Principles of Principles of DevelopmentDevelopment

Developmentally appropriate practicesDevelopmentally appropriate practices

result from the process of result from the process of professionals making decisions professionals making decisions about the well-being and about the well-being and education of children based on education of children based on at least three important kinds of at least three important kinds of information or knowledge:information or knowledge:

Developmentally appropriate practicesDevelopmentally appropriate practices

1. what is known about child 1. what is known about child development and learning development and learning — — knowledge of age-related human knowledge of age-related human characteristics that permits general characteristics that permits general predictions within an age range predictions within an age range about what activities, materials, about what activities, materials, interactions, or experiences will be interactions, or experiences will be safe, healthy, interesting, safe, healthy, interesting, achievable, and also challenging to achievable, and also challenging to children;children;

Developmentally appropriate practicesDevelopmentally appropriate practices

2. 2. what is known about the what is known about the strengths, interests, and strengths, interests, and needs of each individual child needs of each individual child in the group – in the group – to be able to to be able to adapt for and be responsive to adapt for and be responsive to inevitable individual variation;inevitable individual variation;

Developmentally appropriate practicesDevelopmentally appropriate practices

3. knowledge of the social and 3. knowledge of the social and cultural contexts in which cultural contexts in which children live – children live – to ensure that to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful, learning experiences are meaningful, relevant, and respectful for the relevant, and respectful for the participating children and their participating children and their families.families.

1. Domains of children's 1. Domains of children's development are closely development are closely related to each otherrelated to each other

PhysicalPhysical

Language Language

Aesthetic Aesthetic

CognitiveCognitive

EmotionalEmotional

Social Social

Development in one Development in one domain influences domain influences and is influenced and is influenced by development in by development in other domains.other domains.

PhysicalPhysical

Language Language

Aesthetic Aesthetic

CognitiveCognitive

EmotionalEmotional

Social Social

Development in one Development in one domain influences domain influences and is influenced and is influenced by development in by development in other domains.other domains.

1. Domains of children's 1. Domains of children's development are closely development are closely related to each otherrelated to each other

2. Development occurs in a 2. Development occurs in a relatively orderly sequencerelatively orderly sequence

with later abilities, skills, and with later abilities, skills, and knowledge building on those knowledge building on those already acquired.already acquired.

3. Development proceeds 3. Development proceeds at varying ratesat varying rates

from child to child as well as from child to child as well as unevenly within different unevenly within different areas of each child's areas of each child's functioning.functioning.

4. Early experiences have 4. Early experiences have both cumulative and both cumulative and delayed effects on delayed effects on individual children's individual children's development development optimal periods exist for certain optimal periods exist for certain

types of development and types of development and learning.learning.

5. Development proceeds 5. Development proceeds in predictable directionsin predictable directions

toward greater complexity, toward greater complexity, organization, and organization, and internalization.internalization.

6. Development and 6. Development and learning occur in and learning occur in and are influenced by are influenced by multiple social and multiple social and cultural contextscultural contexts

7. Children are active learners7. Children are active learners

drawing on direct physical and drawing on direct physical and social experience as well as social experience as well as culturally transmitted culturally transmitted knowledge to construct their knowledge to construct their own understandings of the own understandings of the world around them.world around them.

8. Development and learning 8. Development and learning result from interaction result from interaction

of biological maturation and the of biological maturation and the environment, which includes environment, which includes both the physical and social both the physical and social worlds that children live in.worlds that children live in.

9. Play is an important 9. Play is an important vehiclevehicle for children's social, emotional, for children's social, emotional,

and cognitive development, and cognitive development, as well as a reflection of their as well as a reflection of their development.development.

10. Development advances 10. Development advances

when children have opportunities to when children have opportunities to practice newly acquired skills as practice newly acquired skills as well as when they experience a well as when they experience a challenge just beyond the level of challenge just beyond the level of their present mastery.their present mastery.

11. Children demonstrate 11. Children demonstrate different modesdifferent modes

of knowing and learning and of knowing and learning and different ways of representing different ways of representing what they know.what they know.

12. Children develop and learn 12. Children develop and learn best in the context of a best in the context of a community community

where they are safe and valued, where they are safe and valued, their physical needs are met, their physical needs are met, and they feel psychologically and they feel psychologically secure.secure.

Stages of DevelopmentStages of Development

InfantInfantToddlerToddlerPreSchoolerPreSchoolerKindergartnerKindergartnerPrimaryPrimarySchool ageSchool ageTweenerTweener

InfantInfant

begins at birthbegins at birth

ends as the child gains ends as the child gains movement and movement and language (begins to language (begins to walk and talk) walk and talk)

ToddlerToddler

movement and language movement and language are hallmarks of this are hallmarks of this periodperiod

emerging independence emerging independence is capped by potty is capped by potty training, self-managing training, self-managing toiletriestoiletries

PreSchoolerPreSchooler

independence crafted independence crafted during toddler times during toddler times becomes the basis for becomes the basis for exploring the world, exploring the world, expanding the expanding the awareness of the world awareness of the world aroundaround

KindergartnerKindergartner

a unique creature in all a unique creature in all the universe – this child the universe – this child is typically dependent is typically dependent on caregivers, while on caregivers, while simultaneously being simultaneously being wholly independent of wholly independent of othersothers

PrimaryPrimary

where the pre-schooler where the pre-schooler is motivated by a is motivated by a sensory exploration of sensory exploration of her world, the school her world, the school age child is engaging age child is engaging her intellecther intellect

School ageSchool age

early primary school is about early primary school is about acquiring intellectual tools acquiring intellectual tools (learning to read, learning to (learning to read, learning to count), later school age count), later school age objectives take prior objectives take prior mastered tools and use mastered tools and use them for application (reading them for application (reading to learn, counting to to learn, counting to manipulate numbers and manipulate numbers and solve problems)solve problems)

TweenerTweener

this pre-pubescent this pre-pubescent young adolescent is young adolescent is shaped by enormous shaped by enormous forces within and forces within and withoutwithout