The long-awaited new edition of NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs is here, fully revised and updated! Since the first edition in 1987,this book has been an essential resource for the early childhood education field. Early childhood educators have a professional responsibility to plan and implement intentional, developmentally appropriate learning experiences that promote the social and emotional development, physical development and health, cognitive development, and general learning competencies of each child served. But what is developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)? DAP is a framework designed to promote young children’s optimal learning and development through a strengths-based approach to joyful, engaged learning. As educators make decisions to support each child’s learning and development, they consider what they know about (1) commonality in children’s development and learning, (2) each child as an individual (within the context of their family and community), and (3) everything discernible about the social and cultural contexts for each child, each educator, and the program as a whole. This latest edition of the book is fully revised to underscore the critical role social and cultural contexts play in child development and learning, including new research about implicit bias and teachers’ own context and consideration of advances in neuroscience. Educators implement developmentally appropriate practice by recognizing the many assets all young children bring to the early learning program as individuals and as members of families and communities. They also develop an awareness of their own context. Building on each child’s strengths, educators design and implement learning settings to help each child achieve their full potential across all domains of development and across all content areas.

Table of 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