Developmentally Appropriate Practice

The long-awaited new edition of NAEYC's book Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs is here, fully revised and updated! Since the first edition in 1987, it has been an essential resource for the early childhood education field. Early childhood educators have a professional responsibility to plan and implement intentional, developmentally appropriate learning experiences that promote the social and emotional development, physical development and health, cognitive development, and general learning competencies of each child served. But what is developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)? DAP is a framework designed to promote young children's optimal learning and development through a strengths-based approach to joyful, engaged learning. As educators make decisions to support each child's learning and development, they consider what they know about (1) commonality in children's development and learning, (2) each child as an individual (within the context of their family and community), and (3) everything discernible about the social and cultural contexts for each child, each educator, and the program as a whole. This latest edition of the book is fully revised to underscore the critical role social and cultural contexts play in child development and learning, including new research about implicit bias and teachers' own context and consideration of advances in neuroscience. Educators implement developmentally appropriate practice by recognizing the many assets all young children bring to the early learning program as individuals and as members of families and communities. They also develop an awareness of their own context. Building on each child's strengths, educators design and implement learning settings to help each child achieve their full potential across all domains of development and across all content areas.

This volume spells out more fully the principles undergirding developmentally appropriate practice and guidelines for making decisions in the classroom for young children.

Outlines the core ideas of DAP as practiced in kindergarten so teachers can deepen their everyday practice.

This volume combines research and practice on integrated developmentally appropriate curriculum in a manner that will help theorists, researchers, parents, school administrators, and teachers understand how to match early childhood teaching practices to the integrated manner that young children naturally think and learn. The book features specialists in each of the traditional curriculum areas (e.g., math, science, literacy) who share their expertise on how to accomplish this in practical and meaningful ways based on NAEYC and other professional organization guidelines. What an integrated curriculum means for assessment, children with disabilities, guidance, parenting, social development, and multicultural perspectives in early childhood education is also covered.

Filled with information and inspiration for applying DAP in your work with children in grades 1-3.

This book represents the early childhood profession's consensus definition of developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. It is intended for use by teachers, administrators, parents and policy makers.

"Questions such as these are typically asked by early childhood professionals-in-training as well as by seasoned practitioners in the field. Our work with students and increasing numbers of educators probing for answers indicated the need for a comprehensive guide to support the exploration, planning, and implementation of developmentally appropriate programs for young children. Thus, our goal in writing Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education is to bring together the best information currently available for developing an integrated approach to curriculum and instruction in the early years. We also hope to bridge the worlds of childcare and early education, as well as those of preprimary and early primary programs. This book addresses early childhood professionals-in training and professionals working in formal group settings with young children from 3 to 8 years old"--

The introductory chapter describes the two central frameworks -- developmentally appropriate practice and teacher dominion -- and provides conceptual background on teacher practical knowledge. The next five chapters present the case studies, and the final three chapters address issues common to all teachers, using material from the teacher participants as examples.