The overall goal for using Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is to support excellence in early childhood education through decision-making based on knowledge about individual children and child development principles combined with knowledge of effective early learning practices.
Art is important to all of us. For children, art creates opportunities to visualize, create, and express ideas.
Can one-year-olds (“ones”) truly be creative? If we step away from artistic expressions of creativity for a moment and just think about the essence of creativity, the answer is a loud “Yes!”
Preschoolers gradually develop a sense of ownership and pride in the objects they create. Their creations become more complex and detailed.
Playing with blocks helps children develop such skills as physical, math, imagination and innovation, and social skills, among others.
Do the children in your program sometimes demonstrate amazing creativity? Do they explore art media in interesting, unique ways? Celebrate their work through effective displays!
“No!” “Don’t do that!” “NO!” “Get down!” “No!” “Stop!” “NO!” Do you ever feel like you are saying, “No,” “Don’t,” “Stop” all day long? Or there may be a child who seems to get on your nerves and you find yourself telling her, “No” all the time. A day full of “No” is stressful for you and for the children.
Nature activities for children and ideas for using more natural materials in the child care environment.
Art activities and materials for young children. Art is very important to young children. It gives them a way to let out their feelings and ideas.
Guidelines for buying toys for children and toy suggestions for young children.
Have you thought about culture lately, including your own? Working with children and families from diverse backgrounds other than the early childhood professional’s own requires continual self-reflection and learning. Children and families in early childhood education (ECE) programs are substantially diverse—whether the differences are cultural, linguistic, ability, family structure, race, religion, or socio-economic. An awareness of CLAD—cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity—is fundamental to working with children and families.
Families with busy schedules can struggle for time to put a home-cooked meal on the table, much less find time to include young children in cooking activities. What was once considered a life skill is becoming, for some, a dying art as convenience and processed foods become the norm. Yet, children can learn much more than healthy food choices through early experiences with cooking and there are benefits for families as well.
Almost all early educators will experience teaching a child whose home language is not English. According to NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children), “Projections indicate that by 2030, 40 percent of school-age children will have a home language other than English.”
Ideas for creating a calming environment and encouraging prosocial behavior. Children have the opportunity to hear and see many unsettling, often violent images through television, newspapers, radio, and electronic games. As caregivers to young children, what can we do to create peaceful environments that children need?
Routines and actvities to help children develop a sense of belonging in a child care program. The term sense of place reflects why a place is special and unique. It also reflects how attachments are fostered within the group and how each person develops a sense of belonging. A major goal for both parents and child care educators is that the children form positive attachments with the people involved in a program and with the child care program itself. So, how do you create a positive sense of place?
Consider the descriptions associated with the word structure: arrange, organize, construct, and form. These words describe the actions we often see children doing and enjoying.
Reasons why children develop memory and activities to support the growth of memory.
Steps that help children develop language and early literacy skills.
As you work with young children, you see how science is very much a part of who they are. Young children are natural scientists. Just observe a child for awhile and you will see science in action.
Because you work so closely with children, you observe the different ways children develop and their unique learning styles. While all children grow and develop in their own way, you may notice changes in some children that are different than those in most, or that are different in comparison to general developmental milestones. Early recognition of a child’s unique learning needs requires that you know about early intervention.
Teaching approaches for developing early language and beginning literacy skills.
“Play is some of children’s most important work,” said Fred Rogers. Those caring for children know the importance of play. How can we support play?
Light is known to be one of the most intriguing elements of exploration and discovery with young children; a way to tap into emotion, beauty, vivid imagination, and concrete learning. Light sources can evoke feelings, and assist our work, living, and play.
"Developmentally appropriate practice requires both meeting children where they are—which means that teachers must get to know them well —and enabling them to reach goals that are both challenging and achievable."
Spring is a wonderful time to introduce children to the wonders of gardening. Young children learn by experiencing “hands on” and by having opportunities to think about, re-visit, and question their experiences.
Giving children choices helps them feel like they have some power and control over what they do, and is a step in growing up.
What to expect from infants and toddlers and techniques for setting limits for infants and toddlers. Teaching discipline
Do you the children in your care help you with daily chores? Although it may be easier to do the job yourself, children learn from doing real work. Organization and cleaning are basic skills all people need for their whole lives. Also, doing chores helps children feel useful.
We have all seen the difficult behaviors that may encompass early childhood, such as crying, yelling, snatching, hitting, biting, and refusing to follow directions. Challenging behaviors will almost always show their face in our work, but with knowledge, deeper understanding, and heart, we can gently guide misguided behaviors.
Most people who care for children have run into at least one child who swears, uses “potty talk,” or uses hurtful or socially unacceptable language. At some time in their development, young children experiment with language, as they learn what is or is not socially acceptable, and begin to test boundaries.
