Developmentally Appropriate Practice Essay

Q.1. According to Developmentally Appropriate Practice, how is the sense of identity and belonging to be nurtured from infancy through age eight?
A.1. According to the Development Appropriate practice the sense of identity and belonging need to be nurtured through building positive relationships (with caregivers, teacher, peers, family, nurse, and administrators), appreciation of children’s culture and language, their likes, dislikes and living styles. Daily schedule should be predictable, innovative, and easy to follow, providing daily outdoor experiences. Teachers set clear and reasonable limits, but, they should always be warm, caring, and responsive.
For infants and toddlers is focused on one-on-one with a caregivers and communication with

families, calling parents and child by their names. The voice has to be calm at all times, and welcoming. Caregiver needs to take the time to know the infant and toddlers and be prompt for any cues. Also the time for play, read, sing, finger plays, and use gentle touch or not depends from the child’s cue. The caregiver should support any child, also with disabilities, and be compassionate on how to answer to children questions about children with special needs. We should respect the child favorites and his moods and also eating and sleeping styles.
For preschoolers, teacher’s priority should be to know each child and to build communication with their families. Also support the sense of a group, belonging, doing things together with peers, examples are when someone is sick, all sing a song for him/her, or plan a special parents events. Teachers should provide opportunity to learn how to solve conflict with peers, also support children with special needs as part of the group with same respect of others. She should introduce children’s culture asking families about objects, books pictures to be use in the classroom.
For kindergarten the teachers need also to foster relationships creating groups small or big, get to know each child and his family. Encourage friendship with positive intervention and giving the space for individual learning on conflict resolution. Activities need to be open to every child, non-fluent in English or with special need. Children need to have responsibilities as leadership or helpers for the good of the community. The environment has to promote and explore individual cultural identity.
For Primary Grades teachers support friendships and family communication. Their curriculum and model of teaching should be flexible and meet any child’s learning needs, open to a full participation of children not fluent in English and with special needs. Teachers should provide opportunity to work collaboratively discussing events and building leaders and helpers for services in the community. Helping and encouraging each other as partners or in small or big group should be a common thing to do.

Q.2. Which practices are familiar? Make a list.
A.2. The practices that are familiar because I use them in a preschool environment are:
A warm welcome to the child and family every day.
Find the time to be one on one with every child.
Engage students in group play.
Be open for a hug.
Read, and sing, to a child.
Daily outdoor experiences.
Guide children to resolve conflict.
Teachers teach prosocial behavior.
Teachers set clear and reasonable limits.
Singing together for someone sick or absent.
Encouraging helping others putting a heart on the kindness tree when someone is doing a kind act for a peer.
We respect children eating likes favoring to bring own snack from home
We encourage independence and help when they need or ask for.
We have a family tree in the quite area, where each child can look at his/her family’s picture when he/she feel sad.
We have a good relationship with the nurse and the administrators. Our children know Mr. H when he comes in our room or when we see him around. Our children are also friendly with the office staff.
Q.3. Which practices are confusing or don’t quite make sense to you? Make a list
A.3. The practices that are a bit confusing are:
How can the child home language can be heard during class activities?

I never experienced that in any of my work school related, but I remember when my daughter’ preschool teacher asked for an Italian book to show in class and read some words for a week. I wanted to be more than a week and probably I was too pushy at that time. Sometimes my children meet teachers that have been to Italy and know some Italian words and during conference week is a pleasure to meet them for their interest for my culture.
How can it be possible, in an inclusive class where some children with special needs require a one on one attention, to not neglect peer models? At the moment we have eight children for each class every day, two of them need one on one, we take turns because we are tree adults, but the thing is that more children are coming and, how we will be able to give the necessary attention to all?
Q.4. Which practices do you believe are within the control of early childhood educator? Make a list.
A.4. The practices that I believe are within the control of early childhood educator are:
Give a warm welcome to family
Give a warm welcome to children
Focus on the child learning and well-being as long he/she is in the class.
Encourage critical thinking socially, and cognitive.
Provide materials that stimulate the child brain.
Encourage group play.
Keep the room safe and calm.
Provide outdoor

experience.
Provide rest time if needed.
Keep a routine schedule.
Be warm, caring, and responsive.
Q.5. Which practices require support from the program in order to implement? Make a list.
A.5. The practices that require support from the program in order to implement are:
Have enough adults in the class.
Set a limit on amount of children in a classroom.
Supply child’s cultural material.
Supply child’s language material.
Foster families’ meeting for easy communication.
Q.6. Anything else you would like to add…
A.6. the educators have too much on their mind, with assessments, IEPs, tuition, MIPs, and other things that surround the child interest, that take away much of the their time, but not the excitement to be in an early childhood environment.