1 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
What’s In This Kit?
This training kit is designed to introduce teachers to the essentials of developmentally
appropriate practices in early care and education. It contains:
• Expected training outcomes
• Preparation instructions
• Training strategies and tips
• Implementation steps
• Follow-up activities for teachers
• Follow-up activities for administrators/directors
• A learning assessment
• A training evaluation/further needs assessment
• A resource list
• The article “Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice”
by Marjorie Kostelnik
• A training certificate to award to teachers for attendance and participation
• A certificate for the trainer and other presenters
Who’s the Target Audience?
The target audience for this kit is for beginning teachers working with children from age birth to 8.
Teacher Skill Level Children’s Age Level
beginning intermediate advanced infants toddlers preschoolers school-agers birth to 8
Recognizing the Essentialsof Developmentally Appropriate Practice
2 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Kit Timeline:
Preparation time for this kit is 1.0 hour. Implementation time is estimated at 1.5 – 2.0 hours
Training Outcomes:
1. Teachers will define developmentally appropriate practice as an approach to informed
decision making within the context of the early childhood classroom.
2. Teachers will identify three essential components or principles of developmentally
appropriate practice.
3. Teachers will understand that developmentally appropriate practice is more than a list
of dos and don’ts.
4. Teachers will identify misconceptions about developmentally appropriate practice.
5. Teachers will show how an understanding of early childhood education and
development supports developmentally appropriate practice.
6. Teachers will examine the concept of previous knowledge.
7. Teachers will examine children’s contextual factors.
8. Teachers will analyze how respect for children is translated into teaching behavior.
9. Teachers will plan ways to apply the essentials of developmentally appropriate practice
to their teaching practice.
These training outcomes address the following:• Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and
Accreditation Performance Criteria (2005), www.naeyc.org.
• Standards 1, 2, 3, and 4 of NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation, Initial
Licensure Level (2003), www.naeyc.org.
• Standard 1304 (a), (b), and (c) of Head Start Performance Standards (Federal Register, Nov. 5, 1996,
Volume 61, Number 215), www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/.
• Section E and Section F of the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education
Programs, National Association of Child Care Professionals (2005), www.naccp.org.
You may want to take the time now to locate additional state and local standards that
relate to this topic or requirements of other regulatory bodies specific to your program.
Add those to this plan to personalize it.
Preparation:
1. Read the article “Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice.”
Locate and read any of the following resources to support an understanding of the
topic:
Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1998). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early
Childhood Programs. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
3 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Kostelnik, M. J. (1992). Myths Associated with Developmentally Appropriate Programs.
Young Children, 47(4): 17-23.
Vander Wilt, J. L., & Monroe, V. (1998). Successfully Moving Toward Developmentally
Appropriate Practice: It takes time and effort!? Young Children, 53(4): 17-24.
2. Read through the entire training kit to familiarize yourself with the kit’s design,
implementation, handouts, etc.
3. Duplicate and distribute the article for teachers to read before the training session.
4. Collect the supplies and materials needed for this session, including flip chart paper
and markers.
5. Prepare the flip charts.
6. Duplicate the learning assessment and the certificate of attendance and participation.
Training Strategy:
• Small group activity
Training Tip: This training kit is designed for beginning teachers, yet it includes synthesis
level small group activities. Benjamin Bloom (1956) created a taxonomy for
categorizing educational activities that provides a useful structure for understanding
levels of thinking that are important in learning. A synthesis level activity requires
teachers to use prior knowledge or skills to create a new or original understanding that
can then be used in the dynamic role of teaching. Even beginning teachers benefit
from such thoughtful experiences. When teachers have the opportunity to synthesize
and apply what they have learned during educational experiences, it is more likely to
become part of their teaching skills and behavior.
This experience may be new for some teachers. Allow plenty of time for small groups to
work together. Support the process of figuring out the activity and the struggle to use
what they know individually in new ways in the small group activities. Resist the
tendency to provide answers. Resist the tendency to find a “right” or “best” answer.
Pose questions to further thinking as the groups work. Both the trainer and the teachers
will surprise themselves with the richness of the endeavor and the results.
Implementation:
1. Review the essentials of developmentally appropriate practice using Flip Chart 1:
Essence of Developmentally Appropriate Practice.
2. Divide teachers into small groups. Ask each group to select a reporter/recorder to
complete the handout and share the results.
4 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
3. Distribute Handout 1: Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate
Practice. Ask each group to identify three attributes of children in their classrooms and
explore the teaching practices they think will support these attributes. To structure this
discussion, use Fip Chart 2: Child Traits and Attributes, as a starting place.
4. Return to the larger group. Invite reporters to share one trait or attribute and the
related early care and education teaching practices identified by the group. Use Flip
Chart 3: Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, to record
the examples shared.
5. After reporters conclude, ask teachers to return to their small groups to consider the
practices they identified further. Distribute Handout 2: Three Questions. Ask teachers
to consider the three questions identified in the article by Kostelnik to determine the
congruence of teachers’ ideas with current views on developmentally appropriate
practice. Encourage teachers to complete the last column — carefully identifying
knowledge, considering individual differences, and considering respect. You may
want to provide copies of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (1997) for the groups
to use as a reference.
6. Reconvene the large group and facilitate a summary discussion of the experience,
focusing on how much information and understanding the group’s questioning
created.
7. Distribute Handout 3: Applying the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
(Sample) and Handout 4: Applying the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate
Practice.
8. Review the example (Handout 3) to illustrate the next activity.
9. To give teachers experience applying the essentials of developmentally appropriate
practice, ask teachers to return to their small groups, identify a classroom problem or
issue that needs attention, and then complete Handout 4 as a group.
10. Reconvene the large group and ask reporters to share the issue the group worked on
and one insight, understanding, or plan of action.
11. Conclude the training session by returning to Flip Chart 1: Essence of Developmentally
Appropriate Practice. Review the three esentials of developmentally appropriate
practice and remind teachers to use this helpful strategy in decision-making for future
issues or problems.
Follow-up Activities for Teachers:
1. The next time a child poses challenges or problems in the classroom, use the process
practiced in this session to identify developmentally appropriate practices to use in
supporting the child’s continued development.
5 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
2. Observe to see if the identified developmentally appropriate ideas generated work. If
they don’t seem to, repeat the process and fine tune the suggestions.
Follow-up Activities for Directors:
1. Use the process practiced in the training session when teachers come to you with issues
or problems to consider. Resist the tendency to solve the problem or make suggestions.
Instead, use Handout 4 to consider the three essentials of developmentally appropriate
practice and to discover strategies that might work. To make this easy, keep some
copies of Handout 4 close by to record your discussion related to the identified issue.
2. Create a file with completed copies of Handout 4. Mark out children and family
members’ names and use the samples. Keep copies to provide ideas about how to
handle similar issues faced by different teachers at different times with different
children.
3. When one teacher works through an issue with a positive outcome, use her to mentor
other teachers in how to consider options that are developmentally appropriate.
4. Order copies of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (1997) or the brochures that
summarize key elements of developmentally appropriate practice for different ages of
children from NAEYC (go to www.naeyc.org for ordering information). Share them with
teachers and families.
Learning AssessmentAsk teachers to complete the learning assessment to validate their understanding of the topic.
Training Evaluation / Further Needs Assessment:
1. Ask teachers to complete the evaluation.
2. Use the responses to identify further training needs.
What’s Next?If the training evaluation and further needs assessment indicates that your staff needs furthertraining in curriculum, take a look at “The Project Approach in the Early Years,” (Out of the BoxTraining Kit #4400201).
Resources: Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1998). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood
Programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.Kostelnik, M. J. (1992). Myths Associated with Developmentally Appropriate Programs. Young Children,
47(4): 17-23.Vander Wilt, J. L., & Monroe, V. (1998). Sucessfully Moving toward Developmentally Appropriate Practice:
It takes time and effort!? Young Children, 53(4): 17-24.
6 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Flip ChartsRecognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Flip Chart 1
Essence of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
1. Developmentally appropriate practice means taking into account everything we know about
how children develop and learn and matching that to the content and strategies planned for
them in early care and education programs.
2. Developmentally appropriate practice means treating children as individuals, not as a cohort
group.
3. Developmentally appropriate practice means treating children with respect — recognizing
changing capabilities and having faith in children’s capacity to grow and learn.
Flip Chart 2
Child Traits and Attributes
Active Learners
Busy
Capable
Careful
Cautious
Challenging
Competent
Curious
Eager to Learn
Fiesty
Flexible
Hands-on Learners
Happy
Inquisitive
Playful
Talkative
7 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Flip Chart 3
Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Child Traits Early Care and Education Practices
Flip ChartsRecognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
8 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Handout 1Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Child Traits or Attributes Early Care and Education Practice
The early care and education teacher:
The early care and education teacher:
The early care and education teacher:
9 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Handout 2Three Questions
Is this practicein keeping withwhat I knowabout childdevelopmentand learning?
Which theories, age characteristics, stage characteristics, etc.
Does thispractice takeinto accountchildren’sindividualneeds?
Which individual needs?; (e.g., developmental uniquenessacross domains; within domains; or alternate developmentalpathways, etc.)
Does thispracticedemonstraterespect forchildren?
How does it demonstate recognizing children’s changingcapabilities and having faith in their capacity to learn anddevelop?
YES NO
10 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Issu
e: M
ich
ael
a h
its
frie
nd
s
Da
te: 1
/5/0
4
Early
Ca
re a
nd E
duc
atio
n Pr
act
ice
The
ea
rly c
are
and
ed
uca
tion
tea
che
r:
• C
on
sid
ers
envi
ron
men
tal
cau
ses
for
beh
avi
or
(li
ke
too
ma
ny
chil
dre
n i
n o
ne
spa
ce,
too f
ew m
ate
ria
ls o
r
supp
lies
, po
orl
y a
rra
ng
ed s
pace
, et
c.)
• S
eeks
the
un
der
lyin
g c
au
se o
f h
itti
ng
, lo
okin
g f
or
the
“wh
y” i
nst
ead
of
just
wh
o d
id w
ha
t to
wh
om
• M
akes
th
e ru
le a
bou
t n
ot
hu
rtin
g f
rien
ds
or
thin
gs
clea
r
• C
om
fort
s th
e h
urt
ch
ild
, co
mm
enti
ng
on
th
e im
pact
of
the
ag
gre
ssio
n o
n h
im o
r h
er
• W
ait
s u
nti
l ev
eryo
ne
is c
alm
to p
roce
ed
• I
den
tifi
es a
dd
itio
na
l w
ays
for
the
chil
d t
o g
et w
ha
t
she
wa
nts
wit
hou
t h
itti
ng
• D
iscu
sses
opt
ion
s w
ith
th
e ch
ild
, in
clu
din
g h
is o
r h
er
idea
s, f
eeli
ng
s, a
nd
in
put
into
th
e li
st o
f opt
ion
s.
• M
akes
expe
cta
tion
s cl
ear
to t
he
chil
d a
bou
t w
ha
t to
do w
hen
you
wa
nt
to h
it (
call
me,
cou
nt
to 1
0,
take
a
dee
p bre
ath
) a
s w
ell
as
wh
at
the
con
sequ
ence
s of
such
beh
avi
or
wil
l be.
Chi
ld T
raits
, Attr
ibut
es,
Issu
es,
Beha
vio
rs, o
r Cha
lleng
es
Beh
avi
or
seem
s u
npr
ovo
ked
.
Ch
ild
is
new
to t
he
cla
ssro
om
.
Ma
y n
ot
un
der
sta
nd
th
e im
pact
of
her
act
ion
s on
oth
ers.
Does
n’t
see
m t
o k
now
how
to g
et w
ha
t sh
e w
an
tsw
ith
ou
t h
itti
ng
.
Han
dout
3PA
RT1
- App
lyin
g th
e Es
sent
ials
of
Deve
lopm
enta
lly A
ppro
pria
te P
ract
ice
(Exa
mpl
e)
11 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Insig
hts,
Und
ers
tand
ing
, Pla
ns
•O
bse
rve
for
wh
at,
wh
en,
wh
ere,
wh
y, a
nd
wit
h w
hom
th
is c
hil
d u
ses
ag
gre
ssio
n f
or
the
nex
t w
eek.
•In
vite
som
eon
e to
obse
rve
an
d h
elp
iden
tify
wa
ys t
o h
elp
all
ch
ild
ren
solv
e pr
oble
ms
wit
hou
t h
itti
ng
.
•P
lan
som
e a
ctiv
itie
s to
giv
e M
ich
ael
a s
ucc
essf
ul
pra
ctic
e w
ith
on
e or
two c
hil
dre
n t
o b
uil
d s
kil
ls a
nd
con
fid
ence
.
•Sp
end
more
tim
e fa
cili
tati
ng
in
tera
ctio
ns
bet
wee
n M
ich
ael
a a
nd
oth
ers
du
rin
g t
he
tim
e of
da
y w
hen
obse
rva
tion
sh
ow
s th
at
ag
gre
ssio
n o
ccu
rs.
•C
oll
ect
an
ecd
ota
l obse
rva
tion
s a
bou
t su
cces
sfu
l in
tera
ctio
ns
to p
rovi
de
opp
ort
un
itie
s to
en
cou
rag
e
Mic
ha
ela
by
poin
tin
g o
ut
succ
esse
s.
•Sh
are
th
e pl
an
wit
h f
am
ily
mem
ber
s a
nd
ask
for
thei
r in
put
an
d s
ug
ges
tion
s to
im
prove
or
mod
ify
it.
•Sh
ari
ng
res
ou
rces
is
dif
ficu
lt f
or
Mic
ha
ela
. M
ake
sure
th
at
reso
urc
e-sc
arc
e a
ctiv
itie
s a
re f
aci
lita
ted
by
an
ad
ult
or
tha
t a
sep
ara
te s
pace
(on
a t
ray
or
sma
ll a
rea
ca
rpet
) is
set
up
to h
elp
Mic
ha
ela
su
ccee
d
at
doin
g s
uch
act
ivit
ies
wit
hou
t h
avi
ng
to w
orr
y if
sh
e h
as
enou
gh
res
ou
rces
.
Han
dout
3PA
RT2
- App
lyin
g th
e Es
sent
ials
of
Deve
lopm
enta
lly A
ppro
pria
te P
ract
ice
(Exa
mpl
e)
Issu
e: M
ich
ael
a h
its
frie
nd
s D
ate
: 1/5
/04
12 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Han
dout
3PA
RT3
- App
lyin
g th
e Es
sent
ials
of
Deve
lopm
enta
lly A
ppro
pria
te P
ract
ice
(Exa
mpl
e)Is
sue
: Mic
ha
ela
hit
s fr
ien
ds
Whi
ch th
eo
ries,
ag
e c
hara
cte
ristic
s, st
ag
e c
hara
cte
ristic
s, e
tc.?
Tea
cher
s m
ain
tain
a s
afe
an
d h
ealt
hy
envi
ron
men
t.Th
ey a
nti
cipa
te a
nd
avo
id a
ccid
ents
or
proble
ms
bef
ore
th
ey o
ccu
r. (
Dev
elopm
enta
lly
App
ropr
iate
Pra
ctic
e, p
. 1
26
.)
Impu
lse
con
trol
is a
skil
l th
at
is l
earn
ed b
yin
crea
sin
g e
xpe
rien
ces
wit
h s
ucc
essf
ul
wa
itin
g a
nd
thin
kin
g b
efore
act
ing
.
Is th
is p
ract
ice
in k
ee
pin
g w
ith w
hat I
kno
w a
bo
ut
child
dev
elo
pm
ent
and
lea
rnin
g?
Con
sid
ers
envi
ron
men
tal
cau
ses
for
beh
avi
or
(li
ke
too m
an
y ch
ild
ren
in
on
esp
ace
, to
o f
ew m
ate
ria
ls o
r su
ppli
es,
poorl
ya
rra
ng
ed s
pace
, et
c.)
YE
S
NO
Do
es
this
pra
ctic
e ta
ke in
to a
cco
unt c
hild
ren’
s
ind
ivid
ual n
ee
ds?
Con
sid
ers
envi
ron
men
tal
cau
ses
for
beh
avi
or
(li
ke
too m
an
y ch
ild
ren
in
on
esp
ace
, to
o f
ew m
ate
ria
ls o
r su
ppli
es,
poorl
ya
rra
ng
ed s
pace
, et
c.)
Whi
ch in
div
idua
l ne
ed
s? (
e.g
., d
eve
lop
me
nta
l uni
que
ness
acr
oss
do
ma
ins,
with
in d
om
ain
s, o
r alte
rna
te d
eve
lop
me
nta
l
pa
thw
ays
, etc
.)
Ad
dre
sses
Mic
hea
la’s
dev
elopm
enta
l in
abil
ity
toco
ntr
ol
impu
lses
by
provi
din
g e
xte
rna
l su
pport
to
prev
ent
poor
impu
lse
con
trol
from
en
din
g p
lay
wit
hoth
ers.
YE
S
NO
YE
S
NO
Do
es
this
pra
ctic
e d
em
ons
trate
resp
ect
for c
hild
ren?
Con
sid
ers
envi
ron
men
tal
cau
ses
for
beh
avi
or
(li
ke
too m
an
y ch
ild
ren
in
on
esp
ace
, to
o f
ew m
ate
ria
ls o
r su
ppli
es,
poorl
ya
rra
ng
ed s
pace
, et
c.)
How
do
es
it d
em
ons
trate
reco
gni
zing
chi
ldre
n’s
cha
ngin
g
cap
ab
ilitie
s a
nd h
avi
ng fa
ith in
the
ir ca
pa
city
to le
arn
and
dev
elo
p?
It s
upp
ort
s su
cces
sfu
l in
tera
ctio
n w
ith
ou
t h
itti
ng
by
usi
ng
th
e en
viro
nm
ent
to s
upp
ort
su
cces
sfu
lin
tera
ctio
ns.
� � �
13 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Issu
e:
Da
te:
Early
Ca
re a
nd E
duc
atio
n Pr
act
ice
The
ea
rly c
are
and
ed
uca
tion
tea
che
r:
Chi
ld T
raits
, Attr
ibut
es,
Issu
es,
Beha
vio
rs, o
r Cha
lleng
es
Han
dout
4PA
RT1
- App
lyin
g th
e Es
sent
ials
of
Deve
lopm
enta
lly A
ppro
pria
te P
ract
ice
14 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Insig
hts,
Und
ers
tand
ing
, Pla
ns
Han
dout
4PA
RT2
- App
lyin
g th
e Es
sent
ials
of
Deve
lopm
enta
lly A
ppro
pria
te P
ract
ice
Issu
e:
Da
te:
15 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Han
dout
4PA
RT3
- App
lyin
g th
e Es
sent
ials
of
Deve
lopm
enta
lly A
ppro
pria
te P
ract
ice
Issu
e:
Whi
ch th
eo
ries,
ag
e c
hara
cte
ristic
s,
sta
ge
cha
ract
eris
tics,
etc
.?
Is th
is p
ract
ice
in k
ee
pin
g w
ith w
hat I
kno
w a
bo
ut
child
dev
elo
pm
ent
and
lea
rnin
g?
YE
S
NO
Do
es
this
pra
ctic
e ta
ke in
to a
cco
unt c
hild
ren’
s
ind
ivid
ual n
ee
ds?
Whi
ch in
div
idua
l ne
ed
s? (
e.g
., d
eve
lop
me
nta
l uni
que
ness
acr
oss
do
ma
ins,
with
in d
om
ain
s, o
r alte
rna
te d
eve
lop
me
nta
l
pa
thw
ays
, etc
.)Y
ES
NO
YE
S
NO
Do
es
this
pra
ctic
e d
em
ons
trate
resp
ect
for c
hild
ren?
How
do
es
it d
em
ons
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16 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Learning Assessment Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
1. True or False: No matter how well developed, no one set of guidelines can tell us everything there is
to know about early childhood education.
2. True or False: If a teacher knows and understands developmentally appropriate practice, it is easy
to just apply the guidelines without thinking or modifying them.
3. True or False: There are many ways to carry out a developmentally appropriate early childhood
program.
4. True or False: Developmentally appropriate programs are unstructured ones in which teachers offer
minimal guidance, if any at all, to the children in their care.
5. True or False: In developmentally appropriate programs, expectations for children’s behavior and
learning are low.
6. True or False: Developmentally appropriate practices cannot be adapted to meet the needs of
particular cultural groups or children of varying socio-economic backgrounds.
7. True or False: Respect for children involves having faith in their ability to eventually learn the
information, behaviors, and skills they will need to constructively function on their own.
8. In your own words, state the three essentials of developmentally appropriate practice according to
Kostelnik and how you might use them to solve a classroom challenge.
a.
b.
c.
Name___________________
Date____________________
17 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
Learning Assessment Evaluation RubricEssentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
1. True or False: No matter how well developed, no one set of guidelines can tell us everything there
is to know about early childhood education.
2. True or False: If a teacher knows and understands developmentally appropriate practice, it is easy
to just apply the guidelines without thinking or modifying them.
3. True or False: There are many ways to carry out a developmentally appropriate early childhood
program.
4. True or False: Developmentally appropriate programs are unstructured ones in which teachers
offer minimal guidance, if any at all, to the children in their care.
5. True or False: In developmentally appropriate programs, expectations for children’s behavior and
learning are low.
6. True or False: Developmentally appropriate practices cannot be adapted to meet the needs of
particular cultural groups or children of varying socio-economic backgrounds.
7. True or False: Respect for children involves having faith in their ability to eventually learn the
information, behaviors, and skills they will need to constructively function on their own.
8. In your own words, state the three essentials of developmentally appropriate practice according to
Kostelnik and how you might use them to solve a classroom challenge.
Accept any answer that contains the following key ideas.
a.Developmentally appropriate practice means taking into account everything we know
about how children develop and learn and matching that to the content and strategies
planned for them in early care and education programs.
b.Developmentally appropriate practice means treating children as individuals, not as a
cohort group.
c. Developmentally appropriate practice means treating children with respect — recognizing
changing capabilities and having faith in children’s capacity to grow and learn.
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A look at DAP in the real world
A group of four year olds have been in circle time for 40 minutes.— not DAP
Aiysha wants the easel all to herself. LaToya wants a turn. Theprovider helps the girls develop a time table for sharing over the nextseveral minutes. — DAP
Carlos, a kindergartner in an after school program, laboriously copies aseries of words onto lined paper. — not DAP
Judgments Related to DAP
The guidelines for developmentallyappropriate practice put forward bythe National Association for theEducation of Young Children(NAEYC) and later corroborated andembellished by organizations such asthe National Association of StateBoards of Education (NASBE) andthe National Association of Elemen-tary School Principals (NAESP)provide an excellent resource forthinking about, planning, andimplementing high quality programsfor young children. They serve toinform our decision making and togive us a basis for continually scru-tinizing our professional practices.
Yet, regardless of how well they aredeveloped, no one set of guidelinescan tell us everything there is toknow about early childhood educa-tion. Neither can they be appliedunthinkingly. Every day practition-ers find themselves in situations inwhich they must make judgmentsabout what to value and what to do.Some of these situations demand on-the-spot decision making; othersallow time for longer deliberation.Some involve relatively minorincidents; others are much moreserious. Some require making majorchanges in the environment or in
Recognizing the Essentials ofDevelopmentally Appropriate Practice
by Marjorie J. Kostelnik, PhD
Taken at face value, it seems easy todetermine whether or not thepreceding child care situationsreflect developmentally appropriatepractices. Closer scrutiny, however,may prompt us to reassess ouroriginal judgments.
For instance, we might revise ouropinion about the circle time uponlearning that the children are en-thralled by a storyteller who activelyinvolves them in the storytellingprocess and who has prolonged thegroup in response to the children’srequests to “tell us another one.”Likewise, helping children to share isusually a worthy endeavor. But, inthis case, Aiysha only recentlybecame a big sister and is having toshare many things for the first time— attention at home, her room, andmost of her things. Knowing this,we might determine that making hershare the easel on this occasion is
unnecessarily stressful. HelpingLaToya find an alternate activity thatwill satisfy her desire to paint couldbe a better course of action for now.A second look at Carlos reveals thathe is working hard to copy thewords “happy birthday” for apresent he is making for his mom.He is using a model created byanother child and is writing onpaper he selected himself. Withinthis context, it no longer seems soquestionable for Carlos to be en-gaged in copy work.
Scenarios such as these illustrate thatfiguring out what does or does notconstitute developmentally appro-priate practice requires more thansimply memorizing a particular setof do’s and don’ts. It involveslooking at every practice in contextand making judgments about eachchild and the environment in whichhe or she is functioning.
Reprinted with permission from Exchange magazine.Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864.Multiple use copy agreement available for educators by request.
Exchange 3/93
one’s teaching behavior; othersnecessitate only minimal changes ornone at all. Yet, hurried or meticu-lously planned, small or large,involving more or less action,practitioners continually have todecide whether or not their actionsand programs enhance or detractfrom the quality of children’s lives.
Confusion Over DAP
Spokespersons for NAEYC, NASB,and NAESP have tried to underscorethe evolving nature of developmen-tally appropriate practice and thecontextual nature of its application.Unfortunately, some people eagerfor quick answers or a finite set ofrules for working with youngchildren have overgeneralized theguidelines. Suggested alternativeshave become ironclad rules — issuesof “more and less” have become “allor none.” A number of erroneousassumptions have also arisen aboutDAP. Some of these include:
• There is only one right way tocarry out a developmentally appro-priate program.
• Developmentally appropriateprograms are unstructured ones inwhich practitioners offer minimalguidance, if any at all, to the childrenin their care.
• In developmentally appropriateprograms the expectations forchildren’s behavior and learning arelow.
• Developmentally appropriatepractices cannot be adapted to meetthe needs of particular culturegroups or children of varying socio-economic backgrounds.
• Developmentally appropriatepractice can be achieved simply byacquiring certain kinds of toys.
Assertions such as these have fueleda growing debate about the meaning,
usefulness, and unitary nature ofDAP. The resulting examination andexchange of views is healthy for thefield, but it has also led some childcare administrators to feel confusedabout what developmentally appro-priate practice really is and how toachieve it. In addition, some direc-tors are unsure which elements ofdevelopmentally appropriatepractice are the most critical orwhere to begin in operationalizingthe concept in their programs.
All of this uncertainty is com-pounded by the fact that every childcare staff is comprised of peoplewhose familiarity and experiencewith developmentally appropriatepractices vary. Furthermore, somestaff members may question whethercertain of the practices espoused inwritten documents are sensitive tothe unique needs of the populationwith whom they work. Others mayfeel overwhelmed at the thought ofmemorizing a long list of guidelines.Still others may not see an item onthe list that addresses a particularsituation with which they must cope.Many of these concerns arise from apreoccupation with the details ofdevelopmentally appropriatepractice rather than with its essence.That essence lies in three principlescommon to every major interpreta-tion of DAP suggested thus far.
The Essence of DAP
1. Developmentally appropriatemeans taking into account every-thing we know about how childrendevelop and learn and matchingthat to the content and strategiesplanned for them in early childhoodprograms.
2. Developmentally appropriatemeans treating children as individu-als, not as a cohort group.
3. Developmentally appropriatemeans treating children with respect
— recognizing children’s changingcapabilities and having faith in theircapacity to develop and learn.
In other words, we must first thinkabout what children are like andthen create activities, routines, andexpectations that accommodate andcomplement those characteristics. Inaddition, we must know more than afew descriptive facts about a child,such as age and gender, to designappropriate programs. We have tolook at children within the context oftheir family, culture, community,past experience, and current circum-stances to create age-appropriate, aswell as individually-appropriate,living and learning environments.Finally, we must recognize theunique ways in which children arechildren, not simply miniatureadults. Experiences and expectationsplanned for children should reflectthe notion that early childhood is atime of life qualitatively differentfrom the later school years andadulthood.
Although each of us may interpretthese basic tenets in slightly differentways, they provide a commonfoundation for defining high qualityearly childhood programs. Suchprograms are ones in which childrenof all abilities, ages, races, cultures,creeds, socio-economic, and familylifestyle backgrounds feel lovable,valuable, and competent.
The Need for Knowledge
Having specialized knowledge aboutchild development and learning isthe cornerstone of professionalism inearly childhood education. Suchknowledge encompasses recognizingcommon developmental threadsamong all children as well as under-standing significant variations acrosscultures. Interviews with child careproviders and observations of theirwork with children consistently findthat those who have such knowledge
Exchange 3/93
place to avoid or an area for explora-tion. Which judgment is madedepends in part on what kind ofclothing the children are wearing,whether soap and water is availablefor clean up, whether it is warmenough to go barefoot, and whetherthere is enough time for children toboth play in the mud and get cleanedup before moving into the next partof the day.
The Function of Respect
Respect involves having faith inchildren’s ability to eventually learnthe information, behavior, and skillsthey will need to constructivelyfunction on their own. Thus, havingrespect for children implies believingthat they are capable of changingtheir behavior and of making self-judgments. Caregivers manifestrespect when they allow children tothink for themselves, make deci-sions, work toward their ownsolutions, and communicate theirideas.
For instance, it is out of respect forchildren that child care workersallow them to make choices rangingfrom which activity to pursue towhere to sit at the lunch table. Forthis reason, too, practitioners encour-age toddlers to pour their own juice,preschoolers to become activelyinvolved in clean up, and school-agechildren to help determine theactivities for the day. Although anyof these activities could be moreefficiently and skillfully accom-plished by adults, respect forchildren’s increasing competenceinvolves allowing them to experi-ence the exhilaration of accomplish-ment. Similarly, adults who respectchildren know that self-control is anemerging skill that children achieveover time given adequate supportand guidance. With this in mind,children’s transgressions are handledas gaps in knowledge and skills, notas character flaws.
are better equipped and more likelyto engage in developmentallyappropriate practices. Instead oftreating their interactions withchildren as wholly intuitive, theybring factual information to bear onhow they think about children andhow they respond to them.
Understanding child developmentprovides practitioners with insightsinto children’s behavior and helpsadults better grasp the contextwithin which those actions occur.This expands providers’ notions ofwhat constitutes normal childbehavior. As a result, they are morelikely to accept typical variationsamong children as well as accuratelyrecognize potential problems thatmay require specialized intervention.Familiarity with child developmentalso offers clues to child care work-ers about the sequence in whichactivities might be presented tochildren and the degree of develop-mental readiness necessary forchildren to achieve particular goals.
Understanding how young childrenthink and expand their concepts andskills is the key to creating appropri-ate physical environments forchildren, to determining appropriateadult/child interactions, and todeveloping activities and routinesthat support rather than underminechildren’s natural ways of learning.
Children As Individuals
Practitioners are called on daily tomake decisions that require them tosee each child as distinct from allothers. The adult must weigh suchvariables as the child’s age, what thechild’s current level of comprehen-sion might be, and what experiencesthe child has had. Although age isnot an absolute measure of ayoungster’s capabilities and under-standing, it does serve as a guide forestablishing appropriate expecta-tions. For instance, knowing that
preschoolers do not yet have amature grasp of games with rules,child care workers would notconsider a four year old who spinstwice or peeks at the cards in amemory game as cheating. Norwould they require preschoolers toadhere to the rules of the game in thesame way they might expect grade-schoolers to do.
The kinds of previous knowledgeand skills a child brings to a situa-tion should also be taken intoaccount. Obviously, children withlittle or no exposure to a particularsituation or skill would not beexpected to perform at the samelevel of competence as childrenwhose backlog of experience isgreater. For instance, standards fordressing independently would bedifferent for a three year old thanthose for a six year old, not onlybecause of differences in maturity,but because the older child has hadmore practice.
Contextual factors also contribute todetermining the developmentalappropriateness of certain decisions.For example, under normal circum-stances, Ms. Sanchez’s goal is tofoster independence among thechildren in her family child carehome. Ordinarily, children are giventhe time to make their own deci-sions, to repeat a task in order togain competence, and to do as muchas possible for themselves. How-ever, these goals and strategies haveto be modified during a tornadodrill. Under such circumstances,children have no choice about takingshelter, nor can they take their timedressing themselves. As a result,slow dressers get more directassistance than is customarilyprovided.
Physical resources and availabletime affect judgments as well. Thisexplains why a huge mud puddle onthe playground could be viewed as a
Exchange 3/93
Applications
Each time child care workers arefaced with having to determine towhat extent their actions are congru-ent with developmentally appropri-ate practice, it is useful to ask thefollowing questions:
• Is this practice in keeping withwhat I know about child develop-ment and learning?
• Does this practice take into accountthe children’s individual needs?
• Does this practice demonstraterespect for children?
These queries can be used to addressimmediate concerns or to serve asthe basis for long-term deliberations.They can stimulate individualthinking or consideration of programpractices by an entire staff. New-comers to the field use the precedingquestions to hone their understand-ing of the fundamental nature ofchildren. Seasoned veterans often go
beyond the basics to consider theextent to which their practices takeinto account gender and culturaldifferences among children as wellas differences related to socio-economic status. In every circum-stance, the answer to all threequestions should be yes. If anyanswer is no, it is a strong sign thatthe practice should be reconsidered,revamped, or discarded. If there isuncertainty about a question inrelation to a certain practice, thatpractice is worth examining further.
To illustrate the power of theseessential principles as tools formeaningful reflection, take a mo-ment to consider the first questionabove. In my own experience, I havestarted the reflective process byasking child care workers to describethe children with whom they work(focusing on how they believe thoseyoungsters develop and learn).Often practitioners use adjectivessuch as active, curious, talkative, orplayful. The procedure of generat-ing descriptive words often leads to
thought-provoking discussions towhich both experienced and lessexperienced members contribute. Ifpeople decide they aren’t sure aboutsome items (e.g., What do childrenreally learn from play? Do childrenfrom varied backgrounds developand learn in the same way?), theirquestions serve as the impetus forstaff research or the basis for addi-tional in-service training. Next, wecreate a chart to examine whatimplications such characteristicshave for program practice. This isaccomplished by listing childdevelopment and learning traits inone column and correspondingpractices that support or match thosetraits in a second column. A typicalexample is offered below.
A chart such as the one illustratedhere serves two major functions.First, the people who create itbecome increasingly invested in thepractices they identify. These arelikely to be ones they take care toaddress in the future because theycan see the logic of such strategies in
Child Traits Child Care Practices
The child care teacher:Children are active learners. gives children opportunities for gross motor activities each day.
includes a daily free-choice period during which children can move freely.creates a schedule in which quiet, inactive times are followed by longer, more
active periods.keeps inactive segments of the day short.
The child care teacher:Children are curious. builds activities around children’s interests.
provides many chances for children to explore materials and concepts.encourages children to pose problems and investigate solutions.
The child care teacher:Children are playful. integrates play throughout the day.
provides children with a variety of props and other manipulative objects.encourages children to create and use their own ideas within their play.creates a classroom design and schedule that allows children to move about freely.monitors and enhances children’s play as an observer or as a participant.evaluates the sound and activity level within the program in terms of the quality of
children’s play — recognizes that high quality play is often noisy and active.
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relation to children they know andcare about. Second, their ideas canbe compared to those in publisheddocuments. As practitioners makesuch comparisons, they find manysimilarities between their ideas andthose of experts in the field. Thiscontributes to greater staff confi-dence and helps to make the NAEYCguidelines for developmentallyappropriate practice more personallymeaningful.
Summary
Ultimately, for DAP to have a majorimpact on the early childhoodprofession, people must see theprinciples which undergird it asextensions of their own values.These shared values will be whatmake DAP an integral part of ourthoughts and actions rather than justa fad soon to be replaced by another.In addition, fundamental valuessuch as these are likely to remainconstant, even as the strategies weuse to address them differ from onecircumstance to another or changeover time. Supporting child careworkers as they examine the essen-tials of developmentally appropriatepractice is not only an importantadministrative responsibility, it isone that promises to yield lastingrewards for staff and for children.
Marjorie J. Kostelnik, PhD, is a profes-sor in the Department of Family andChild Ecology at Michigan StateUniversity and is the program supervi-sor of the Child Development Laborato-ries on campus. A former child care,Head Start, and nursery school teacher,she has been actively involved in helpinga variety of early childhood programsexplore the implications of developmen-tally appropriate practice and translatetheir understandings into action.
18 Curriculum – Teaching and Learning ▲ #4400203 ▲© Exchange Press, Inc. 2007
EVALUATION
Training Topic: Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Your Opinion Matters! Please share your perceptions about this session.
Length and format of the session
Presenter’s instructional style
Presenter’s knowledge of the topic
Overall usefullness of the information
Training room comfort
The most important thing I learned during this session was . . .
I would like to learn more about . . .
Poor Fair Satisfactory Good Excellent
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