Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction
Candice Milam
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

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Introduction
Developmentally-appropriate practice is meeting the children where they are. Its
important for teachers to know their students strengths, interests, and needs. I am in Mrs.
Barbours fifth grade inclusion class at North Landing Elementary for my first placement.
A large majority of my students are labeled as special education. I have to keep that in
mind as I plan because I have to meet their needs and comprehension levels. As their
teacher it is my job to consider their short attention spans throughout the day. Children
are active learners who learn through exploration. Mrs. Barbours class in particular
responds really well to exploring and investigating new concepts. It is essential to have
instruction that provides students with opportunities to manipulate real objects and learn
through hands-on experiences. Developmentally-appropriate instruction forces educators
to be aware of their students needs, experiences, and what they respond to.
Rationale for Selection of Artifacts
Fifth graders are concrete thinkers who can think logically. They classify and
generalize information and can make predictions. They are able to clearly share
information discussed in class and they are able to participate in group discussions.
Teachers need to provide an environment that provides opportunities for students to
engage in high quality learning experiences.
The first artifact for developmentally-appropriate instruction is a very hands-on
lesson plan about light. It allows students to first explore a number of objects with a
flashlight. The different ways they used the prism and mirrors with the flashlight was

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interesting to watch. After they are done exploring, the class discussed what they
observed. In some of their descriptions they surprised me by using words like refract and
reflect correctly. I asked them to consider the relationships that exist between light energy
and the objects. Then I allowed them to explore the objects while thinking of the essential
question. When we came together again to discuss they had so much to add. In a
culturally diverse society I find it important to connect each lesson with something they
can relate to. I asked the students what are some light sources that you can think of. They
said cell phone, television, flashlights, etc. I want my students to connect with each unit
in a way they can understand.
The second artifact is a collage of pictures of students doing hands-on
investigations on pitch. They used bottles with different amounts of water inside and a
kalimba, an African thumb piano, to describe how length of the sound source affects the
pitch. We also used different lengths of tuning tubes called a xylophone and a devise
called a string beam that worked like the strings on a guitar. Students could clearly hear
the differences in the pitches of the different lengths. They then diagramed that longer the
length the lower the pitch, the shorter the length the higher the pitch. Instead of being the
instructor or main focus of the learning process, I became more of a facilitator of learning
and their experiences became the main source.
Reflection on Theory and Practice
In the book Exceptional Learners, Daniel Hallahan (2014) says,
[Developmentally appropriate practice] refers to the practice of using educational
methods that are at the developmental levels of the child and that meet the childs

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individual needs (p 344). Older students, like fifth graders, need more opportunities to
get out of their seats and explore concepts. They are developmentally at the stage where
they are independent and more responsibly aware of their learning process. Instead of
having a teacher tell them that pitch is affected by the length or tension, they need to
explore and experience that for themselves. Regent has taught me to meet my students
needs instead of teaching at the student. Going to Regent has opened my eyes to the
idea that students are more than test scores; they have needs, they can have baggage, they
have individual interests, and each deserves to be cared for. It has taught me to allow the
students to feel independent in my classroom. I want students who feel confident in their
learning process and feel comfortable exploring concepts to further their understanding.
Teachers have to make sure that their instruction is developmentally-appropriate because
if it isnt then students will fall through the cracks. It is very important to make sure that
educators are helping students learning not hindering.

References
Hallahan, D. (2014). Exceptional Learners (12th ed., Pearson new international ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Pearson.