DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE

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DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE
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FACTORS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE
PRACTICE (DAP)

• Three Inter-related factors
• 1. Child developmental principles
• 2. Individual needs
• 3. Consideration of the social and cultural
  context.

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NAEYCS COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN

• Standards of professional practice in early
  childhood programs are based on commitment to
  certain fundamental values. These include
• Appreciating childhood as a unique and valuable
  stage of the human life cycle.
• Basing our work with children on knowledge of
  child development and learning.
• Respecting the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of
  each individual.

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DAP results from making decisions based upon
three important kinds of information or knowledge

• 1. What is known about child development and
  learning
• 2. What is known about the strengths, interests
  and needs of each individual child in the group.
• 3. Knowledge of the social and cultural contexts
  in which children live.

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Child Developmental Principles

• Domains of childrens development are closely
  related.
• Development occurs in a relatively orderly
  sequence.
• Development proceeds at varying rates from child
  to child as well as unevenly within different
  areas of each childs functioning.
• Early experiences have both cumulative and
  delayed effects on individual children.
• Optimal periods exist for certain types of
  development.
• Development proceeds in predictable directions
  toward greater complexity, organization, and
  internalization.
• Development occurs in and are influenced by
  multiple social and cultural contexts.

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Child Developmental Principles (continued)

• Children are active learners.
• Development and learning result from interaction
  of biological maturation and the environment.
• Development advances when children have
  opportunities to practice newly acquired skills.
• Children demonstrate different modes of knowing
  and learning and different ways of showing what
  they know.
• Children develop and learn best in the context of
  a community where they are safe and valued.
• Play is an important vehicle for childrens
  social emotional, and cognitive development, as
  well as a reflection of their development.

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Guidelines that address five interrelated
dimensions of practice

• 1. Creating a caring community of learners.
• 2. Teaching to enhance development and learning.
• 3. Constructing appropriate curriculum.
• 4. Assessing childrens learning and
  development.
• 5. Establishing reciprocal relationships.

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RELATING THE THEORIES TO DAP

• Development occurs in a relatively orderly
  sequence, with later abilities, skills, and
  knowledge building on those already acquired.
•  
• a. Erikson, Epigenetic Principle - One stage is
  built upon another and each must be integrated
  into the whole.
• b. Piaget - Intellectual development is a
  continual process of organization and
  reorganization of structures, each new
  organization integrating the previous one into
  itself.
• c. Vygotsky - While playing, a child is always
  behavinga head above himself.
• d. Vygotsky - play demands self-regulatory
  behaviors.

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Examples of DAP

• In the following movie, identify examples of
  Developmentally Appropriate Practices. (Refer to
  your assignment.)

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Identify Developmentally Appropriate Practices.

• Such as, to develop self-confidence children are
  involved in meaningful tasks in which they can
  succeed.
• (Click on the screen to begin movie)