DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS (1997,
REVISED EDITION). WASHINGTON, D. C.: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION
OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES RESULT FROM THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONALS
MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THE WELL-BEING AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN BASED ON AT
LEAST THREE IMPORTANT KINDS OF INFORMATION OR KNOWLEDGE:
- 1. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
- 2. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE STRENGTHS, INTERESTS AND NEEDS OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL CHILD IN THE GROUP.
- 3. KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH CHILDREN LIVE.
PRINCIPLES OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING THAT INFORM DEVELOPMENTALLY
APPROPRIATE PRACTICE:
- 1. DOMAINS OF CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT - PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND
COGNITIVE - ARE CLOSELY RELATED. DEVELOPMENT IN ONE DOMAIN INFLUENCES AND IS
INFLUENCED BY DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER DOMAINS.
- 2. DEVELOPMENT OCCURS IN A RELATIVELY ORDERLY SEQUENCE, WITH LATER
ABILITIES, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE BUILDING ON THOSE ALREADY ACQUIRED
- 3. DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS AT VARYING RATES FROM CHILD TO CHILD AS WELL AS
UNEVENLY WITHIN DIFFERENT AREAS OF EACH CHILD'S FUNCTIONING.
- 4. EARLY EXPERIENCES HAVE BOTH CUMULATIVE AND DELAYED EFFECTS ON
INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT. OPTIMAL PERIODS EXIST FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF
DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING.
- 5. DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS IN PREDICTABLE DIRECTIONS TOWARD GREATER
COMPLEXITY, ORGANIZATION AND INTERNALIZATION
- 6. DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING OCCUR IN AND ARE INFLUENCED BY MULTIPLE
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS.
- 7. CHILDREN ARE ACTIVE LEARNERS, DRAWING ON DIRECT PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL
EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS CULTURALLY TRANSMITTED KNOWLEDGE TO CONSTRUCT THEIR OWN
UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
- 8. DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING RESULT FROM INTERACTION OF BIOLOGICAL
MATURATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL
WORLDS THAT CHILDREN LIVE IN.
- 9. PLAY IS AN IMPORTANT VEHICLE FOR CHILDREN'S SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS A REFLECTION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
- 10. DEVELOPMENT ADVANCES WHEN CHILDREN HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE
NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS AS WELL AS WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE A CHALLENGE JUST BEYOND
THE LEVEL OF THEIR PRESENT MASTERY.
- 11. CHILDREN DEMONSTRATE DIFFERENT MODES OF KNOWING AND LEARNING AND
DIFFERENT WAYS OF REPRESENTING WHAT THEY KNOW.
- 12. CHILDREN DEVELOP AND LEARN BEST IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMMUNITY WHERE
THEY ARE SAFE AND VALUED, THEIR PHYSICAL NEEDS ARE MET, AND THEY FEEL
PSYCHOLOGICALLY SECURE.