Developmentally Appropriate Practice

The definition of developmentally appropriate practice has continuously evolved

throughout time. I firmly believe it is an important topic that early childhood professionals will

continue to debate and elaborate on for many years to come and it will continue to change based

around the most current research. I will discuss what the textbook and National Association for

the Education for Young Children’s (NAEYC) website say about developmentally appropriate

practice, as well as include my own formulated definition of the term. Three examples of ways

my classroom practices prove to be developmentally appropriate and ways in which I meet the

needs of individual children will be included. I will also address a challenge I have in

implementing developmentally appropriate practices and how I am able to meet it.

According to the author of our text, Carol Gestwicki (2017, p 6), developmentally

appropriate practice is the application of child development knowledge alongside educators

making appropriate and thoughtful decisions about known effective practices in early childhood

programs. This implies that the best teaching practices regarding the care and education of

young children are based on having the foundational knowledge of theory and literature to

understand how they develop and learn and by applying that knowledge in the classroom while

working with children. Programs that are considered to be developmentally appropriate make

well-informed, educated decisions based around child development knowledge, individual

differences, community values, societal values, cultural values, and family priorities (Gestwicki,

C., 2017, p 7). Programs that are found to be developmentally appropriate focus on what is

appropriate for children based on their age, developmental ability, individual differences, and is

backed by research and knowledge.

There are three essential components related to developmentally appropriate practice

described in both the textbook and on the NAEYC website. The first is knowledge of child

development and learning. Having research-based knowledge allows educators to predict

experiences that will support the learning and development of young children (3 Core

Considerations of DAP, n.d.). This knowledge allows decisions to be made about interactions,

materials, activities, teaching strategies, and the environment that would provide challenging

experiences for young children that are achievable (Gestwicki, C., 2017, p 8.). The second

essential component is having knowledge of what is developmentally appropriate for individual

students. The abilities, interests, and developmental progress of individual children should
continually be observed and adapted to meet the child where they are at any given point in the

year (3 Core Considerations of DAP, n.d.). The environment and activities should continue to be

flexible as children’s abilities and interests change and grow quickly. The third essential

component of developmentally appropriate practice is knowing what is socially and culturally

important in the child’s life. It is important that educators take these things into consideration

to provide learning experiences that are respectful, meaningful, and relevant to both the

children and their families (Gestwicki, C., 2017, p 8).

After extensively reading and reviewing the materials, I was able to formulate my own

definition of what I believe developmentally appropriate practice is and what it should look like.

Developmentally appropriate practice is used to optimize children’s learning and development

based on their individual differences (physical, emotional, social, cognitive, family, and

cultural), strengths, and needs. In order to be effective, early childhood programs and educators

should provide a developmentally appropriate educational setting, utilize appropriate curriculum

and materials, teach with intent, and make decisions centered around knowledge and

understanding of child development and learning.

The first example of how my classroom practice is developmentally appropriate is that I

take the time at the beginning of the year to truly get to know my students and their families. I

am able to do this in several ways. The first way is observing the family interactions and

engaging in conversations during our open house. Second, during the first few weeks of school I

send home a “Getting to Know You” activity in which children can share about their families

and cultures. There is some information the students share with one another and some that I use

while planning my lessons and activities throughout the year. In order to be respectful of

individuals and families, these usually include holidays, traditions, or customs that they may or

may not prefer their child to partake in. Since lives change so quickly and I want to have the

most relevant and current information about my students, halfway through the year, I do another

check-in with families to assess whether things in their lives have changed and to determine if

there are any ways I can further support learning or the family at home.

The second example of how my classroom practices are developmentally appropriate are

that I use the current standards available to plan and guide my curriculum and instruction. The

West Virginia Pre-k Standards Resource Booklet (2019) is a tool I use to ensure that I am

teaching what is developmentally appropriate across all learning domains. The state standards
are “grounded in scientific child development research, children’s approaches to learning, and

education practices” (West Virginia Pre-K Standards, 2019) which makes them developmentally

appropriate for pre-k children.

The third example of how my classroom practices are developmentally appropriate are

that I provide children with ample “play time” both inside the classroom and outside. The

environment is conducive to learning and offers materials that rotate based on interests and

ability levels of the children such as books, blocks, art materials, music and instruments, puzzles,

pretend play props, table toys, and games. The children are frequently engaged in conversation

with peers as well as adults in the room and are free to explore, question, and create. The

classroom has their artwork and creations displayed throughout providing each child with a sense

of ownership and belonging in the classroom.

In order to meet the individual needs of the learners in my classroom I use a variety of

teaching strategies that I adapt for individuals as needed. My classroom currently consists of 10

special education students and 10 peers and I am continually observing and assessing students to

learn what their interests are and the ways in which they learn best. I attempt to teach lessons so

that visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners can all benefit. By being observant and flexible I

am able to use a strategy and if it doesn’t work, I can quickly try another strategy. The biggest

challenge in implementing developmentally appropriate practice in my class is that there are

often too many students to truly meet the needs of every child all the time. I address this

challenge and try to meet it by understanding where each child is developmentally and by being

adaptive and flexible with instruction to enhance their learning while they are in my classroom.

In conclusion, developmentally appropriate practices must be used to provide young

children with high-quality experiences and environments to maximize their learning. Educators

and early childhood programs should have and use knowledge of child development and

learning, know how to individualize and adapt instruction, and be aware of each child’s cultural

and family needs. As an educator, I plan to use developmentally appropriate practices in my

classroom and I will continue to build my professional knowledge based on current research in

order to provide the best education possible to the students entrusted to me.
 References

10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2020, from

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/dap/10-effective-dap-teaching-strategies

3 Core Considerations of DAP. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2020, from

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/dap/3-core-considerations

Gestwicki, C. (2017). Developmentally appropriate practice: curriculum and development in

early education (6th edition). Australia: Cengage Learning.

West Virginia Pre-K Standards (Ages 3-5) Resource Booklet for Universal Pre-k. (2019). Based

on WVBE Policy 2520.15. Retrieved from https://wvde.us/wp-

content/uploads/2019/05/PKStandardsBookletUPDATE-Final-May-2019.pdf