Essay On Developmental Appropriate Practice

“Developmental appropriate practice” (DAP) is a term used in the educational field for many years. DAP is grounded in the research on child development and learning and in the knowledge base regarding educational effectiveness. In this paper, I will be focusing on the five major guidelines for developmental appropriate practice in the early education field which are: creating a caring community of learners, teaching to enhance development and learning, planning curriculum to achieve important goals, assessing children’s development and learning, and establishing reciprocal relationships with families.

On April 20, 2017 at 9:15am I observed preschoolers outdoors playing organically. There were many different activities for the children to choose from including; monkey bars, slides, kitchen sets, sand boxes, swings, bikes, and a picnic area. The children played with their peers and enjoyed playing with the different toys, while their teachers walked around and interacted with some of the children. One teacher I watched, played hide and seek with a group of students. I also other teachers in the kitchen area or the sand

As an educator, we need to foster a caring community of learners in our classroom to help children build the relationship skills that they need. Copple & Bredekamp (2009) says “how children expect to be treated and how they treat others is significantly shaped in the early childhood setting” (p.16). To equally make sure that each child has a caring community we need to make sure each teacher values each child’s similarities and differences. Each child should be treated equally regardless of race, ability, disability, nationality, or income level. During my observation, the children were outside interacting with each other learning how to develop positive, constructive relationships with their classmates. Teachers were very observant and redirecting to children on the playground during their time of