DEVELOPMENTALLY PECE301

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE W1_PART2

LET’S DISCUSS
Why do we need to consider developmental appropriatenesss?

• Every child has the right to equitable opportunities fully supporting optimal development
and learning across all domains and content areas.

• It is the responsibility of educators to plan and implement activities promoting

development, and general learning competencies of each child served.
• NAEYC defines “developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)” as methods that promote each
child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based
approach to joyful, engaged learning.

• Developmentally appropriate practice recognizes and supports each individual as a valued

member of the learning community. As a result, to be developmentally appropriate, practices
must also be culturally, linguistically ,and ability-appropriate for each child.
• The Developmentally Appropriate Practice Position Statement is a framework of
principles and guidelines to support a teacher’s intentional decision-making for practice.

• The evidence base for the guidelines for practic, and both are situated within three core
considerations—commonality, individuality, and context.
CORE
CONSIDERATIONS
1- COMMONALITY- In Children’s Development And Learning

2-INDIVIDUALITY—The Characteristics And Experiences Unique To Each Child

3- CONTEXT—Everything About The Social And Cultural Contexts

For Each Child, Each Educator, And The Program As A Whole
PRINCIPLES OF CHILD
DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
AND IMPLICATIONS THAT
INFORM PRACTICE
1-Development and learning are
dynamic processes that reflect the
complex interplay between a child’s
biological characteristics and the
environment, each shaping the other
as well as future patterns of growth

2-All domains of child development as

well as approaches to learning—are
important; each domain both supports
and is supported by the others.
3-Play promotes joyful learning that fosters self-regulation, language, cognitive and social
competencies as well as content knowledge across disciplines.

4-Although general progressions of development and learning can be identified, variations

due to cultural contexts, experiences, and individual differences must also be considered.
5-Children are active learners from birth, constantly taking in and organizing information to
create meaning through their relationships, their interactions with their environment, and their
overall experiences.
 6-Children’s motivation to learn is increased
when their learning environment fosters
their sense of belonging, purpose, and
agency.

! Curricula and teaching methods build on each child’s assets by connecting their
experiences in the school or learning environment to their home and community settings.
7-Children learn in an integrated fashion that cuts across academic disciplines or subject
areas. Because the foundations of subject area knowledge are established in early childhood,
educators need subject-area knowledge, an understanding of the learning progressions within
each subject area, and pedagogical knowledge about teaching each subject area’s content
effectively.
8-Development and learning advance when children are challenged to achieve at a level just
beyond their current mastery and when they have many opportunities to reflect on and
practice newly acquired skills.
9- Used responsibly and intentionally, technology and interactive media can be valuable tools
for supporting children’s development and learning.
GUIDELINES FOR DAP IN
ACTION: USING
KNOWLEDGE OF CHILD
DEVELOPMENT AND
LEARNING IN CONTEXT
1. CREATING A CARING, EQUITABLE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

• Each member of the community is valued by the others and is recognized for the strengths
they bring.
• Relationships are nurtured with each child, and educators facilitate the development of positive
relationships among children.
1. CREATING A CARING, EQUITABLE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

• Each member respects and is

accountable to the others to behave
in a way that is conducive to the
learning and well-being of all.

• The physical environment and the

daily schedule protects the health
and safety of the members, and it
specifically supports young children’s
physiological needs for play,
activity, sensory stimulation, fresh
air, rest, and nourishment.
• Every effort is made to help each and every member of the community feel psychologically
safe and able to focus on being and learning.
2. ENGAGING IN RECIPROCAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES AND FOSTERING
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

• Educators work in collaborative partnerships with families, seeking and maintaining regular,
frequent, two-way communication with them and recognizing that the forms of communication
may differ for each family.

• Educators welcome family members in the setting and create multiple opportunities for family
participation.
3. OBSERVING, DOCUMENTING, AND ASSESSING CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT AND
LEARNING

• Observation, documentation, and assessment of young children’s progress and achievements

is ongoing, strategic, reflective, and purposeful.

• Assessment focuses on children’s progress toward developmental and educational goals

• The methods of assessment recognize individual variation in learners and allow children to
demonstrate their competencies in different ways.
4- TEACHING TO ENHANCE EACH CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING

• Educators demonstrate and model their commitment to a caring learning community through
their actions, attitudes, and curiosity.
• Educators use their knowledge of each child and family to make learning experiences
meaningful, accessible, and responsive to every child.
• Educators effectively implement
a comprehensive curriculum so
that each child attains
individualized goals across all
domains and across all subject
areas.

• Educators plan the environment,

schedule, and daily activities to
promote each child’s development
and learning.
• Educators know how and when to scaffold children’s learning.
• Educators differentiate instructional approaches to match each child’s interests, knowledge,
and skills
5. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING AN ENGAGING CURRICULUM TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL
GOALS

• Desired goals that are important for young children’s development and learning in general and
culturally and linguistically responsive to children in particular have been identified and clearly
articulated.
• The program has a comprehensive, effective curriculum that targets the identified goals across
all domains of development and subject areas.
• Educators make meaningful connections a priority in the learning experiences they provide each
child.

6. DEMONSTRATING PROFESSIONALISM AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR

RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR IMPLEMENTING
DEVELOPMENTALLY
APPROPRIATE
PRACTICE
1. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOLS, FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES, AND OTHER
PROGRAM SETTINGS

• Support educators’ access to higher education and professional development

opportunities that allow them to build knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

• Support professional development for administrators, supervisors, and those responsible

for assessment and evaluation of early childhood educators to ensure they understand
the principles and guidelines of developmentally appropriate practice and use them
to inform decisions regarding program implementation.
• Ensure that program policies facilitate and support strong, continuous relationships
between teaching staff and children by offering working conditions and compensation
(wages and benefits) that attract and retain a diverse and qualified staff.

• Strive to ensure that the school or program provides equitable learning opportunities
to all children to help them achieve their full potential and avoids the use of suspension or
expulsion.
• The curriculum promotes all domains of development while providing a coherent and flexible
framework that supports educators in making adaptations to meet the unique interests and
needs of the children.

• Provide mentoring and coaching for educators and administrators to encourage reflection and
continuous learning about the children, families, and communities served.
• Actively engage family members and the broader community in all aspects of program
planning and implementation, recognizing and taking into account the systemic inequities
that can make it difficult for members of traditionally marginalized groups to participate.

• Cultivate relationships with community resources, including local libraries, museums, public
parks, physical and mental health consultants, and government services that can support the
program and families as well as strengthen civic connections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n44ef2GJ1es&t=36s