Developmentally Appropriate o Early learning standards – mandated

by Good Start, Grow Smart in 2002

Practice (DAP) o To be most beneficial for children,
standards need to be:
Position Statement  not only comprehensive but
 Grounded both in also address what is
o the research on child development important for children to
know and be able to do
and learning
 be aligned across
o the knowledge base regarding
educational effectiveness, the developmental stages and
framework outlines practice that age/grade levels
 consistent with how children
promotes young children’s optimal
develop and learn
learning and development
o Alignment is critical for standards to
 first adopted in 1986
be effective
 statement is intended to complement
 Developers of early learning
NAEYC’s other positions statements:
standards should base them
o Early Learning Standards
on what we know from
o Early Childhood Curriculum
research and practice about
o Code of Ethical Conduct
children from a variety of
o NAEYC Early Childhood Program
backgrounds at a given
Standards and Accreditation Criteria
stage/age and about the
Critical Issues in the current context processes, sequences,
variations, and long-term
1996 - consequences of early
learning and development
 Shortage of good care for children in the
 Recognizing teacher knowledge and
highly vulnerable infant and toddler years
decision making as vital to educational
 Home language and culture, Second effectiveness
language learning, and School culture
 More children with special needs participate Applying new knowledge to critical
in typical early childhood settings today than issues
in the past
 Qualified teaching force 1.) New findings hold promise for reducing
learning gaps and barriers and increasing
Statement would highlight three challenges:
the achievement of all children
 Reducing learning gaps and increasing the a. Early Head Start – a comprehensive
achievement of all children two-generational program for
o “standards/accountability” movement children under age three and their
 No Child Left Behind (2001) families
– hold schools accountable  Self-regulation
for eliminating the persistent  Consistent high-quality education in grades
gaps in achievement k-3
between different groups of  Body of knowledge in the aspects of early
children learning and development
 “child outcomes framework” o Learning goals and experiences that
– identifies learning ought to be incorporated across
expectations in eight preK-3
domains o Educational innovations are now
 Creating improved, better connected being piloted
education for preschool and elementary  1 – To make decisions with well-grounded
children intentionality, teachers need to have
 knowledge about child development and program or school are
learning in general, about the individual meaningful, relevant, and
children in their classrooms, and about the respectful for each child
sequences in which a domain’s specific and family.
concepts and skills are learned. o in aiming for goals that are both
 2 - The imperative to make developing challenging and achievable for
teaching quality and effectiveness a top children
priority
Principles of child development and learning that
o Must include: excellent pre-service
inform practice
preparation, ongoing professional
development, and on-the-ground 1. All the domains of development and
support and mentoring learning—physical, social, and cognitive—
 Valuable form of scaffolding for teachers: are important and closely interrelated.
o interaction with mentors and peers 2. Many aspects of children’s learning and
o good curriculum resources development follow well-documented
sequences, with later abilities, skills,
Core considerations in developmentally knowledge building on those already
appropriate practice acquired.
3. Development and learning proceed at
 the core of DAP lies in the intentionality: varying rates from child to child, as well as
o in the knowledge to consider making at uneven rates across different areas of a
decisions child’s individual functioning.
1. What is known about child a. Individual variation’s two
development and dimensions:
learning—referring to the i. Inevitable variability around
knowledge of age-related typical or normative course of
characteristics that permits development
general predictions about ii. Uniqueness of each child as
what experiences are likely an individual
to best promote children’s 4. Development and learning result from a
learning and development. dynamic and continuous interaction of
2. What is known about each biological maturation and experience.
child as an individual— 5. Early experiences have profound effects,
referring to what both cumulative and delayed, on a child’s
practitioners learn about development and learning; and optimal
each child that has period exists for certain types of
implications for how best to development and learning to occur.
adapt and be responsive to 6. Development proceeds toward greater
that individual variation. complexity, self-regulation, and symbolic or
3. What is known about the representational capacities.
social and cultural context 7. Children develop best when they have
in which children live— secure, consistent relationships with
referring to the values, responsive adults and opportunities for
expectations, and positive relationships with peers.
behavioral and linguistic 8. Development and learning occur in and are
conventions that shape influenced by multiple social and cultural
children’s lives at home context.
and in their communities 9. Children learn in a variety of ways; a wide
that practitioners must range of teaching strategies and
strive to understand in interactions are effective in supporting all
order to ensure that these kinds of learning.
learning experiences in the
 10. Play is an important vehicle for developing >Adult-guided experience proceeds
self-regulation as well as for promoting primarily along the lines of teacher’s goals
language, cognition, and social
>Child-guided experience proceeds
competence.
primarily along the lines of children’s
11. Development and learning advance when
interests and actions, with strategic teacher
children are challenged to achieve at a level
support
just beyond their current mastery, and also
when they have many opportunities to >DA teaching practices
practice newly acquired skills.
12. Children’s experiences shape their a. Teachers are responsible for
motivation and approaches to learning, such fostering the caring learning
as persistence, initiative, and flexibility; in community through their teaching
turn, these dispositions and behaviors affect b. Teachers make it a priority to know
their learning and development. each child well, and also the people
most significant in the child’s life
Guidelines for DAP i. Teachers establish positive
relationships with each child
1. Creating a caring community of learners
and their family
a. Each member of the community is
ii. Teachers continually gather
valued by the others.
information about children in
b. Relationships are an important
a variety of ways and monitor
context through which children
each child’s learning
develop and learn.
iii. Teachers are alert to signs of
c. Each member of the community
undue stress and traumatic
respects and is accountable to the
events in each child’s life
others to behave in away that is
c. Teachers take responsibility for
conducive to the learning and well-
knowing what the desired goals for
being of all.
the program are and how the
i. Teachers help children
program’s curriculum is intended to
develop responsibility and
achieve those goals.
self-regulation
d. Teachers plan for learning
ii. Teachers are responsible at
experiences that effectively
all times for all children under
implement a comprehensive
their supervision and
curriculum
redirecting bad behaviors
e. Teachers plan the environment,
iii. Teachers set clear and
schedule, and daily activities to
reasonable limits on
promote each child’s learning and
children’s behavior.
development.
iv. Teacher listen to and
f. Teachers possess an extensive
acknowledge children’s
repertoire of skills and strategies
feelings and respond
they are able to draw on
accordingly (guide kids)
g. Teachers know how and when to
v. Teachers themselves
scaffold children’s learning
demonstrate high levels of
h. Teachers know how and when to
responsibility and self-
use the various learning
regulation.
formats/contexts most strategically
d. Practitioners design and maintain
i. Programs and teachers provide
physical environment
more extensive learning experiences
e. Practitioners ensure members of the
for children who missed some
community feel psychologically safe.
learning opportunities
2. Teaching to enhance development and
j. Teachers make experiences in their
learning
classrooms accessible and
 responsive to all children and their i. There is appropriate follow-up,
needs evaluation, and referral after
3. Planning curriculum to achieve important screening.
goals 5. Establishing reciprocal relationships with
a. Desired goals that are important in families
young children’s learning and a. Between practitioners and families,
development have been identified there is mutual respect, cooperation,
and clearly articulated. shared responsibility, and
b. The program has a comprehensive, negotiation of conflicts toward
effective curriculum that targets the achievement of shared goals
identified goals b. Practitioners work in collaborative
c. Teachers use the curriculum partnerships with families
framework in their planning c. Family members are welcome in the
d. Teachers make meaningful setting and there are multiple
connections a priority in the learning opportunities for family participation
experiences they provide children d. Teachers acknowledge a family’s
e. Teachers collaborate with those choices and goals for the child
teaching in the preceding and without abdicating the responsibility
subsequent grade levels that early childhood practitioners
f. In the care of infants and toddlers, have
practitioners plan curriculum e. Teachers support families in ways
4. Assessing children’s development and that maximally promote family
learning decision-making capabilities and
a. Assessment of young children’s competence
progress and achievements is f. The program links families with a
ongoing, strategic, and purposeful. range of services
b. Assessment focuses on children’s
Policy considerations
progress towards goals that are
developmentally and educationally Policy areas must include at a minimum:
significant.
c. There is a system in place to collect,  Early learning standards for children and
make sense of, and use the related/aligned curricula and assessment
assessment information to guide  A comprehensive professional development
what goes on in the classroom and compensation system
(formative assessment).  A program quality rating and improvement
d. The methods of assessment are system to improve program quality as well
appropriate to the developmental as to inform families, the public, and policy
status and experiences of young makers about quality
children.  Comprehensive and coordinated services
e. Teachers assess children as they for children
participate in situations with  Attention to program evaluation
scaffolding.  Commitment of additional public funds to
f. Input from families as well as support program affordability and quality in
children’s own evaluations of their every setting
work are part of the program’s
overall assessment strategy.
g. Assessment are tailored to a specific
purpose
h. Decisions are based on multiple
sources of relevant information.