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Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Practice

by Marjorie J. Kostelnik, PhD
March/April 1993
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/recognizing-the-essentials-of-developmentally-appropriate-practice/5009073/

A group of four year olds have been in circle time for 40 minutes. - not DAP

Aiysha wants the easel all to herself. LaToya wants a turn. The provider helps the girls develop a time table for sharing over the next several minutes. - DAP

Carlos, a kindergartner in an after school program, laboriously copies a series of words onto lined paper. - not DAP

Taken at face value, it seems easy to determine whether or not the preceding child care situations reflect developmentally appropriate practices. Closer scrutiny, however, may prompt us to reassess our original judgments.

For instance, we might revise our opinion about the circle time upon learning that the children are enthralled by a storyteller who actively involves them in the storytelling process and who has prolonged the group in response to the children's requests to "tell us another one." Likewise, helping children to share is usually a worthy endeavor. But, in this case, Aiysha only recently became a big sister and is having to share many things for the first time - attention at home, her room, and most of her things. Knowing this, we might determine that making her share ...

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