Lesson 2: Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Developmentally Appropriate Practice  

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Describe the four areas and their characteristics of developmentally appropriate practice for preschoolers
  • Discuss the achievment gap

Teaching

Read chapter 4 in your Developmtally Appropriate Practice Text. (pages 111- 148)

What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)?

  • Requires meeting children where they are.
  • Teachers must get to know children well.
  • Teachers guide children to goals that are challenging and achievable. (Think of previous learnings about Lev Vygotsky – how does this coincide with his teaching of scaffolding?)
  • Teaching practices are appropriate to each child’s age and developmental status. (Are they always the same? Think about some children you know…do some of these children have an older chronological age than a developmental age? How about a child with an older developmental age than her chronological age?)
  • Teachers are in tune to each child’s individual uniqueness. (How does this guide planning curriculum and environments? Does a cookie cutter curriculum meet these criteria?)
  • Teachers respond to the social and cultural context where they live (While at the same time exposing children to the greater world)
  • Teachers ensure goals and experiences are suited to a child’s learning and development is challenging enough to promote a child’s progress and interest.

Best practice is based on knowledge of how children learn and develop. (For more information on developmental milestones check the following link - http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/ )

Core Considerations of Developmentally Appropriate Practice http://naeyc.org/dap/3-core-considerations

In order to embed developmentally appropriate practice into a classroom, an educator needs to know something about children. Educators must know:

  • Child development and how children learn – childhood milestones and multiple intelligences (http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html)
  • What is individually appropriate for a child- interests, abilities, developmental progress and learning styles (http://www.time4learning.com/learning-styles.shtml )
  • Culturally what is important – family life – (values, expectations, traditions)
    • family life – (family structure, values, expectations, traditions, pets)
    • community (extended family, available supports, interactions, exposure)

What is the Achievement Gap?

Children’s learning opportunities differ greatly

  • Family income (Social Economic Status - SES)
  • Education levels
  • Ethnicity
  • Language backgrounds

All these elements create a sizable achievement gap

These differences begin in a child’s early years and persist throughout his school years and can have serious consequences. As teacher’s we must develop environments and curriculum to support these children’s social, emotional and cognitive growth.

We must provide extended, enriched and intensive learning experiences for children on the lower end of the achievement gap. That is why it is important to really consider true emergence in a particular theme one prepares for children’s learning. By considering all domains of learning (personal and social, creative arts, early language and literature, health and physical education, mathematics, science and social studies) and all the areas within an environment (blocks, dramatic play, woodworking, sensory, science, math, manipulatives, art, literacy), educators can foster a child’s growth.

Something to consider……Is it better to offer a new learning topic/theme weekly to give children a larger overview of many focus areas or is it better to delve deep into a topic/theme for extended periods of time?

For more information on the achievement gap go to the following link http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/achievement-gap/


Assessment

Read chapter 4 in your Developmtally Appropriate Practice Text. (pages 111- 148)

Lesson 2 Quiz

  1. List five benefits of phsycial activity in preschool?
  2. How much time should a preschool spend EVERY DAY in structured physical activity (raised heart rate and quicker breathing). List ten different phsycial activity ideas for preschoolers.
  3. What are the four aspects of preschool social development? Provide a 2-3 sentence description of each with examples.
  4. How does a preschool educator promote social development?
  5. What are the three aspects of emotional development? Provide a 2-3 sentence description of each with examples.
  6. How does a preschool educator promote emotional development?
  7. How does social interaction and play influence preschool cognitive development?
  8. How do open ended questions promote cognitive development in preschool
  9. How does language development affect social development in preschool?
  10. List three ways an educator can promote early literacy interest and skills with preschoolers.

Lesson 2 Discussion

What fact about the acheivement gap surprised you the most and why.