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By
Catherine M. Pruissen
Developmentally
appropriate practices are based on the developmental
needs of the children they serve. There are
two aspects: Age-appropriateness and individual
appropriateness.
Developmentally
appropriate practices should be designed for the
age group being served, taking into consideration
the specific needs and differences of each child,
including culture and language. Experiences for children
should be interesting and mentally challenging as
well as active and enjoyable.
To encourage developmentally appropriate practices
, the children's environment should be well organized,
clearly defined and easily accessible. Furniture
should be arranged to promote both
small group interaction and group discussion. Children
learn best when they can construct their own knowledge
and figure out things for themselves. As children
grow, they develop and acquire new skills and experiences
that facilitate learning. Developmentally appropriate
practices are based on seven principals that acknowledge
children as active learners.
Principals Of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
-
To provide resourceful, caring staff
- To
recognize the importance of peers
- To
provide opportunities for same-age and mixed-aged
groupings
- To
promote self-selected activities and experiences
- To
experience positive guidance and discipline techniques
- To
provide a wide variety of activities individually
as well as in small and large groups
- To
provide for the WHOLE child.
Environment
- Be
responsible to children's questions; give children
enough time to play and interact with materials
- Provide
opportunities to interact with peers; encourage
friendship
- Encourage
physical activities such as games, sports, field
trips, kids' clubs, drama, dance and art
- Offer
open-end activities; provide choice; allow children
to organize activities themselves
- Involve
children in rule making; help them understand limits;
encourage problem recognition and solving
- Allow
children to use modeling clay, cook or paint; offer
opportunities for individual and team sports; let
children choose books based on their age and interests, and
- Provide
opportunities to modify and personalize the environment;
allow for independence.
Resource
Sheet #23, Canadian Child Care Federation, 120 Holland
Ave., Suite 401, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 0X6 (613)729-5289.
Information was adapted by Jennifer Mutphy-Hupe from
Developmentally Appropriate Practice in School-Age
Child care Programs, published by Project Home
Safe, and Joining the Circle: Developmentally Appropriate
Practice in School-Age Care, published by Child
Care Information Exchange.
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©
Catherine M. Pruissen
Catherine M. Pruissen is the CEO of About Child Care
Consumer Services and developer of child care online.
She has published numerous child care related literature,
including Start and
Run a Profitable Home Day Care, The
Daycare Alternative, How to Find Good Child Care,
Caregiver Aids: Business
Forms for Caregivers and Parents, Income
Tax & Record Keeping for Child Care Providers,
and a host of workshops and workbooks. She was the editor
and publisher of the bi-monthly newsletter, Parent Care,
Your Child Care News-line. Catherine was also the coordinator
and workshop facilitator for The Child Care Information
Centre in Calgary, Alberta, and ran a successful dayhome
for eight years. |
