Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Recommended Reading: Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp
NAEYC, 2006
What is it?
Developmentally appropriate practice means teaching young children in ways that:

Meet children where they are – both as individuals and as a group

Help each child reach challenging and achievable goals that contribute to
his or her ongoing development and learning
How does it apply to teaching practices?

Teachers will take into account each child’s physical, emotional, social, and
cognitive development and characteristics in order to meet their needs as a
group and individually

Teachers will identify goals that are both challenging and achievable for each
individual child

Teachers will recognize that what makes something challenging and achievable
will depend on the individual learner’s development, experiences, knowledge,
skills, as well as the context in which the learning takes place
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Teachers will plan activities and experiences for children that intentionally target
the goals identified for children as challenging and achievable
How do we know what is developmentally appropriate?

Consider what is age-appropriate – that is, based on what we know about the
typical development and learning of children within a particular age range.

Consider what is individually appropriate – that is, particular to each child given
his individual needs and characteristics

Consider what is appropriate to the social and cultural contexts in which
children live
How do young children learn?
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Through relationships with responsive adults
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Through active, hands-on involvement
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Through meaningful and relevant experiences
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By constructing their understanding of the world
What is good teaching?

Creating a caring community of learners
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Teaching to enhance development and learning
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Planning appropriate curriculum
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Assessing children’s development and learning progress
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Developing reciprocal relationships with families
Community of Learners
Teaching
Families
Assessment
Curriculum
How do I create a caring community of learners?

The classroom is inclusive – ability, culture, special needs, preferences

The classroom is safe – allows for exploration with minimal restriction

The environment and schedule are comfortable, organized, predictable

The materials, spaces, routines, and activities meet the developmental
needs of all children as they grow and develop

The teachers get to know and understand each child’s personality,
temperament, abilities, and ways of learning

Children work and play in a cooperative atmosphere
What are recommended teaching strategies?

Acknowledge and give attention to the behavior you want more of

Encourage children by commenting on effort or persistence
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Give specific feedback by describing performance and outcomes
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Model the behavior and skills you want children to achieve

Demonstrate how you want children to perform when something must
be done in a certain way

Create challenge, extend tasks and activities by adding new materials or
ideas that help children push beyond what they have mastered

Give clues, hints, hand guidance, and prompts to help children attain a
new skill or understanding that is just past their ability

Label and describe objects, actions, and processes so that children can
understand and begin to use new vocabulary and grammar as well as sequences
and cause/effect

Give directions that are appropriate to the level of ability of the child

Scaffold children’s learning when they show curiosity toward a new
activity

Vary learning experiences by group size, choices, exploration vs.
teacher direction, materials, and routines
What is good curriculum?

Curriculum is the knowledge and skills to be taught in the educational
program as well as the plans for experiences through which learning will take
place

Curriculum should be based on an organized framework that reflects
research-based, developmentally appropriate standards and content

It addresses learning across all domains of development – physical,
cognitive, language, social/emotional, creative/aesthetic

It identifies age appropriate benchmarks by which to assess progress
Why does children’s learning and development need to be assessed?

To monitor progress in learning

To guide planning and decision-making regarding children
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To identify children who might benefit from additional support

To report and communicate accurately with others
How should young children be assessed?

Using age-appropriate methods and materials
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In natural contexts over time

Using a variety of tools and strategies such as observation and
documentation, interaction, and play in addition to formal standardized
assessments where necessary and appropriate
How do strong relationships with families develop?

Regular informal interactions that focus on the needs and progress of
the child

Collaborative dialog that respects that parents have valuable knowledge
and insight into the needs and development of their children

Welcome parents into the classroom and invite participation at many
levels of comfort – volunteering, family activities, joining workgroups and
committees, or simply to observe and ask questions

Acknowledge and respect parent’s choices and preferences for their
children and react with sensitivity when parents make requests or express
concern.