This document discusses developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) in early childhood education. DAP focuses on teaching based on children's ages, experiences, capabilities, and interests. It considers individual human development and uses appropriate materials, learning experiences, and expectations for children. The NAEYC first published principles and guidelines for DAP in 1987 for children from birth to age 8. Revisions in 1997 and 2009 reflected ongoing concerns about learning expectations, curriculum, teaching practices, cultural and linguistic inclusion, and children with disabilities. Effective DAP requires understanding child development and learning styles, meeting children individually and as a group, and helping them achieve goals. Teachers should observe children, plan curriculum, assess knowledge and interests, and maintain learning goals while meeting children

1. Developmentally Appropriate Practice:
Knowledge & Application
Prepared/Formatted by: Dr. Rhonda Moore-Jackson
For use with: Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education:
Building a Foundation
Chapter 3
Second Edition
Sue Bredekamp

2. What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice?
• Teaching to children’s:
• Ages
• Experiences
• Capabilities
• Interests
• Based in knowledge of child development and learning
• Concept of “developmentally appropriate” focuses on:
• Age-related and individual human distinction
• Materials utilized
• Learning experiences
• Expectations for children

3. NAEYC Position Statement on
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
• First published in 1987
• Describes principles and guidelines for teaching birth - age 8
• Includes recommended practices for varied age groups
• Revised in 1997, 2009
• Revisions reflect ongoing concerns
• Learning expectations
• Curriculum
• Teaching practices and decision-making
• Role of culture and language
• Inclusion of children with disabilities

4. Developmentally Appropriate
Practices in the Classroom
• Begins with a foundation of understanding child development
and learning styles
• Teachers need to
• Meet children where they are
• Individually
• As a group
• Help each child attain challenging & achievable goals

5. Observe children’s engagement
with materials, activities, and
people
Plan curriculum and adapt
teaching strategies
Assess what children already
know and their interests
Keep teaching goals in mind
MEETING
CHILDREN
WHERE THEY ARE

6. Individualize
goals to reflect
developmental
level
Provide
opportunities to
practice new
skills
Follow mastered
skills with new
challenges and
goals

7. • Have a purpose for your actions
• Make your decisions for a reason
• Make plans but remain flexible
to “teachable moments”

8. • Carefully organize the environment
• Select and arrange materials to promote
active engagement
• Regularly observe and assess
children
• Set new learning goals

9. • Reflect on decisions
• Gather evidence of children’s development
• Discuss practices with colleagues and families
• Modify practices to meet children’s needs and help
them make continued learning progress

10. • Result of careful advance consideration and planning
• Learning experiences
• Planning curriculum
• Setting up the physical environment
• Immediate decisions
• Support child’s learning and developmental progress

11. – Creating a learning community
– Enhancing learning and development
– Planning curriculum to achieve goals
– Assessing children’s learning and development
– Establishing reciprocal relationships with families

12. • Children’s care and education are equally
important
• Children learn through positive relationships with
adults and other children
• Learning contexts are important

13. • Plan learning experiences and environment
• Use a variety of teaching strategies
• Use various learning contexts

14. • Use scientifically-based
curriculum
• Adapt curriculum to
needs, strengths, and
interests of children

15. • Integral component of DAP
• Based on multiple sources of information
especially observation and recording
• Ongoing, systematic process

16. Build Relationships with Families and
Communities
• Reciprocal Relationships
• Includes mutual
respect, trust, cooperati
on, and shared responsibility
• Requires regular, open communication
• Willingness to negotiate differences

17. The Teacher’s Role in Context
• Make useful decisions based on a broad base of information
• Five interrelated dimensions:
(1) creating a caring community of learners
(2) teaching to enhance learning and development
(3) planning curriculum to meet important goals
(4) assessing children’s learning and development
(5) establishing reciprocal relationships with families.

18. • Moving from Either/Or to Both/And thinking
• Encourages complex thinking where several
answers could be possible
• Perspective and views change

19. • What works
• Child-initiated and teacher-
guided experiences
• Active learning
• Problem-solving
• Positive social relationships
• Basis for DAP
Examining the Research

20. Evidence of Research-based
DAP on Learning
• Higher academic achievement
• Positive relationships to
• School readiness
• Cognitive development

21. Continued discussion
and debate on

22. Increased demands for
accountability

23. Culturally and
developmentally appropriate
practices

24. Closing the achievement gap

25. Next Step
Now that you have reviewed the
Power Point presentation and the
associated reading material, proceed
to Module 5A and complete the
assessment.