Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8, Fourth Edition (Fully Revised and Updated)

By NAEYC, Barbara Willer and Sue Bredekamp

• Developmentally Appropriate Practice as defined by NAEYC’s Position Statement is the hallmark of early childhood education


• This book which expands on the position statement is one of NAEYC’s bestselling, core texts since the first edition in 1987. The previous edition (third) came out in 2008 and sold over 208,000 copies.


• Fully revised to underscore the critical role social and cultural contexts play in child development and learning


• This new fourth edition is the most extensive yet, fully revised to align with the latest research on development, learning, and teaching effectiveness.


• Grounded in the revised NAEYC DAP position statement, which has been updated based on insightful feedback from the early childhood field, including members of the DAP/Diversity and Equity Workgroup and the Early Learning Systems Committee


• Focuses on strengths-based teaching practices


• Features contributions from well-respected names in the early childhood education field


• Includes additional resources to support faculty, administrators, and global audiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Release date: Dec 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781938113963

Book preview

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

in Early Childhood Programs

Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8

FOURTH EDITION

National Association for the Education of Young Children

Washington, DC

National Association for the Education of Young Children

1401 H Street NW, Suite 600

Washington, DC 20005

202-232-8777 • 800-424-2460

NAEYC.org

NAEYC Books

Senior Director, Publishing & Content Development

Susan Friedman

Director, Books

Dana Battaglia

Senior Editor

Holly Bohart

Editor II

Rossella Procopio

Senior Creative Design Specialist

Charity Coleman

Senior Creative Design Specialist

Gillian Frank

Publishing Business Operations Manager

Francine Markowitz

Through its publications program, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) provides a forum for discussion of major issues and ideas in the early childhood field, with the hope of provoking thought and promoting professional growth. The views expressed or implied in this book are not necessarily those of the Association.

Permissions

NAEYC accepts requests for limited use of our copyrighted material. For permission to reprint, adapt, translate, or otherwise reuse and repurpose content from this publication, review our guidelines at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.

Figure 5.1 is adapted from J.M. Zosh, K. Hirsh-Pasek, E.J. Hopkins, H. Jensen, C. Liu, D. Neale, S.L. Solis, & D. Whitebread, Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum (Frontiers in Psychology 9, 2018), 1–12.

Vignette 5.7 and portions of Exploring Perspective Taking and Environmental Protection Through Stories in First Grade are adapted, by permission, from S.L. Solis, K.E. Ertel, B. Mardell, S. Fan, S. LeVangie, G. Maurer, & M. Scarpate, Empowering, Meaningful, and Joyful: Playful Learning in Six Schools in the United States, Pedagogy of Play working paper (Cambridge, MA: President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2021), www.pz.harvard.edu/projects/pedagogy-of-play.

Vignette 7.1 is adapted from L. Mancilla, Making It Personal and Learning con el corazón: Pedagogy of Vulnerability Within Mentor–Mentee Relationships, in Pedagogy of Vulnerability, eds. E.J. Brantmeier & M.K. McKenna (Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, 2020), 165–76.

Portions of More than One Way to Tell a Story in Kindergarten are adapted, by permission, from B. Mardell, K.E. Ertel, S.L. Solis, S. LeVangie, S. Fan, G. Maurer, & M. Scarpate, More than One Way: An Approach to Teaching That Supports Playful Learning, Pedagogy of Play working paper (Cambridge, MA: President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2021), www.pz.harvard.edu/projects/pedagogy-of-play.

Table D.1 is adapted from J. Sachs, New P-2 Early Childhood Strategic Plan & Update on Boston Universal Preschool (presentation to BPS School Committee, April 26, 2017).

Photo Credits

The photos in this e-book come from a variety of sources. All are used with permission.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2022 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021932761

ISBN: 978-1-938113-96-3

Item e1156

Contents

List of Vignettes

Acknowledgments

Susan Friedman

Editors, Authors, and Contributors

Foreword

Tammy Mann

Preface

Susan Friedman

About this Book

Position Statement

PART 1

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Context

CHAPTER 1

Intentional Teaching: Complex Decision Making and the Core Considerations

Sue Bredekamp and Barbara Willer

CHAPTER 2

The Principles in Practice: Understanding Child Development and Learning in Context

Iheoma U. Iruka

CHAPTER 3

Context Matters: Reframing Teaching in Early Childhood Education

Susan Friedman, Marie Masterson, and Brian L. Wright

Chapter 3 Appendix: Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding Child Development and Context

Brian L. Wright

CHAPTER 4

Teaching Content in Early Childhood Education

Douglas H. Clements and Tanya S. Wright

CHAPTER 5

The Power of Playful Learning in the Early Childhood Setting

Jennifer M. Zosh, Caroline Gaudreau, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

PART 2

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action

CHAPTER 6

Creating a Caring, Equitable Community of Learners

Brian L. Wright

CHAPTER 7

Engaging in Reciprocal Partnerships with Families and Fostering Community Connections

Lorena Mancilla and Patricia Blanco

CHAPTER 8

Observing, Documenting, and Assessing Children’s Development and Learning

Catherine Scott-Little, with Kathy L. Reschke

CHAPTER 9

Teaching to Enhance Each Child’s Development and Learning

Marie Masterson

CHAPTER 10

Planning and Implementing an Engaging Curriculum to Achieve Meaningful Goals

Marie Masterson

CHAPTER 11

Demonstrating Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator

Losmeiya Huang, Sim Loh, and Ashley Simpson, with Lauren Hogan, Lucy Recio, and Mary Harrill

Appendices

Appendix A: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action: Educator Snapshots and Reflections

Appendix B: Digging Deeper into Knowledge

Appendix C: Changes to the Position Statement, Changes to the Book: Resources and Strategies for Faculty

Camille Catlett, Eva Horn, and Florianna J. Thompson

Appendix D: Creating and Implementing Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: A Guide for Public School Audiences

Jason Sachs and Chris Bucco

Appendix E: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Early Learning Setting: Tips and Resources for Early Childhood Educators

Glossary

References

Index

List of Vignettes

1.1  Self-Identity: The Power of a Name

1.2  What Is My Favorite Book?

1.3  Building Relationships

1.4  Engaging with Families

1.5  Recognizing Differences as Variations in Strengths, Not Deficits

1.6  Getting to Know Children as Individuals

1.7  Commonality, Individuality, and Context

1.8  Scaffolding an Infant’s Physical Skills

1.9  Scaffolding Children’s Science Learning

1.10  A Visit to an Infant and Toddler Family Child Care Program

1.11  A Visit with 3- and 4-Year-Olds in Head Start

1.12  A Visit to a Mixed-Age Preschool Class

1.13  A Visit to a First Grade Classroom

1.14  Using Current Research to Inform Practice

1.15  Self-Reflecting to Promote Equity

2.1  Fostering Positive Relationships to Support Emotional Well-Being

2.2  Learning Across Domains in Preschool: Understanding Emotions

2.3  Learning Across Domains in Second Grade: Playwriting

2.4  Play at the Drink Stand Serves Up Fun and Engaged Learning

2.5  Authentic Assessments to Identify Areas of Strength and Growth

2.6  Peer Relationships to Support Learning

2.7  Conversations About Family Traditions and Recipes

2.8  Tapping into Children’s Interests to Teach and Learn Math

2.9  Making Goals and Routines Clear to Avoid Impressions of Preference and Bias

2.10  Connecting a STEM Learning Experience to Children’s Home Settings

2.11  Learning More About Children’s Interests During Family–Teacher Meetings

2.12  Cross-Pollinating: A Study of Flowers that Integrates Learning Across Content Areas

2.13  Patterning with Preschoolers: Noticing Patterns Everywhere

2.14  Reading in First Grade: Learning that Sounds Can Sometimes Be Represented in More than One Way

2.15  Math in Preschool: Scaffolding One-to-One Correspondence

2.16  Paired Reading in a First Grade Bilingual Classroom

2.17  Creating Recordings and Sharing with Families

3.1  Making a Pie to Support Vocabulary Development

3.2  Alonso and Storytelling

3.3  A Classroom Conversation About Gender Emerges: A Teacher Reflects on the Terms She Uses

3.4  Bridging Cultural Contexts Between Home and School

3.5  Misunderstanding Cultural Context

3.6  A Panaderia in the Dramatic Play Area

4.1  Preschoolers Act as Engineers—with Help from a Puppet

4.2  Exploring Math and Literacy: Shops in the Dramatic Play Area

4.3  Math Play with Trains

4.4  A Dog and a Horse Are Different

4.5  Introducing Vocabulary as Children Cook

4.6  Understanding Concept of Word: A Learning Goal

4.7  Nita’s Early Number Learning

5.1  The Weather Forecast from First-Graders

5.2  Playing with Blocks

5.3  Studying Bears: Self-Directed Play that Extends What Kindergartners Are Learning

5.4  Peek-a-Boo

5.5  Building on a Toddler’s Interest

5.6  The Secret of Shapes

5.7  Second-Graders Devise a Math Game for Learning Place Value

5.8  Reinforcing Numeracy with a Game

5.9  Playing with Alex

6.1  Missed Opportunities for Teaching and Relationship Building

6.2  Educator Assumptions

6.3  Mealtime and Cultural Differences

6.4  Welcoming a Child and Family

6.5  Capitalizing on Children’s Cultural Traditions

7.1  Setting Language Goals

7.2  Why Don’t They Show Up?

7.3  Will My Child Have to Change Classrooms?

7.4  Family–Teacher Conference

7.5  Creating a Sense of Belonging

8.1  Home Visit Strengthens Connection and Informs Assessment

8.2  Individualization and Collaboration with Families

8.3  Use of State Early Learning Standards

8.4  The Importance of Learning About Children’s Experiences from Family Members

8.5  Using a Combination of Standardized Assessments, Teacher-Made Tests, and Observations

9.1  Connecting Teaching to Children’s Contexts

9.2  Facilitating Learning During Play

9.3  Reinforcing Content Learning Through Active Play

10.1  Planning Curriculum for Active Engagement

10.2  Using Emergent Curriculum to Engage Infants in Outdoor Learning

10.3  Integrating Standards with Cross-Curricular Learning Activities

A.1  Making Home-to-School Connections During a Unit on Building

A.2  Three Ways to Support Storytelling

A.3  What Writing and Drawing Look Like in an Infant and Toddler Classroom

A.4  Studying Bears in the Early Winter

A.5  Studying Birds in the Spring

A.6  Pondering Pumpkins: A Study in How We Are Alike and How We Are Different

A.7  A Monster, I’m Not Afraid of Anything at All

A.8  The Name

A.9  Developing Language Skills by Taking a Tree’s Point of View

Acknowledgments

This book was truly a collaboration. It is the result of the work of many people both inside and outside of NAEYC. I want to acknowledge and thank everyone who helped make this edition come alive.

First, thanks to the authors, contributors, and reviewers who brought their perspectives, voices, expertise, spirit of collaboration, and dedication to developmentally appropriate practice and equity in all stages of this book. Without their contributions, feedback, and conversations, this book would not have been possible.

Thought Partners

I want to offer a special thank-you to Barbara Willer, who led the revision of the position statement on developmentally appropriate practice, for her involvement throughout the creation of the book. From our first discussions about how the book might be organized to her input on much of the content within the book, she was a true thought partner while she was on staff at NAEYC and beyond.

Additionally, I would like to specifically mention and thank volume editors and contributing editors Sue Bredekamp, Marie Masterson, and Brian Wright, who also served as significant thought partners through the development of this book.

Several colleagues and educators provided additional influence and impact on organization, content, and areas of emphasis. I would like to acknowledge Iliana Alanís and Lisa Hansel for their input at the early planning stages, Annie Moses for her feedback as the book was being edited, and Kathy Charner, who was NAEYC’s editor in chief of books during the early concept stages of this new edition.

NAEYC Staff

Editorial Team

While there were many from NAEYC who worked on this book, I would like to highlight the important contributions of Senior Editor Holly Bohart, Director of Books Dana Battaglia, and Editor II Rossella Procopio. Holly Bohart’s talent as an editor and her dedication and focus to the editorial readability as well as the educational integrity of the content was key to making this book possible. She carried much of the editing of the book on her shoulders and was instrumental in collaborating with the contributors throughout the book’s creation. Dana Battaglia’s talent in structuring the book itself, problem solving, and leadership during each part of the book creation process, as well as her vision for the book’s use with key audiences, made this project shine. Rossella Procopio took the lead on copyediting this book and making it clear and useful for readers. Publishing Business Operations Manager Francine Markowitz facilitated the printing process and e-book production to get the book into readers’ hands. Without the collaboration of these talented and dedicated staff members, this book would not exist.

Executive Team

Thank you to NAEYC CEO Rhian Evans Allvin for her leadership throughout the creation process for the position statement and book. Thank you also to Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Michelle Kang, who supported the development of this book at every stage.

Cross-Departmental Colleagues

Many thanks to our talented creative services team, Charity Coleman, Gillian Frank, and Henri Siblesz, who devoted considerable time and skill to make the book’s design as practical and readable as possible.

A profound thank-you to Rhian Evans Allvin, Amanda Batts, Anthony Durborow, Susan Hedges, Annie Moses, Alissa Mwenelupembe, Stephanie Olmore, and Lucy Recio for their thoughtful input in and engagement with the content of this book. Each of these staff members read numerous chapters and provided invaluable feedback. Also, thank you to Lauren Hogan and Mary Harrill for their input on key content within the book.

· · ·

Special acknowledgment goes to the members of the NAEYC Early Learning Systems Committee and DAP/Diversity and Equity Workgroup, Governing Board, and staff who worked on the revision of the position statement and set the stage for the revision of this book from the beginning. Their leadership informed the emphasis on equity throughout this book and its inclusion of so many voices.

On a very personal note, I would like to thank my family, who supported my work on this book throughout 2020 and 2021, understanding the many times when meeting a book deadline had to come first.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the core inspiration for this book: NAEYC members and early childhood educators. Thank you for your dedication to developmentally appropriate practice and creating supportive learning environments for each and every child.

—Susan Friedman

NAEYC Volume Editor

Editors, Authors, and Contributors

NAEYC Volume Editor

Susan Friedman is senior director of publishing and content development at NAEYC. In this role, she leads the content development work of NAEYC’s books and periodicals teams. Ms. Friedman is coeditor of Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens. She has extensive prior experience creating content on play, developmentally appropriate uses of media, and other topics for educators and families. She began her career as a preschool teacher at City and Country School in New York City. She holds degrees from Vassar College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Volume Editors and Contributing Editors

Sue Bredekamp, PhD, is an early childhood education consultant on developmentally appropriate practice, curriculum, teaching, and professional development. She coedited NAEYC’s 1986, 1997, and 2009 editions of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, and she developed and directed NAEYC’s accreditation system for early childhood programs. Dr. Bredekamp is the author of an introductory teacher education textbook, Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation, Third Edition (Pearson, 2016).

Marie Masterson, PhD, is director of quality assessment at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She is a licensed teacher, national speaker, and author of many books and articles that address research-based, practical skills for high-quality teaching, children’s development and behavior in cultural contexts, family engagement, and family child care. Dr. Masterson provides content expertise and consultation to organizations and systems involved in quality improvement and leadership development.

Barbara Willer, PhD, retired from NAEYC after 35 years of service and leadership. During her tenure, Dr. Willer led many substantive projects to further NAEYC’s mission. The capstone efforts of her contributions to NAEYC and the field were leading the development of the position statements Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education (2019) and Developmentally Appropriate Practice (2020).

Brian L. Wright, PhD, is associate professor and coordinator of the early childhood education program as well as coordinator of the middle school cohort of the African American Male Academy at the University of Memphis. Dr. Wright is author of The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades, with contributions by Shelly L. Counsell, which won the National Association for Multicultural Education’s 2018 Phillip C. Chinn Book Award.

Chapter Authors

Patricia Blanco, MEd, is a professional learning specialist at WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Ms. Blanco has served as program director, curriculum specialist, school cofounder/codirector, and teacher. Her areas of expertise include professional learning, leadership, program development, early language development, and equitable teaching and learning practices centering on multilingual children, families, and communities.

Sue Bredekamp (see biography under Volume Editors and Contributing Editors)

Douglas H. Clements, PhD, a former preschool and kindergarten teacher, is Distinguished University Professor and Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning at the University of Denver. He has published over 166 research studies, 27 books, 100 chapters, and 300 additional works on the learning and teaching of early mathematics; computer applications; creating, using, and evaluating research-based curricula; and taking interventions to scale, mostly with his colleague and wife, Julie Sarama.

Susan Friedman (see biography under NAEYC Volume Editor)

Caroline Gaudreau, PhD, is a research professional at the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago. She received her PhD from the University of Delaware, where she studied how children learn to ask questions and interact with screen media. She is passionate about disseminating research and interventions to families across the country.

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, PhD, conducts research on language development, the benefits of play, spatial learning, and the effects of media on children. A member of the National Academy of Education, she is a cofounder of Playful Learning Landscapes, Learning Science Exchange, and the Ultimate Playbook for Reimagining Education. Her last book, Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children (American Psychological Association, 2016), reached the New York Times bestseller list.

Mary Harrill is senior director for higher education accreditation and program support at NAEYC.

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, is the Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She is committed to bridging the gap between research and application.

Lauren Hogan is managing director of policy and professional advancement at NAEYC.

Losmeiya Huang, MA, is director of Ocean Park Campus at Growing Place in Santa Monica, California.

Iheoma U. Iruka, PhD, is research professor in the Department of Public Policy, a fellow at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute, and founding director of the equity research action coalition at FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka has authored over 50 articles and five books focused on supporting the development, learning, and well-being of children of color and children from households with low income through equity-centered policies, systems, and practices.

Sim Loh, BA, is family partnership coordinator at Children’s Village in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Lorena Mancilla, PhD, serves as director of Early Years at WIDA. Her passion for the field of family engagement comes from her own family history and her experiences as a classroom teacher, workshop facilitator, and researcher. Dr. Mancilla’s research focuses on multilingual families and the intersection of family engagement and language education.

Marie Masterson (see biography under Volume Editors and Contributing Editors)

Lucy Recio is director of advocacy at NAEYC.

Kathy L. Reschke, PhD, is senior content specialist for ZERO TO THREE. Dr. Reschke contributes to the design and development of competency-based professional development products and services. She developed the content for the ZERO TO THREE Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators™ course manuals, online course, and coaching program. Her areas of expertise are early development and education and educator professional development.

Catherine Scott-Little, PhD, is professor of human development and family studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she codirects and teaches in the birth through kindergarten graduate program. Her areas of expertise include state-level policies, such as early learning and development standards, assessment systems, and teacher education.

Ashley Simpson, EdD and EdS, is chair of Teacher Education and World Languages at Community College of Aurora in Colorado.

Barbara Willer (see biography under Volume Editors and Contributing Editors)

Brian L. Wright (see biography under Volume Editors and Contributing Editors)

Tanya S. Wright, PhD, is associate professor of language and literacy in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. Her research and teaching focus on curriculum and instruction in language and literacy during the early childhood and elementary years with a particular focus on oral language, vocabulary, and knowledge development for young children.

Jennifer M. Zosh, PhD, is professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Brandywine. Most recently, her work has focused on technology and its impact on children as well as playful learning as a powerful pedagogy. She publishes journal articles, book chapters, blogs, and white papers and focuses on the dissemination of developmental research.

Appendix Authors

Amy Blessing, MEd, NBCT, is a kindergarten teacher with Pender County Schools in eastern North Carolina.

Chris Bucco, MEd, supports early childhood teachers and administrators with NAEYC accreditation in Boston Public Schools and with Focus on Pre-K curriculum implementation in community-based organizations.

Camille Catlett, MA, is senior technical assistance specialist at FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Virginia Diez, PhD, is lead community connector for the RISE Project at Tufts University.

Ron Grady, MSEd, is a teacher at NOLA Nature School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Eva Horn, PhD, is professor and coordinator of the Early Childhood Unified Program at the University of Kansas–Lawrence.

Nadia Jaboneta, MEd, is a lead teacher and pedagogical leader at Pacific Primary School in San Francisco, California.

Ben Mardell is project director of the Pedagogy of Play, a collaboration with the LEGO Foundation and the International School of Billund.

Cynthia Parker, MEd, is lead coach for the RISE Project at Tufts University.

Laura Purvis is a Head Start educator.

Jason Sachs is director of early childhood for Boston Public Schools.

Florianna J. Thompson, MEd, is professor of early childhood education at Wake Technical Community College.

Dilshad Tolliver is a master teacher in an infant and toddler classroom at the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning at The Ohio State University.

Additional Content Contributors

Sandy Baba

Pamela Brillante

Amanda Bryans

Victoria Fantozzi

Marilou Hyson

Ijumaa Jordan

Ben Mardell

Kathy L. Reschke

Bweikia Steen

Shu-Chen Jenny Yen

Content Reviewers

Iliana Alanís

Sandy Baba

Amy Blessing

Garnett Booker

Sue Bredekamp

Pamela Brillante

Amanda Bryans

Douglas H. Clements

Becky DelVecchio

Lillian Durán

Victoria Fantozzi

Marilou Hyson

Marie Masterson

Jen Newton

Michelle Pless-Joseph

David Ramsey

Kathy L. Reschke

Shannon Riley-Ayers

Nicol Russell

Jason Sachs

Karen Silver

Barbara Willer

Brian L. Wright

Tanya S. Wright

Shu-Chen Jenny Yen

NAEYC Staff Reviewers

Rhian Evans Allvin

Amanda Batts

Anthony Durborow

Susan Hedges

Annie Moses

Alissa Mwenelupembe

Stephanie Olmore

Lucy Recio

Editors of Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8, Third Edition

Sue Bredekamp

Carol Copple

Foreword

No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.

—James Comer, lecture at Region 4 Education Service Center, Houston

The essence of these eight words captures my perspective on the most basic meaning of what this fourth edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice represents for me and, hopefully, for every early childhood educator who understands the powerful influence they have on the lives of young children. To serve young children well, educators bear a significant responsibility for establishing connections with children and their families that form a strong foundation for learning. This updated edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice reinforces the power of relationships and underscores that every child, birth through age 8, has the right to equitable learning opportunities that support their optimal development and learning across all domains.

Neuroscience research has unequivocally established that children are capable of making extraordinary strides during the early years in every aspect of development as long as they have the benefit of engaged, responsive, and supportive adults. The relationships that children have with adults at home and in early childhood settings greatly influence what they come to understand about themselves and how the world works. They are born wired to make meaning from their experiences. This dynamic interplay between biology and environment shapes learning and development in profound ways.

The early childhood field must overcome many challenges to ensure that every child has access to equitable learning experiences that support their optimal development. This updated edition provides new insights about the role that early childhood educators, programs, and education systems play in helping to make it so. As I explored the content, I found myself struck by a number of shifts reflected in the text.

Equity matters. This has always been true, but as I write this foreword in 2021, I can reflect on how it took a global pandemic to illuminate the adverse impact that underresourced, marginalized populations face across systems, whether health, criminal justice, education, or housing. During the crisis, Black, Latino/a, and Indigenous populations disproportionately experienced higher rates of severe disease, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19. As we emerged from the pandemic, new evidence surfaced about the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on students in K–12 education, highlighting the need for us to pay attention to equity across systems.

An equity lens is needed to address achievement and opportunity gaps in general, and this revised edition helps provide insights on how to do so. It is an incredible resource for practitioners when used in combination with the 2019 position statement on advancing equity. Subsequent publications from NAEYC (i.e., Advancing Equity and Embracing Diversity in Early Childhood Education: Elevating Voices and Actions and Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens) amplify and give voice to why equity matters and how the early childhood field can use an equity lens to transform how we engage in our work with young children. Such publications build on the second edition of the seminal publication Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves and are invaluable for teachers, program leaders, and education systems that support the professional preparation and ongoing learning and development of early childhood educators.

Context matters. The second shift noted focuses on the role of context in children’s development. This issue was certainly evident in the third edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, but the conceptual framing has been significantly expanded in the fourth edition, which addresses context as it relates to both a child’s and family’s lived experiences and the lived experiences of educators and how that impacts their work with young children. The text is replete with examples that illuminate how approaches to teaching and learning can be greatly enhanced by valuing what children and families bring to early learning programs. When we acknowledge what children bring as assets, we are intentionally communicating "I see you, and you matter." There is power in being seen and celebrated. It sounds simple, yet we know that classrooms, literature, and materials are not always reflective of the rich diversity of all children. Furthermore, we demonstrate our commitment to value context by engaging with those lived experiences to facilitate learning and development. When we consider context in this manner, we increase the opportunity for our environments to engender a sense of belonging. When children see themselves and their communities in ways that reflect affirmation and acceptance, it helps to foster positive identify development.

Educators’ contexts and self-reflection matter. We must not only direct our efforts on appreciating the lived experiences of children and their families but also accelerate our focus on examining the ways that teachers’ lived experiences affect their work with young children. This updated edition includes significant enhancements that call for teacher, know thyself—much easier said than done—because our teacher preparation programs often lack coursework that helps aspiring teachers gain clarity about their own lived experiences and their beliefs about students, especially students who may come from different backgrounds. There is tremendous need to focus on these issues in coursework and during field experiences. In 2021, the National Council on Teacher Quality released a report on teacher preparation policies and found that just 16 states require teachers who support student teachers to meet a measure of effectiveness. It is not known to what extent effectiveness working with children from diverse backgrounds is included as a component of effectiveness.

Currently, much of the work related to enhancing teacher self-awareness falls to professional development that happens during the course of a teacher’s employment, which is problematic when we consider the impact that teachers’ implicit and explicit biases have on children’s identity development and achievement. This updated edition includes ample attention to these issues. Questions for reflection, as well as suggested resources that support teacher self-awareness, are included throughout the text. Perhaps this will inspire teacher preparation programs across the country to evaluate how they can embed this content into their programs. There are models for exploring these issues in social science programs that emphasize the importance of such insights in human services professions.

Understanding both/and thinking is important. Beyond self-knowledge, the fourth edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice invites early childhood educators to see the power in both/and thinking when it comes to pedagogy. Dogmatic perspectives about child-directed versus teacher-directed approaches to teaching can get in the way of valuing context. Self-directed play is unequivocally an essential experience and pathway for promoting joyful learning, as is the intentional work that early childhood educators do to facilitate engagement in active learning experiences. Both approaches can result in children experiencing joyful learning. Both approaches require that teachers have foundational knowledge that helps them consider the interrelated nature of all domains of development as they engage children during play or facilitated learning experiences. Rigidly holding to one approach over another, without considering the child and their response, can result in children being underserved. Embracing teaching as both art and science invites a flexible stance that is consistent with the dynamic nature of learning in the early years. Teaching young children is complex and hard work. Educators are expected to center in their minds knowledge about each domain of development and content area throughout the day as they actively engage with young learners. It is an active process and demands that early childhood educators are able to scaffold and adjust their approaches based on how children are responding.

Technology is a part of children’s lives and education. The final observation worth noting references the use of technology and interactive media as one of the nine guiding principles of child development and learning in the 2020 position statement on developmentally appropriate practice and in content embedded in various chapters in this book. In 2012, NAEYC released its position statement on technology and interactive media in partnership with the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, with subsequent resources and articles on the topic in Young Children and Teaching Young Children published since that time. During the pandemic, technology became a lifeline for parents and children to engage in a wide range of experiences to support early learning from home. Technology and interactive media use was robust, and many believe that it will continue to expand even as in-person learning resumes. Practitioners and researchers have a ripe opportunity to reflect on experiences borne of the pandemic to shape new questions about how these tools, when used responsibly and intentionally, help facilitate learning.

· · ·

For more than 50 years, NAEYC and many other allied organizations have actively advocated for resources that make early care and education a reality for many, especially underresourced children from marginalized communities. For 20 of those 50 years, we have utilized research that supports the return on investment as justification for allocating resources to help expand access to early care and education, which has been effective because of the context in which policy decisions are often made. As we look to the future, it is my hope that we will also create space and find champions who can effectively communicate the value of investing in the early years because they matter today, even without the need to demonstrate, over and over again, the financial returns generated in the future by such investments. I have always had concerns about how much making the case in this way feeds into the magic bullet mental model. As much as many would like to find the one right intervention, it undermines the complexity of human development and the many forces that can alter the trajectory of a child’s life. Early childhood, like every phase of development across the life span, has meaning and value apart from what it generates for society tomorrow. Our ability to realize the vision we have for young children demands shifts in what we value if we are to realize our aspiration that all children have the right to equitable learning opportunities that support their optimal development and learning.

—Tammy Mann

President and CEO, The Campagna Center

President, NAEYC Governing Board, 2016–2018

Preface

Young children are born eager to learn about their world. The experiences of early childhood, including those that happen in centers, classrooms, and family child care programs, have a profound impact on us as individuals and as a society. Responsive relationships and environments nurture young children’s development and learning and are key factors in supporting young children to thrive. Early childhood educators, teacher educators, and those who fund and administer educational experiences and environments have significant roles to play. How educators attend to all children’s educational and developmental needs and social and emotional well-being is what developmentally appropriate practice is about.

Early childhood educators are drawn to the early childhood profession for a range of reasons: enjoyment of the unique, spontaneous, and joyful ways young children express themselves and explore the world; a desire to be part of children’s early learning experiences; and an appreciation of the foundational nature of early childhood education. They understand how their role as educator can have an impact beyond the early childhood setting as they develop strong relationships with children, supporting children’s learning in ways that are joyful and engaging and nurturing that spark to learn and explore well into the future.

Developmentally appropriate practice encompasses the knowledge and considerations educators need to apply to create, participate in, and sustain effective and joyful learning environments.

To effectively teach each and every child takes a great deal of knowledge and skill in multiple areas to further children’s growth across the social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and linguistic domains of development. Early childhood educators must be able to support development of social skills and relationships; foster specific content knowledge in math, literacy, science, and social studies; facilitate and extend hands-on playful learning experiences; use observation and assessment to inform teaching and further children’s learning; and form and sustain partnerships with families. Developmentally appropriate practice encompasses the knowledge and considerations educators need to apply to create, participate in, and sustain effective and joyful learning environments. In short, it describes the complex and rewarding work of effective early childhood educators.

What Developmentally Appropriate Practice Means to the Early Childhood Field

Since NAEYC first published its position statements, books, and other resources on what it means to plan and implement intentional, high-quality learning experiences that promote optimal learning for young children, developmentally appropriate practice has become the North Star guiding the early childhood profession. But developmentally appropriate practice is not a static set of research findings or a definitive list of effective practices. It continues to evolve based on new research and understandings along with feedback and critique from the field. As described in this book and in the 2020 position statement, discerning whether or not something is developmentally appropriate is possible only with an understanding of child development; a deep knowledge of particular children; thoughtful consideration of specific learning goals; and a determination of what is culturally, linguistically, and ability appropriate for each child. No educational practice or learning experience is developmentally appropriate in and of itself in all settings and with all children. Educators make adjustments to planned activities, selected materials, the environment, and their interactions with children to best meet the individual needs and goals of each child based on the specific circumstances and contexts. To guide these continual adjustments, even the most seasoned educators can ask themselves: Is there new research I should know about? Are there areas of teaching to strengthen? Are there areas to refocus and reconsider?

A Brief History of NAEYC’s Position Statement and Book on Developmentally Appropriate Practice

To understand where developmentally appropriate practice is now, it is important to see where it began at NAEYC. This historical context illustrates how the early childhood profession has grown and transformed, how it continues to develop, and what further work needs to be done to enable every educator to maximize the opportunities for every child to achieve their full potential.

NAEYC’s creation of a position statement on developmentally appropriate practice was first conceived of as a guide to effective early education when NAEYC launched its national program accreditation system with specific guidance for teachers. The position statement was intended to offer a clear interpretation of effective early childhood practices that mapped to NAEYC’s early learning program standards and to provide a better alternative to a trend in which methods of learning that are more appropriate for older children were being pushed down into kindergarten and preschool. NAEYC adopted its first position statements defining developmentally appropriate practice in 1986. The concept of developmentally appropriate was not new, having been used by developmental psychologists for years in reference to age-related and individual human variation.

Generally speaking, NAEYC has revisited its position statement and book on developmentally appropriate practice each decade in response to new knowledge, changing contexts, and feedback from the field:

1986: Initial position statements adopted on developmentally appropriate practice in programs serving children from birth through age 8 and in programs for 4- and 5-year-old children.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice. First book. Included a position statement on developmentally appropriate practice for children from birth through age 8 and sections on children from birth through age 3 and on 4- and 5-year-old children.

1987: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8 , expanded edition. Added content on developmentally appropriate practices for 3-year-olds and children in the primary grades.

1996: Position statement on developmentally appropriate practice updated.

1997: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs , revised edition. Significant changes in this edition included viewing the educator as decision maker, recognizing that goals for children need to be both challenging and achievable, and expanding the basic definition of developmentally appropriate practice to include social and cultural contexts.

2009: Position statement updated.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, third edition. Significant changes in this edition included new knowledge to guide practice and the rapidly changing context in which early childhood programs operate, including the growing role of public schools and the increasing focus on narrowing the disparities in achievement between various groups of learners.

2020: Position statement updated.

2022: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8 , fourth edition.

The most recent revision of the position statement on developmentally appropriate practice, like the previous revisions, was guided by the NAEYC governing board and is based both on the current research base and on feedback and critique from the field. In addition, new understandings from the field of cognitive science have informed the position statement. Updates to the 2020 position statement, described in Appendix A of the statement, are reflected throughout this book as well. Updates were implemented to

Maintain a timely, cyclical revision of both position statement and book

Acknowledge limitations of the research base

Shift the view of differences in context from deficits to assets to build on

Address and disrupt implicit bias

Move away from the notion of best practice to emphasize a dynamic and creative set of practices that embrace and build on the varied assets children bring

Revise the core considerations to acknowledge the social and cultural contexts not only of children but also of educators and the educational setting

Update principles of child development and learning to reflect new research and incorporate social and cultural contexts of development

Reorder the guidelines for practice and include a new guideline on professionalism to be more consistent with NAEYC’s professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators

The Fourth Edition: What’s the Same, What’s Different

This edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice builds on previous editions as well as on the 2020 position statement. Like previous editions of the book, the fourth edition seeks to answer several questions: What is developmentally appropriate practice? What does it look like in a range of settings and at different ages? How can the ideas in the position statement be brought to life for education students, practitioners, and faculty?

In many ways, this revision of the book affirms the core concepts of developmentally appropriate practice. For example, NAEYC continues to underscore three core considerations—the knowledge that educators rely on as they intentionally make decisions each day to guide children’s development and learning toward challenging yet achievable goals. These include

Knowledge of principles of child development and learning that enable early childhood educators to make general predictions about what experiences are likely to be most enriching for children

Knowledge about each child as an individual and the implications for how best to effectively adapt and be responsive to individual variation

Knowledge about the social and cultural contexts in which each child lives—including family and community values, expectations, and linguistic conventions—that educators must strive to understand in order to ensure that learning experiences in the program or school are meaningful, relevant, and respectful for each child and family (NAEYC 2020a, 34)

A Diverse Group of Authors and Editors

Past editions of Developmentally Appropriate Practice were written and edited primarily by NAEYC staff, and NAEYC owes great appreciation to the editors of those editions, Sue Bredekamp and Carol Copple. The fourth edition brings together NAEYC staff with many early childhood professionals representing different areas of expertise and experiences who served as chapter authors, contributing editors, volume editors, writers, and reviewers.

Bringing together so many people with a diverse range of expertise, contexts, and backgrounds offered many rewards as well as pushed those of us involved in the development of the book to expand our understandings. As we sought to bring multiple perspectives to this book, we needed to understand the different lens that each individual brought to the project and then attempt to weave together each new thread of experience, context, and knowledge into one strong, vibrant fabric, all within the context of developmentally appropriate practice.

At the same time, both the revised position statement and this book mark a profound departure requiring significant changes in current professional understanding and practice. For experienced educators, much in this new edition will be familiar. But while developmentally appropriate practice has always acknowledged the importance of cultural variation of children and families, a broader view now emphasizes the multiple social, cultural, and historical contexts of children and families as well as those of educators and society:

In the past, differences in social and cultural contexts were identified as deficits and gaps rather than assets or strengths to be built upon. Additionally, the implications of the educator’s personal and professional social and cultural contexts and of the program setting have largely been ignored. This revised statement reflects an equity lens that underscores these two important aspects in the revised core considerations:

The principles of child development and learning acknowledge the critical role of social and cultural contexts and the fact that there is greater variation among the universals of development than previously recognized.

Understanding of the social and cultural contexts applies not only to children but also to educators and to the program setting. It is essential to recognize that educators and administrators bring their own social and cultural contexts to bear in their decision making, and they must be aware of the implications of their contexts and associated biases—both implicit and explicit—to avoid taking actions that harm rather than support each child’s development and learning. (NAEYC 2020b, 34)

The changes are especially important given the growing racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of the domestic and global populations. They are consistent with the 2019 position statement on advancing equity and are reflected in the revised principles of child development and learning and the guidelines for practice in the 2020 position statement on developmentally appropriate practice.

The first three chapters of the fourth edition define what developmentally appropriate practice is and how the core considerations and the principles of child development and learning have evolved.

Chapter 1, Intentional Teaching: Complex Decision Making and the Core Considerations, examines a reframing of developmentally appropriate practice in light of the significant expansion of the core consideration of context. This chapter also emphasizes the importance of teacher decision making, providing a range of examples of how educators think through the three core considerations—commonality, individuality, and context—as they make decisions throughout their teaching.

Chapter 2, The Principles in Practice: Understanding Child Development and Learning in Context, describes nine principles of child development and learning that reflect the research base and are enriched through the lens of context. Promoting early learning through relationships—with children, families, and colleagues—is now embedded in many of these principles but in particular principles 1 and 2, and the nature of supportive relationships as intrinsically connected to children’s development and learning are emphasized.

Chapter 3, Context Matters: Reframing Teaching in Early Childhood Education, offers a way to think about and understand the implications of context in an increasingly diverse society. The chapter highlights the time of important cultural reflection that educators are in. This cultural reflection can be challenging; however, it is absolutely critical to fully support each child’s optimal development and learning.

Chapters 4 and 5 expand on teaching content and supporting playful learning in early childhood education and offer ways effective educators embed play and content in their teaching. Chapters 6 through 11 each dive into one of the six guidelines for implementing developmentally appropriate practice.

Reframing Best Practice

One of the key decisions made during the revision of the position statement was to purposefully not use the term best practice. Effective practices informed by research along with professional judgment are referred to as guidelines for early childhood educators’ professional practice and are directly aligned to NAEYC’s professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators (2020b). This reframing does not mean there is not clarity around appropriate practices; clear guidance for determining the most appropriate practice is reflected in the principles, the guidelines, and the core considerations outlined in the position statement on developmentally appropriate practice. Instead, this decision reflects the concern that, especially when applied to specific practices, best has often been used in the United States to reflect the dominant culture’s assumptions. Educators who rely on the notion of a single best practice often make assumptions based on their own experiences, which may not have involved extensive experiences with a variety of populations. These assumptions can be biased if educators do not fully consider the specific abilities, interests, experiences, and motivations of a particular child or their family’s culture, preferences, values, and childrearing practices when determining the most appropriate practice for that child. As discussed throughout this book, developmentally practices must be determined with an understanding of specific contexts in mind.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice and NAEYC’s Foundational Documents

This book builds on five foundational documents that NAEYC has developed in collaboration with the early childhood profession:

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education

Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment

Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation Standards and Assessment Items

These core documents work together as a whole to define and support the early childhood profession. They are grounded in NAEYC’s core values that emphasize diversity and inclusion and that respect the dignity and worth of each individual (NAEYC, n.d.). The documents are built on a growing body of research and professional knowledge that underscore the complex and critical ways in which early childhood educators promote early learning through their relationships—with children, families, and colleagues—that are embedded in a broader societal context of inequities in which implicit and explicit bias are pervasive.

The influence of two of these statements in particular can be seen throughout this edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice:

Position statement on advancing equity: The influences of this statement, published in 2019, can be seen in the authorship of the content and in the many examples included in the chapters. To move toward the goal of making developmentally appropriate practice a reality for all children, the authors considered context and equity from multiple perspectives as embedded within all aspects of educational practice.

Position statement on professional standards and competencies: The guidelines for decision making in six key areas of practice, discussed in detail in Part 2 of this book, correspond to the standards set forth in this statement. Throughout, the book brings to life the core knowledge, skills, and dispositions for effective early childhood educators that are identified in the standards and competencies.

In addition, because effective early childhood educators need well-developed and funded early childhood education systems as well as structures, education, and career pathways to make developmentally appropriate practice a reality for all children, the revised position statement and book align with the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession (AFSCME et al. 2020). This document defines a strong, equitable, diverse, effective, well-prepared, and well-compensated early childhood profession.

To acquire the knowledge and skills outlined in the professional standards and competencies and to implement the principles and guidelines described in the developmentally appropriate practice position statement and book, educators must go further in their learning and training and continually update their knowledge. When a position statement is updated, it may bring unexpected changes, but these present an opportunity for educators to consider the new emphases as part of their ongoing self-reflection and professional growth.

2020 Context and Influences on this Book

The conception and planning of this book spanned several years, including the period of writing the position statements on developmentally appropriate practice, professional standards and competencies, and advancing equity. Beginning in early 2020, as authors began writing the initial drafts of their chapters and contributions, three significant events took place:

The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating the early childhood profession. Many chapter authors included material about the pandemic in their contributions—what it highlighted as related to equity, the stresses on specific populations, and the stresses on early childhood educators. While acknowledging the extreme circumstances for educators and families brought on by the pandemic, we chose to not refer to this event in detail throughout the book. Instead, we sought to value and share these contributions in ways that accommodate the long life cycle of a book and emerging events that add particular contexts to the education of young children.

The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the subsequent protests and activities to support the Black Lives Matter movement raised a broader awareness of the significant structural inequities impacting Black Americans, and they also significantly influenced authors as they were writing for this book.

As the editors were finalizing the manuscript, we were deeply impacted by a surge in anti-Asian violence in the United States, which strengthened our resolve to continue to discuss and work to reduce the inequities in society and in education through NAEYC’s efforts. The shifting landscape and conversations about equity underlie the connections of the position statement on developmentally appropriate practice to the position statement on advancing equity and the ongoing need for self-reflection and work to make high-quality early childhood education a reality for all children.

The editors and authors have worked hard to produce a volume that is both a product of its time and contexts and also one that will serve readers well until the next edition is developed.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Is a Position Statement, a Book, and an Approach to Teaching

Developmentally appropriate practice has always been about effective teaching and joyful, engaged learning. As we work to understand what our profession means and what we should do as educators, it’s important to take a step back and reflect on why and how we do what we do. Effective educators connect all they do to an approach that emphasizes the power of play and honors children’s interests and deep engagement. We work to bring together education theory and new research into our practice. We reflect on what we do to best serve the children we teach. There are those who enter early childhood education after finding joy in working with young children and develop their knowledge through their careers. There are those who study early childhood education as students and gain additional knowledge as they observe and interact with children and educators in the classroom as part of their student teaching. There are those with advanced degrees who gain additional knowledge through practice and continuous learning, including becoming more nuanced in their understanding of equity and new research. Developmentally appropriate practice is for all of us as we strive to do the best we can to help all young children thrive.

—Susan Friedman

NAEYC Volume Editor

About this Book

The fourth edition of this book begins with NAEYC’s position statement on developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). This statement is the foundation for the book’s content and structure and provides a vision for the early childhood education profession that is brought to life by the book. The book addresses the ideas and key concepts outlined in the position statement through the narrative, vignettes, and pedagogical features.

Parts of the Book

The book is divided into two sections, with a total of 11 chapters, plus five appendices. The table illustrates the relationship between the position statement and the book’s content.

Part 1: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Context

As shown in the table, the five chapters contained in Part 1 expand on the three core considerations and the nine principles of child development and learning by highlighting both the research base and the practical considerations for teachers. These chapters also emphasize important concepts and updates from the position statement itself. Chapters 4 and 5 expand on two particular principles to emphasize how both education content knowledge and play are essential to effective early learning.

Part 2: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action

Part 2 focuses on implementation of the core considerations and the principles in practice through the six guidelines listed in the table. These guidelines also correspond to the standards outlined in Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (NAEYC 2020b). Each chapter in Part 2 discusses one of the guidelines. These chapters feature charts with examples of practice related to that guideline, organized by age.

These charts have undergone several changes from the third edition of the book. First, the column headings have changed from Developmentally Appropriate/In Contrast to Examples of Developmentally Appropriate Practices/Examples of Practices to Avoid. This change is intended to emphasize that no practice is always developmentally appropriate. What is developmentally appropriate may look different in different situations based on the specific contexts and teacher decision making that emerge from the core considerations. The change in wording also underscores that the examples in the chart are just that—examples, and not a definitive list.

Second, the charts in each chapter begin with a chart outlining teaching practices that are relevant to all ages, followed by charts with specific examples for four age groups (infant and toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and primary). Readers of previous editions will notice that the book is no longer organized by age group. There are two major reasons for this change. The first is to align with principle 4 in the position statement; the new organization acknowledges that while there are general progressions of development and learning for various age groups, there are also great variations due to cultural contexts, experiences, and individual differences. The previous organization of the chapters may have led teachers of a particular age group to focus on only the information presented for that age group. It is important for educators to understand children’s learning progressions—what comes before a skill or understanding and what comes next—to effectively support all children’s learning and development. The second reason for this change is to reduce the repetition in the guidelines across the age groups. The new For All Ages chart now captures examples of practices that apply to children from birth through age 8.

Chapter Features

A number of new features help readers focus on the content of the chapters, reflect on their purpose for reading, and make connections to their own practice.

Learning goals at the beginning of each chapter state what readers will be able to do after reading the chapter.

Thought questions at the beginning of each chapter set the stage for reading by engaging readers in considering what they already know about the chapter topic and how it might pertain to their own practice.

Reflection questions at the end of each chapter prompt readers to review and consider how to apply the content to their own situations, whether or not they are currently working with children. In addition, some chapters contain reflection questions throughout the chapter that pertain to specific vignettes. These questions encourage readers to think critically about the practice being illustrated and how it does or does not demonstrate effective practice.

In Context sidebars explore particular aspects of social and cultural contexts, such as ability, race, and language, as they connect to the chapter topic.

Digging Deeper into Knowledge, embedded throughout the chapters and indicated with small shovel icons beside boxed text, points to Appendix B: Digging Deeper into Knowledge, which lists select additional resources on a topic.

Refer to "Appendix B: Digging Deeper into Knowledge" for additional resources on anti-bias, anti-racism, diversity, and equity.

Appendices

Appendix A: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action: Educator Snapshots and Reflections

In this collection of vignettes, early childhood educators describe their interactions with children and reflect on how they implement developmentally appropriate practice in their work and what that means to them professionally and personally. These examples highlight what engaged and often joyful learning can look like in a range of settings and offer concrete ways to make developmentally appropriate practice a living and ongoing approach. While these examples provide insights and opportunities for discussion, they also serve as a model to help educators consider questions such as the following:

What does developmentally appropriate practice look like in my own setting?

How do I think about my own practice and my own context?

NAEYC will continue to develop this feature online, providing a growing pool of examples to support educators’ self-reflection.

Appendix B: Digging Deeper into Knowledge

This appendix invites further reading and knowledge development on a range of topics, including anti-bias and anti-racism education, culturally responsive teaching, effective approaches to teaching math and literacy, child development, assessment and observation, and engaging children in playful learning. Our hope is that readers will pursue additional information and coursework.

Appendix C: Changes to the Position Statement, Changes to the Book: Resources and Strategies for Faculty

This appendix offers examples of ways faculty can use this book and other NAEYC resources. The discussion focuses on integrating strengths-based, hands-on sequences of learning, watching, questioning, practicing, and reflecting that support students in higher education courses in acquiring and applying the values and actions of developmentally appropriate practice through coursework and field experiences.

Appendix D: Creating