Developmentally Appropriate Practice

1. A developmentally appropriate practice to help and 18 month old to understand be safe rule is presenting a puppet show. For example I would present 3 puppets, One teacher puppet and two toddler puppets. One of the toddler puppets would demonstrate running back and forth in the classroom. The teacher puppet would then explain to the two children the basic ground rules of being safe. Teacher puppet would also mention to the toddler puppets that running in the classroom can give us ouchies. And now the toddler puppets would have a better understanding of being safe.

Throughout our career as childhood educators, we observe the significance of the National Association for Young Children or NAEYC. It is recognized as “the nation’s premier organization for early childhood professionals-setting research based standards and providing resources to improve early childhood program quality” (Copple & NAEYC, 2001) for teachers, students, and families. Despite exercising the knowledge of what NAEYC means for our classrooms and the students in them, some may not know who or how the organization was founded. Knowing the background of NAEYC is important because it has a reputable history of providing universities and educators with high quality, researched, information. In order to ascertain a further purpose to why these standards matter and the importance of NAEYC in education, we must learn its history and its founders.

Understand the factors that influence children and young people 's development and how these affect practice.

Several issues are discussed in the NAEYC position statement about Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). The section points out three main areas that policymakers have addressed because they realize how important these areas are to an early elementary child.

Developmentally appropriate practice means that teachers need to take the decision based on the children’s need. Also, it is guidelines about what it is appropriate to teach the young children. The teacher who practices developmentally appropriate practice take into consideration all the developmental areas of the whole child (cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical development). According to the author of the Administration of Programs for Young Children” (Click, Karkos, & Robertson, 2014, p. 134) the developmentally appropriate practice is when the teachers understand that the children have different background, experiences, and interest. Each child is unique in what his capacities are, how he/she learns, and what she/he needs to help him

Developmentally Appropriate practice (DAP) is a framework that design to help each child in terms of the child needs and support at their appropriate age level as they grow. This is the foundation where they help each child to meet learning goals as an individual and part of the group in terms of physical, social and emotional, cognitive and language skills.

The names are familiar to most parents: No Child Left Behind, Common Core State Standards, Race to the Top. These initiatives and others signify the importance of education in the United States and the many ways in which the standards have been set throughout the last couple of decades. The early childhood education community has felt the pressure to meet benchmarks set forth by these initiatives just as much as elementary, middle school, and high school teachers have, often times struggling to maintain a balance between play based learning and the high-stakes assessments that are now required. So, how do the United States Early Childhood Education programs begin preparing

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) published a position statement during the 1980s that first introduced developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education (Bredekamp, 2014, p. 72). Developmentally appropriate practice, also referred to as D.A.P. is according to Bredekamp (2014, p. 72), “ways of teaching that engage children’s interests and adapt for their age, experience, and ability to help them meet challenging and achievable learning goals”. Since then, based on research, the NAEYC has revised their statement in regards to D.A.P. (Bredekamp, 2014, p. 72). Now D.A.P. consists of five specific principles and can be implemented through intentional teaching in a plethora of different ways.

Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) refers to those teaching practices that ensure that young children learn and develop to their fullest potential. As most early childhood educators know, however, developing practices that promote optimal learning and development for all children can be an elusive goal. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (Copple&Bredekamp, 2009) makes clear, “whether or not what actually happens in the classroom is, in practice, developmentally appropriate is the result of myriad decisions at all levels by policy makers, administrators, teachers, and families about the care and education of young children. In order for educators and families to make the best decisions possible for the children and families they serve, it is critical that they have the support and resources of a proven curriculum model one that has research-based evidence of effectiveness.

I have chosen Kindergarten for my assignment for Week 5. For this assignment I was asked to create and outline to show the details for my paper. I was asked to identify three theories and philosophies along with curriculum for my selected age group.

age and are commonly used to get students where they should be in the learning phases and

This article, written by Moriah Balingit has mentioned how the kindergarten's curriculum in this generation has changed over the past decade. It also compares and contrasts opinions of different mothers and teachers from a variety of different states. The author mentions an experienced researcher named Daphna Bassok, an associate professor of education at the University of Virginia. The author briefly explains that Bassok “...believes the shift in kindergarten is rooted in a ‘trickling down of accountability pressures’ with schools under more demands to ready children for standardized tests that are used to evaluate teachers and schools.” This statement thoroughly

The growing place preschool uses Developmentally Appropriate Program or DAP. At first, my only idea on that term is that it is based on the development of the child. It is a very shallow idea compare on what the program is really like.

The definition of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is “ a framework of principles and guidelines for best practice in the care and education of young children, birth through age 8.”( ) An institution interested in the search for a way to develop children's thinking and learning and the

DAP stands for developmentally appropriate practices (Kostelnik). This means that the activities exposed to the children in the classroom are not overwhelming, or too difficult, for their skill level, but they are achievable, interesting, meaningful, and worth knowing for each individual child (Olsen). The resources I will use will be relevant to the children and appropriate according to the different families they come from and the community they live in (Olsen). My future DAP classroom will be safe for all children, look desirable, and have a stimulating atmosphere (Kostelnik). I seek to build wholesome relationships with the children and their families, so they are able to feel cared for and comfortable in the classroom, helping them progress as best they can (Olsen). The children will learn through self-directed play, centers, hands-on involvement, large/small groups, and routine (Olsen). Different activities are provided for the children on a daily basis where they can make choices, use their creativity, and have opportunities that help them understand the world around them (Olsen). It is my job as the teacher to provide diverse activities, strategies and teaching layouts that focus on the development of the whole child to help each individual learn in a plethora of ways (Olsen).