Schott 1

Leah Schott
Dr. Harris
Teaching Strategies Pre-K-4
3 April 2012
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
AccordingtotheNAEYCsDevelopmentallyAppropriatePracticeinEarlyChildhood
Educationprogramsbook,Childrensexperiencesduringearlychildhoodnotonlyinfluence
theirlaterfunctioninginschoolbutalsocanhaveeffectsthroughoutlife.Childrensearly
educationyearsarethemostimportantinshapingthemasaperson.Thisiswhyitiscrucialthat
theseyearsaregiventhemostnurturingandcare.NAEYCsmissionistopromotehighquality
educationthroughdevelopmentallyappropriatepractice.Developmentallyappropriatepractice
establishesprinciplesofchilddevelopmentandguidelinesthatteachersmustfollowforthe
successandwellbeingoftheirchildren.
Developmentallyappropriatepracticeisimportantforallearlychildhoodeducation
studentstounderstandasprospectiveteachersandwillremainacrucialcomponentthat
influencesandaffectsmyfutureteachingphilosophy.Ibelievethatdevelopmentallyappropriate
practicemeansmakinglearningmeaningfultoachildbycaringforthestudentsandshowingit
throughfulfillingeachchildsindividualneeds.Inclass,wetalkedaboutdevelopmentally
appropriatepracticeinvolvingthewholechildandaddressingthefourcomponentsitinvolves:
knowledge,skills,dispositions,andfeelings.Ibelievethatasateacher,itisourjobtonurture
eachchildintheseareasandtodosoinawaythatisdevelopmentallyandageappropriatetothe
individual.Developmentallyappropriateincludeswherethechildisphysically,socially,
emotionally,andmentally.InEarlyChildhoodEducationToday,itincludesastatementthatI

Schott 2
foundtobecrucialintheuseofdevelopmentallyappropriatepractice.Thisisthatitrequires
bothmeetingchildrenwheretheyarewhichmeansteachersmustgettoknowthemwelland
enablingthemtoreachgoalsthatarebothchallengingandachievable.Thisformeisthemost
importantdefinitionofdevelopmentallyappropriatepractice.Teachersshouldknowtheir
childrenwellsotheirindividualneedsareknownandthechildcanbeunderstood.Teachers
shouldchallengetheirstudentsinawaythatisachievable,meaningtheyshouldnotmakethings
easierforthechildbasedontheirage,butmakethemchallengingfortheageofthechildyetstill
areachablegoalforthechild.
Asafutureteacher,Iwillensurethatdevelopmentallyappropriatepracticeis
implemented.InDevelopmentallyAppropriatePracticeinEarlyChildhoodEducation,avalue
thatNAEYCsupportsishavingchildrenreachtheirfullpotentialinthecontextofrelationships
basedontrust,respect,andpositivity.Iwantmychildrentoreachtheirfullpotentialinevery
waypossible.Iwillensurethatmychildrentohavetheserelationships.Theonlywayformy
childrentoseemeasateacherwithrespect,trust,andpositivityisifIdothesameforthem.I
willrespectmychildrenineverywaypossible,nurturethem,andcareforthemlikemyown
children.Iwillknoweachchildfromtheirtinytoestotheirlittle,curioushands.Iwillbe
sensitivetotheirneeds.Iwillappreciatetheirindividualpersonalitiesandacceptthemnomatter
howdifficultofatimetheypresentmewith.Iamupforthechallenge.
Inthetechnicalsense,Iwillfollowtheguidelinesofdevelopmentallyappropriate
practicethatwerediscussedinclass:creatingacaringcommunityoflearners,teachingto
enhancedevelopmentandlearning,constructingappropriatecurriculum,assessingchildrens
learning,andestablishrelationshipswithfamilies.Iwillbeaguidanceprofessional,guiding

Schott 3
mychildrentoseektheirfullpotential.NotonlywillIpresentmychildrenwitha
developmentallyandageappropriatecurriculum,butthecurriculumwillencourageand
challengemychildrentothinkcritically,workcooperatively,andsolveproblems.Myclassroom
willbestimulatingandascolorfulasmychildren.Itwillbecoveredinencouragingpostersand
bannersanddisplaymychildrenswonderfulwork.Developmentallyappropriatepracticewillbe
evidentinmyteachingasIteachmychildrentobeindependent,creative,andimaginative.Iwill
dothisbyprovidingmychildrenwithmultipleopportunitiestoexpressthemselvesbothverbally
andartisticallywhetheritbeencouragingthemtoaskquestions,writepoetryorcreatebeautiful
artprojects.Iwillincludeengagementstrategiesinthecurriculumformychildrenasthe
developmentallyappropriatepracticebookstatesinprinciplenumberseventhatchildrenare
activelearnersanddrawonphysicalandsocialexperiences.Last,butcertainlynotallorleastof
whatIwilldoasateacher,isgivemychildrenapositiveandsafelearningenvironmentthatthey
willlovebecauseasstatedinprinciplenumbertwelve,childrendevelopandlearnbestinaplace
wheretheyaresafeandvaluedwiththeirphysicalandpsychologicalneedsbeingmetand
secure.
Theguidelinesofdevelopmentallyappropriatepracticementionedpreviouslywere
evidentattheChildDevelopmentCenterduringtheobservationtime.First,acaringcommunity
oflearnerswascreatedinthelesson,whichmeanshavingchildrenworktogether,respecteach
other,andcareforeachother,byhavingthechildrenallparticipatetogetherincircletime.The
childrenlistenedtowhatotherchildrenhadtosayaboutspring.Evenaftercircletime,the
childrensatingroupsattableswithateacher.Furthermore,afterthelesson,thechildrenplayed
togethersuchasbuildingablocktowerandputtingapuzzletogether.Anageand

Schott 4
developmentallyappropriatecurriculumwaspresentaswell,whichmeanshavingactivitiesthat
arechallengingyetachievabledependingonthechildrensindividualabilities.Weeklyreaders
wereused,whichgavethechildreninformationthattheycouldunderstandandlargepictures
perfecttocapturetheircuriousandwanderingeyes.Colorswereusedassothechildrenknew
whichtableandwhichspotinthecircletositatsincetheycouldnotyetread.Thetopicofspring
andrhymingwasalsoageappropriateandthemovementofflappingwingsandblowinglikethe
windwerephysicallyappropriate.Lastlychildrenslearningwasassessed,whichmeanstesting
inwaythatdetermineswhatthechildrenhavelearned,byhavingthechildrenanswerquestions
aboutspringsounds,havingthechildrenrhymethewordsofspring,havingthemphysically
writethefirstletterofthewordontheweeklyreader,andattheendaskingonewordthat
rhymedwithspring.Bythechildrendoingallofthesethings,theteacherswereabletoseeifthe
childrenlearnedwhatwastaught.
Inadditiontotheguidelinesofdevelopmentallyappropriatepractice,theprincipleswere
alsopresentduringthelessonobservedattheChildDevelopmentCenter.Developmentoccurred
inanorderlysequencewiththenewknowledgebuildingonwhatthechildrenhadalready
acquired.Thechildrenusedtheweeklyreader,whichtheywerefamiliarwithastheyhadusedit
multipletimesbefore.Also,thechildrenalreadynewthebeginninglettersoundssotheywere
abletorecognizewhichletterthespringwordssuchasringstartedwithbysoundingouttheR.
Buildingmoreuponpriorknowledge,thechildrenhadalreadylearnedabouthowtorhyme
wordssotheywereexpandingtheirknowledgebylearningnewspringwordsthatrhymed.In
addition,theprincipleofchildrenbeingactivelearnerswasalsoevident.Thechildrenactively
participatedinthecirclebydancingtotheshoeflysongduringtheanticipatorysetand

Schott 5
physicallymovingduringthelessonbyhoppingandcroakinglikeafrog,blowinglikeatreein
thewind,flyinglikeabird,andrunninginplacelikechildrenplaying.Childrenalsoanswered
guidedquestionsaboutwhattheyknewaboutspringandwhatwordsrhymed.
Inconclusion,theDevelopmentallyAppropriatePracticeinEarlyChildhoodEducation
Programsbookisrightonwhenitstateschildhoodisauniqueandvaluablestageofthehuman
lifecycle.Developmentallyappropriatepracticefocusesonchildrenslivesatthepresent
momentandnotjustaspreparationforthefuture.Byprovidingchildrenwithahighquality
educationbasedoffofacurriculumofwhatweknowaboutthedevelopmentofchildren,aswell
astheirneeds,andnurturingthechildren,theywillreachtheirfullpotentialandbecomelifelong
learners.

Schott 6

WorksCited
Bredekamp,Sue,andCarolCopple.DevelopmentallyAppropriatePracticeinEarlyChildhood
Programs.Washington,D.C.:NationalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren,
1997.Print.
Morrison,GerogeS.EarlyChildhoodEducationToday.12thed.UpperSaddleRiver:Pearson
Education,2012.Print.