilities and delays within
Part C and Part B of IDEA and other service systems
Early detection and treatment of mental health concerns and issues, often
involving significant support to parents and other families members in the
Current Issues :-
38. ļ¶Today, many families and their children face inequality and exclusion.
ļ¶In the early years this could relate to: gender, ethnicity, disability, age,
religion/belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status.
ļ¶Thus, inclusion in early childhood care and all areas of education is
crucially important.
Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
39. ļ¶The National Center on Educational Restructuring and Inclusion (1995)
developed the following working definition of inclusive education:
ļ āProviding to all students, including those with significant disabilities,
equitable opportunities to receive effective educational services, with the
needed supplementary aids and support services, in age appropriate
classrooms in their neighborhood schools, in order to prepare students for
productive lives as full members of society.ā
Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
40. Each of us is equal in our value as a being.
But treating all learners as the same does not acknowledge their
equal value as learners.
"Same" and "equal" are not congruent terms.
Each student is of equal value, therefore each is worthy of an
education, of learning, growing, and being educated.
They are all equal in value, but not the same.
Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
41. Treating students the same means giving them identical amounts of
instruction, identical lessons, identical learning materials, and an identical
education.
Treating students as equals, means acknowledging each one has equal
value as a learner, which in turn means giving them each what they need
to fulfill their value as a learner.
Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
42. As we have seen, each child is diverse and not the āsameā, a notion which
is also supported by Gardenerās theory of multiple intelligences.
Diversity is the mix and inclusion is making the mix work.
More formally, diversity is the composition of individuals in a group
Inclusion is the requisite programs and organizational strategies that
welcome and embrace the strengths each person brings to the mix.
Apart from the inclusive programs that can be offered which is
sometimes costly and difficult to acquire, the following are some strategies
for creating a productive and inclusive environment for all children.
Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
43. Examine your assumptions. It is very common for instructors to assume that
student share their own background, but this is not necessarily so.
We should not find ourselves addressing students as if they all share our
religion, sexual orientation, or economic class.
Learn and use studentsā names. Even in large classes, you can start with a
few names and
build up. At the very least, let students know you are making an effort to do so.
Model inclusive language. For instance, avoid using masculine pronouns for
both males and females. When you use idioms close to our culture and
language in Trinidad, explain them for the benefit of non-native English
speakers.
44. Use multiple and diverse examples. Multiple examples increase the
likelihood of students relating to at least one of them. Take care to include
examples that speak to both sexes and that work across cultures.
Establish ground rules for interaction. This will assure that other students
are also being inclusive and respectful. In order to generate maximal buy-in
into the ground rules, involve the students in the process of establishing
them. You will still need to enforce the ground rules and correct students for
the occasional non-inclusive or disrespectful comment
Strategies focused on the General Classroom
45. Examine your curriculum. Make certain that different perspectives are
systematically represented in your course materials (e.g., a course on
family focusing only on traditional families, or a course on public policy
ignoring race issues)? Neglecting some issues implies a value judgment
and bias, which can alienate certain groups of students.
Be mindful of low ability cues. In their efforts to help students, some
instructors inadvertently send mixed messages (e.g., āSure, Iāll be happy
to help you with this, I know girls have trouble with mathā). These cues
encourage attributions focused on permanent, uncontrollable causes,
which diminish studentsā self-efficacy. Instead, it is more productive to
focus on controllable causes, such as effort.
Strategies focused on the General Classroom
46. Provide accommodations for students with disabilities. Instructors are
required by law to provide reasonable accommodations to students with
documented disabilities.
Donāt ask people to speak for an entire group. Minority students often
report either feeling invisible in class, or sticking out like a sore thumb.
This experience is heightened when they are addressed as spokespeople
for their whole group, and can have implications on performance.
Strategies focused on the General Classroom
47. Practice inclusive classroom behaviors. Of course, we as educators are not
out to intentionally exclude anybody from the educational experience.
However, many researchers report small unconscious behaviors āmicro-
inequitiesā ā that certain student groups experience repeatedly. For instance,
females report that instructors tend to interrupt them more often than
men, ignore them more often, call on them less often, ask them more recall
questions and less analytical questions, acknowledge their contributions less,
and build on their answers less (Hall,1982).
Strategies focused on the General Classroom
48. Strategies focused on students with disabilities
ļ¶The special needs child will need some adjustments to be able to fully participate in
your classroom.
ļ¶Fortunately, most of the adjustments are minor and can be accomplished with a
minimum of effort.
ļ¶The easiest things to do are change a few of your standard items.
ļ¶Add a tape recorder for language, use squeeze only scissors, put in board books, big
size legos, increase spacing between tables and walls, make sure shelves are firmly
anchored, and arrange rooms so that all of the areas can be easily seen by an adult
from any position.
49. Strategies focused on students with disabilities
ļ¶Probably the biggest concern with any special needs child is
behavior.
ļ¶Attention deficit,hyperactivity, learning disabilities and more all
influence a child's behavior.
ļ¶These children become frustrated more easily and frustration can
lead to behavior problems.
ļ¶The best tool for handling negative behavior is to anticipate it.
ļ¶You can recognize what leads to an episode of unacceptable
50. ļ¶For many children, transitions are the main focus.
ļ¶Try announcing any transition at least five minutes ahead of time and every minute
thereafter go over to the child and tell them face to face that the activity is coming to an
end.
ļ¶Give the child a specific job to do such as put away crayons, slide in chairs, set out carpet
squares.
ļ¶Repeat what is coming up next and have the children tell you what is going to happen.
ļ¶Another easy idea is to break down tasks into smaller steps.
ļ¶For example, when painting, have the child first get a smock, then show the paint, then
have her do her art.
ļ¶When she is finished, walk her through the steps to put things away and put away her
picture
Strategies focused on students with disabilities
51. ļ¶Avoid giving more than two steps at a time.
ļ¶Teach the child to break up big tasks as well.
ļ¶ For instance, when doing a puzzle have him dump the pieces, then turn them over,
then find all of the edge parts first.
ļ¶ By having a system to follow, the child will be able to concentrate more and have less
cause for frustration.
ļ¶Another problem area is communicating with peers.
ļ¶Children who have language difficulties also face problems in problem solving, social
interaction, and play.
ļ¶Try having an adult in the child's play group to model asking to play, interacting with
others, sharing, exchanging ideas, and solving problems.
Strategies focused on students with disabilities
52. ļ¶All of these strategies will help to create inclusive schools which are those
that embrace diversity, provide access to knowledge, skills, and information
to all students, tailor learning to meet individual needs, encourage co-
teaching and collaboration among general and special educators, collaborate
with families and community members, think outside the box in terms of
school structure and finance, maintain high expectations of all students,
engage in continuous improvement, and promote and support inclusive
communities.
Strategies focused on students with disabilities
54. Comenius (1592-1670) ā characterized āSchool of the Motherā as the most
appropriate vehicle for education in the first six years of life and advocated that the
child learn āspontaneously ā¦ in play whatever may be learned at homeā.
Advocated for universal education of all children including Children with
Disabilities.
Opened door for education of women
Comenius thought instruction should move from general to specific, from easy to
difficult and believed to engage children with nature.
54
55. He rejected the conventional wisdom that children were inherently bad and that
teachers needed to use corporal punishment to discipline them.
He was a naturalistic educator who believed children were innately good and
learned most effectively and efficiently by examining objects in their immediate
natural environment.
Comenius anticipated many practices associated with modern child-centered
progressive education.
He wrote the Great Didactic (a textbook for curriculum and education) and was
the first to use pictures in text books for teaching children.
55
57. The first formal kindergarten classes, based on traditional religious
values, were established in Germany by Frederich Frobel in the early
1800s.
A practical orientation to early education came from the British
industrialist and socialist, Robert Owen, who set up an infant school
for the children of his cotton mill workers from the age of one.
In 1805 Froebel briefly studied architecture in Frankfurt, got hired as
a teacher and took a short course with Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi at
Yverdon, where he interned from 1808 to 1810.
57
58. It is generally agreed that the theories espoused by the German theorist,
Fredrich Froebel (1782ā1852) as the creator of the first ākindergartenā or
āchildrenās gardenā, were not only the most significant during his time, but still
have an enduring influence on current early childhood practices (Ailwood 2007).
Froebel believed that children would learn through their play, and therefore,
āālearn to live in harmony with others and natureāā (Platz and Arellano 2011, p.
60).
58
59. The number of innovations that Froebel pioneered through his research is
startling, and includes multiple intelligences (different learning styles), play-
based, child-centered, holistic education, parent involvement/ training,
educational paper-folding, use of music, games, and movement activities for
education.
Froebelās kindergarten used free play, games, songs, stories, and crafts to
stimulate imagination while developing physical and motor skills.
59
60. The kindergarten program was designed to meet childrenās needs for physical
activity, sensory awareness, creative expression, exploration of ideas and
concepts, the pleasure of singing, and the experience of living among others.
His educational approach was for āself-activity,ā the idea that allowed the child to
be led by his own interests and to freely explore them.
The teacher became a guide rather than a lecturer.
60
61. Jean Piaget
He developed the stage theory which describes
the cognitive development of children.
Caregivers can facilitate childrenās learning by
providing them ample opportunities to explore and
by monitoring them to keep them safe.
61
62. Lev Vygotsky Russian Psychologist (1896ā1934)
At the heart of Vygtoskyās theory lies the
understanding of human cognition and learning
as social and cultural rather than individual
phenomena.
He strongly believed in the close relationship
between learning and development and in the
socio-cultural nature of both.
62
63. Both theories, and the pedagogical approaches that were based on them,
stressed construction and symbolic (pretend) play and peer interaction as
the basis of broad cognitive and social development (Copple et al., 1984;
Verba, 1998).
Vygotskyās social constructivism, that built on Piagetās theory but
emphasized the role of adults and teachers as representatives of the wider
culture in childrenās development.
63
64. Vygotsky coined the term zone of proximal development (ZPD) , which refers to
the ideal level of adult/older child support or assistance that a child needs to
learn a new skill.
Scaffolding refers to the adjustment that one must make with supports, in order
to enhance the childās independence and confidence in learning new skills.
64
69. John Bowlby
Bowlbyās most important contribution lay in
his emphasis on the importance of the
close and caring interpersonal relationships
that infants and young children have with
their primary caregivers.
69
70. Bowlby was convinced that an ongoing warm relationship between an adult
and a young child was as crucial to the childās survival and healthy
development as the provision of food, child care, stimulation and discipline.
The lack of personalized care during the early years of life has a devastating
effect on the childās health, growth, personality adjustment and cognitive
capacity.
John Bolwbyās discovery of the importance of secure attachment of the infant
to the adult caregiver as fundamental for healthy emotional and social
development was the start of a worldwide research program into childrenās
social relationships in early childhood.
70
71. According to research in this area, sensitive-responsive care giving is the
strongest determinant of secure attachment (de Wolff & van IJzendoorn, 1997).
This means that parents should react promptly and adequately to signals of
distress of the child, should initiate interactions with the child and respond
contingently and meaningfully to interaction initiatives by the child, and should
provide age-appropriate stimulation to the child (e.g., vocalising, talking,
engaging in shared book reading, providing play and construction materials).
71
73. Maria Montessori
First female physician in Italy
and for director of an institution
for children with MR.
Opened the first nursery
school in the slums of Rome in
1907.
73
74. At the age of 28 she became the director of a school for mentally-disabled
children.
After two years under her guidance, these children, who formerly had been
considered uneducable, took a school examination along with ānormalā children
and passed successfully.
She applied the methods she had developed for training children with intellectual
impairments to the preschool education of non-disabled children.
Her method departed from traditional early childhood curricula in its emphasis on
individualized self-teaching by children within a carefully prepared classroom
envāt.
74
75. Most Important Contributions by Montessori
Developed a unique system of ECE named Montessori Method which
was first formulated for children with learning and developmental
disabilities and later adapted and effectively used with typical and
gifted children.
The practical application of the Montessori Method is based on
human tendencies ā to explore, move, share with a group, to be
independent and make decisions, create order, develop self-control,
abstract ideas from experience, use the creative imagination, work
hard, repeat, concentrate, and perfect oneās efforts. 75
76. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
Every day, early childhood practitioners make a great many decisions, both
long-term and short term.
As they do so, they need to keep in mind the identified goals for childrenās
learning and development and be intentional in helping children achieve these
goals.
The core of developmentally appropriate practice lies in this intentionality, in the
knowledge that practitioners consider when they are making decisions, and in
their always aiming for goals that are both challenging and achievable for
children.
76
77. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
Knowledge to consider in making decisions
In all aspects of their work with children, early childhood practitioners must
consider these three areas of knowledge:
1. What is known about child development
and learning?
Referring to knowledge of age-related characteristics that permits general
predictions about what experiences are likely to best promote childrenās
learning and development.
77
78. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
Teachers who are knowledgeable about child development and learning are
able to make broad predictions about what children of a particular age
group typically will be like, what they typically will and will not be capable of, and
what strategies and approaches will most likely promote their optimal learning
and development.
With this knowledge ,teachers can make preliminary decisions with some
confidence about environment, materials, interactions, and activities.
At the same time, their knowledge also tells them that specific groups of
children and the individual children in any group always will
be the same in some ways but different in others.
78
79. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
2. What is known about each child as an individual?
Referring to what practitioners learn about each child that has implications for
how best to adapt and be responsive to that individual variation.
To be effective, teachers must get to know each child in the group well. They
do this using a variety of methods ,such as observation, clinical
interview (an extended dialogue in which the adult seeks to discern the childās
concepts or strategies), examination of childrenās work, individual child
assessments, and talking with families.
From the information and insights gathered, teachers make plans and
adjustments to promote each childās individual development and learning as fully
as possible.
79
80. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
Developmental variation among children is the norm, and any one childās
progress also will vary across domains and disciplines, contexts, and
time.
Children differ in many other respects, tooāincluding in their strengths,
interests, and preferences; personalities and approaches to learning; and
knowledge, skills, and abilities based on prior experiences. Children may also
have special learning needs; sometimes these have been diagnosed
and sometimes they have not.
Responding to each child as an individual is fundamental to developmentally
appropriate practice.
80
81. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
3. What is known about the social and cultural contexts in which children
live?
Referring to the values, expectations, and behavioral and linguistic
conventions that shape childrenās lives at home and in their
communities that practitioners must strive to understand in order to ensure
that learning experiences in the program or school are meaningful,
relevant, and respectful for each child and family.
81
82. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
As we grow up in a family and in a broader social and cultural community, we
all come to certain understandings about what our group considers appropriate,
values, expects, admires.
We learn this through direct teaching from ou rparents and other important
people in our lives and through observing those around us.
Among these understandings, we absorb ārulesā about behaviorsāsuch as how
to show respect, how to interact with people we know well and those we
have just met, how to regard time and personal space, how to dress, and
countless other attitudes and actions.
.
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83. Core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice
We typically absorb these rules very early and very deeply, so we live by them
with little conscious thought.
When young children are in a group setting outside the home, what makes
sense to them, how they use language to interact, and
how they experience this new world depend on the social and cultural contexts to
which they are accustomed.
A skilled teacher takes such contextual factors into account, along with the
childrenās ages and their individual differences, in shaping all aspects of the
learning environment.
83