DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE online course

Description- This training is designed for either providers that are just learning about developmentally appropriate practices. This training will help them learn to apply this approach by selecting appropriate toys and art activities.

Learning Objectives- As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

Completion Criteria for Credit-

Lesson One - Identify the purpose and main guidelines of developmentally appropriate practice

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Developmentally appropriate practice is based on the theories of Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget, and Erikson. These theories look at how children grow and develop. Developmentally appropriate practice gives us guidelines for what is the optimal way to promote the growth and learning of young children. For something to be developmentally appropriate, it must be both age appropriate and individually appropriate. For example if you were trying to arrange a preschool classroom, you would need to consider the general abilities of this age group. How high can they reach? Do they need specially sized furniture? You would also need to consider the needs of the individual children in your group. A child with a disability may need handrails along the wall, a child with a learning disability may need a privacy carrel.

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Online articles:

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Questions to ask when planning an activity:

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Online article:

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Lesson Two - List examples of developmentally appropriate art experiences

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The terms arts and crafts are used interchangeably but in fact there is a difference. Crafts are projects that have a specific goal in mind. In the past, crafts were popular in early childhood programs and you could walk into a classroom see a row of patterned crafts being displayed. The guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice ask us to promote the process rather than the product. Instead of cookie cutter crafts, free art is the now the focus.

 

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Online article:

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Click here for message board: Open-Ended Art

 

TRY: Mark the statements made by a teacher encouraging open ended art experiences.

  1. Watch how I do this. Let’s all make our snowmen out of the clay.

  2. Here is a container with all kinds of shapes of paper. You can glue them together and come up with some interesting designs or pictures if you’d like.

  3. We’re going to make a bus out of these shapes. The rectangle goes here. The circles are the wheels. The squares are the windows.

  4. I cut out these witches for you to glue yarn on for hair.

  5. That is a nice picture, but you forgot to draw the arms on the boy. He needs arms.

  6. Clay is fun to roll and smoosh flat. I wonder what kinds of things you will make with your clay today.

Click here for answers

 

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Lesson Three - List examples of developmentally appropriate toys for young children

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Safety must always be the first consideration when choosing toys! Check out these online references:

Although the labeling on toys that tells you the appropriate age for the use of a toy is useful, there are many more things to consider when selecting toys that are developmentally appropriate.

 

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CONGRATULATIONS!

You have now completed this online class.  We would appreciate if you would fill out the Training Evaluation Form.

-Click here to download Training Evaluation Form in Microsoft Word

-Click here to download Training Evaluation Form in Adobe PDF

You may send your worksheets and evaluation form one of three ways:

****Note how you would like to receive your certificate (postal mail, email, or fax).*****

Once we receive your worksheets, you will receive a certificate within two weeks. 

For an EXPEDITED certificate (guaranteed to be emailed or faxed within 48 hours, provided that your work is acceptable), please send $5 via PayPal to the email address listed above.  Click here to send payment (once on the site, click "Send Money").   Before sending, please the following information in the "Message":

  • Student's Name
  • Student's Email Address
  • Date that worksheets were submitted
  • Method that worksheets were submitted (Email, Fax, Mail)

For Further Reading:

Developmentally Appropriate and Culturally Responsive Education: Theory in Practice

ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS CONCERNING DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE

Park, B., S. Neuharth-Pritchett, & J. Reguero de Atiles. 2003. Using integrated curriculum to connect standards and developmentally appropriate practice. Dimensions of Early Childhood 31 (3): 13-17.

Lally, J.R., A. Griffin, E. Fenichel, M. Segal, E.S. Szanton, & B. Weissbourd. 2003. Caring for infants and toddlers in groups: Developmentally appropriate practice. Washington DC: Zero to Three.

Dever, M.T., C. Kessenich, & R.C. Falconer. 2003. Implementing developmentally appropriate practices in a developmentally inappropriate climate: Assessment in kindergarten. Dimensions of Early Childhood 31 (3): 27-33.

Sanders, S. 2002. Active for life: Developmentally appropriate movement programs for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through 8 A position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children

Yes, but is it developmentally appropriate?

 

© 2006 Joni Levine All Rights Reserved