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1.1 Appropriate Practice: A Brief History

The first statement explaining NAEYC's position on developmentally appropriate interactions with young children appeared in 1986. The publication's title was simply Developmentally Appropriate Practice, and it was edited by NAEYC's director of accreditation and professional development, Sue Bredekamp. Many of the book's contributors were writers whose works and views have been a part of your own early childhood program.

The impetus for such a publication was twofold. First, NAEYC had recently begun a program for accrediting early childhood centers and schools, evaluating them in part by the developmental appropriateness of their teaching and expectations. A clear statement of what this meant had not yet been delineated. Second, there was widespread concern among early childhood professionals during the 1980s about the emerging academic nature of preschools and kindergartens. Often, this consisted of watering down primary curricula "with too much emphasis on teacher-directed instruction in narrowly defined academic skills" (Bredekamp, 1986, p. iv). The publication laid out what was believed to be "appropriate practice" and "inappropriate practice," using bulleted lists and precise language to demonstrate its views clearly. Table 1.1 provides a few examples of these practices as they pertain to 4- and 5-year-old children.

Component	Appropriate Practice	Inappropriate Practice
Teaching Strategies	Children are provided concrete  learning activities with materials and  people relevant to their own life experiences.	Workbooks, ditto sheets, flashcards, and  Other similarly structured abstract materials  Dominate the curriculum.
Parent-Teacher Relations	Teachers work in partnership with parents, communicating  regularly to build mutual understanding and greater consistency for children.	Teachers communicate with parents  only about problems or conflicts.  Parents view teachers asexperts and  feel isolated from their children's experiences.

The publication of Developmentally Appropriate Practice was greeted by many in the field with positive interest. There was also gratitude for the support it provided to professionals as they struggled to maintain the integrity of early childhood programs in the face of outside pressures to teach traditional academic concepts, using methods more suited to older children. For example, looking back at Table 1.1, we see a concern about the use of structured abstract materials. Better, by far, would be concrete materials relevant to children's lives. This does not mean that young children are incapable of academic learning. Rather, teaching should be provided in a developmentally appropriate way.

Although the 1986 statement was based on well-regarded theory and research and written by experts in the field, the next few years brought a need for some rethinking and revision. In addition, although NAEYC's definition of early childhood extended to age 8, the first version had not included the primary grades, an omission NAEYC hoped to rectify.

With Sue Bredekamp and Carol Copple as editors, the revised edition of 1997 was now titled Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs. At 180 pages, the book was three times the length of the first edition and included essays of far greater depth. There were still bulleted lists of "appropriate" and "inappropriate" practices, but they now covered through age 8. Despite these clear divisions between right and wrong, a shift in attitude had emerged. No longer were there strong statements about what was right and what was wrong, such as those appearing in Table 1.1. Instead, a new introductory section contained a brief statement titled "Moving from either/or to both/and thinking in early childhood practice." Referring to "the complexity and interrelationship among the principles that guide our practice," the statement provided examples of both/and thinking, such as the following:

"Children construct their own understanding of concepts, and they benefit from instruction by more competent peers and adults.

Children benefit from engaging in self-initiated, spontaneous play and from teacher-planned and -structured activities, projects, and experiences" (p. 23).

Twelve years and many new developments in the field later, the most recent edition was published. Edited again by Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp, the 2009 Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 has now grown to more than 300 pages. This edition no longer refers to appropriate and inappropriate practices, preferring instead to use the designation developmentally appropriate and the somewhat less harsh in contrast. Table 1.2 provides examples of what the newest statements look like.

Developmentally  Appropriate	In Contrast
Language &Literacy	Teachers teach children how to listen— By teaching and scaffolding it,  just like any otherlanguage skill.	Teachers think that  "listening" means that children behave well  ("He doesn't listen"),and  they do not help children with listening skills.
Mathematics	Because mathematics is a discipline in which mastering the next concept /skill requires having understood earlier, foundational concepts/skills, the curriculum reflects a research-based progression of topics.	The mathematics curriculum covers too many content areas superficially, and children do not have the opportunity to master the foundational concepts and skills needed to move forward.

Continuing the theme of both/and thinking about DAP, a new section titled "FAQs about Developmentally Appropriate Practice" contained the following statement:

Individual children vary greatly in their development, prior experiences, abilities, preferences, and interests, and there is no formula that works for all of them or for all situations. To teach any child effectively, a teacher must use a variety of teaching strategies and make intentional choices about what strategy to use in a particular situation, and when and how to extend and support children's learning. (p. 327)

The 2009 edition also includes three "core considerations in developmentally appropriate practice" that define today's central views about how early childhood practitioners can and should think when making decisions:

What is known about child development and learning—referring to knowledge of age-related characteristics that permits general predictions about what experiences are likely to best promote children's learning and development.

What is known about each child as an individual—referring to what practitioners learn about each child that has implications for how best to adapt and be responsive to that individual variation.

What is known about the social and cultural contexts in which children live—referring to the values, expectations, and behavioral and linguistic conventions that shape children's lives at home and in their communities that practitioners must strive to understand in order to ensure that learning experiences in the program or school are meaningful, relevant, and respectful for each child and family. (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, pp. 9–10)

To summarize these three considerations in relation to NAEYC's evolution of DAP, it can be noted that the original 1980s statement was based primarily on knowledge of child development. Today there is also recognition that individual differences, as well as social and cultural contexts, also play an important part in decision-making.

It is the 2009 edition of DAP that will support your professional decisions in the coming years. Despite its acknowledgement that early childhood education is far more complex than perhaps believed in the initial years of DAP position statements, there is still enough clarity in the publication to provide you with assistance as you pursue your career. The 2009 edition also takes a more flexible position regarding pedagogical approaches, as demonstrated in the quotation from the FAQs. Should you remain a professional in the field for several years or more, you can expect continuing revisions based on NAEYC's view that position statements are "living documents" that "will be regularly updated and revised" (NAEYC, 2009, p. 2).

1.2 NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation

As might be expected, the creation of expectations for teachers would require corresponding expectations for the programs that educate the teachers. Thus, alongside the position statements that have just been described, other position statements emerged with standards for two- and four-year programs. They, too, have undergone revisions over the years, with the most recent version published in 2009. Just as the Appropriate Practices position statements were developed with the help of early childhood experts and national organizations, so was the NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation (referred to henceforth as the Standards). Table 1.3 provides a summary of the current NAEYC standards, all of which have been foundational to your own program. You can think of the six standards as a guideline for what teachers should know and be able to do.

Table 1.3: NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation
Standard	Key Elements
Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and Learning	Know and understand young children's characteristics and needs,  and themultiple influences on development and learning; use  this knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive,  challenging learning environments.
Standard 2: Building Family and Community Relationships	Know about and understand diverse family and community  characteristics;create respectful, reciprocal relationships with  them; involve them in theirchildren's development and learning.
Standard 3: Observing,Documenting, and Assessing toSupport Young Children andFamilies	Understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment; use  observation,documentation, and other approaches to promote  positive outcomes for eachchild; know about assessment  partnerships with families and colleagues.
Standard 4: UsingDevelopmentally EffectiveApproaches to Connect WithChildren and Families	Understand positive relationships as foundational; know,  understand, and use effective and developmentally appropriate  teaching/learning strategies; reflecton practice to promote  positive outcomes for each child.
Standard 5: Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curricula	Understand and use content, inquiry tools, and resources in  academicdisciplines to design, implement, and evaluate  meaningful, challenging curricula for every child.
Standard 6: Becoming a Professional	Uphold ethical standards and other professional guidelines;  engage incontinuous, collaborative learning to inform practice;  integrate knowledgeable,reflective, and critical perspectives in  early education; engage in informed advocacy.

The Physical, Social, and Emotional Environment

What will your classroom look like? Even if your curriculum is chosen for you, even though your approach to behavior is prescribed by the director or principal, you will probably have some freedom in this regard. Do you want to provide cozy and comforting surroundings for children? Is a large space important because you want children to engage in movement activities frequently? Should there be a large space for art-related creativity and messes? Are you more at home, perhaps more secure, with tidy rows of tables or desks? Your answers to these questions will affect the way your children feel about being in your classroom and the ways they interact with one another. As you gain experience, you will learn to adapt to the needs of your specific children and curriculum; however, for now you simply need to think about getting a good start. Being intentional will serve you well.

All the various conditions and influences surrounding young children constitute their environment, and these contribute in important ways to their development. The Standards address this fact as a major portion of Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and Learning. According to this standard, there are four critical features that promote "healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments."

Beginning teachers have the knowledge and skills necessary to "promote young children's physical and psychological health, safety, and sense of security."

Beginning teachers model anti-bias perspectives through respecting all children, as well as their home culture and language, abilities and disabilities, and communities.

Play, spontaneous activity, and guided investigations are provided for children and demonstrate the beginning teacher's belief that all young children have the ability to learn.

Contemporary theory and research underlie the beginning teacher's creation of a learning environment. Thus, the environment will be appropriately challenging, providing "achievable and stretching experiences for all children—including children with special abilities and children with disabilities or developmental delays" (NAEYC, 2009, p. 11).

NAEYC has set these Standards for beginning teachers as well as for those who are experienced. Although it might seem overwhelming at first to keep everything in mind, it can be useful for beginners to ask themselves four related questions when making classroom decisions: Does this decision promote all aspects of my children's health and safety? Does this decision respect every one of my children? Does this decision provide time for play, spontaneous activity, or investigation? Is this decision based on good theory and research?

One helpful way to ensure good decision making is to attend to the physical environment. The types of walls, floors, and furnishings in a classroom convey specific messages to children (and adults) about the kind of teaching and learning expected to take place, who is respected and cared for, and what should happen next. Wide, open spaces send a message that promotes movement. Desks in rows indicate serious, quiet learning with the teacher in charge. Walls filled with posters, pictures, and inspirational sayings invite creativity. As is true for all elements of the environment, there is a need for age appropriateness in the physical environment.

For infants, this means having a clean and safe floor area where they can move freely. Toys are within reach, or just beyond, to encourage crawling for those who are ready. Interesting objects can be placed on low shelves and should be a mixture of familiar and new items. There should never be so many items that they become an over-stimulating blur or so few that the environment is sterile and dull. All materials and physical areas must be completely safe, with a caregiver nearby at all times (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).

Toddlers also need a clean and safe floor, one that has uncarpeted areas for messy activities and pull toys, and carpeted areas for quiet play. Divided areas provide space for varying kinds of play, from solitary, to small group, to blocks. Area dividers offer privacy for the children but should remain low enough for adult supervision. Both indoor and outdoor areas include space for active, large muscle play. Finally, just as infants need low, open shelves with easily accessible, safe-to-handle toys, so do toddlers (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).

During the preschool years, children become capable of a wider range of large motor skills, although they develop with some awkwardness. Providing them with safe indoor and outdoor opportunities to test their skills is appropriate. Fine motor skills can be encouraged through provision of materials, but children should not be pushed to achieve. Within the boundaries of safety, children should be permitted to do as much for themselves as possible, all with good supervision (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).

Kindergartens continue the use of discrete areas for playing and learning and open shelves for free access. There are tables and chairs of varying sizes, places for group meetings, spaces for keeping personal belongings, and a dramatic play area. Materials provide the optimal amount of challenge, including varying levels for the different capabilities children bring to school (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).

By the primary grades, most classrooms contain desks or tables designed for serious work. These can be arranged for flexible groupings so that children can work alone or in groups. There should still be kindergarten-style spaces where construction and other noisier projects can take place, and quiet spaces for solitary or shared reading. While safety is still a consideration, children should gradually be given more freedom of movement within the school and permitted, with supervision, to use tools of various sizes (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).

1.4 Professionalism

Whatever your career goals in early childhood care and education might be, an attitude and demonstration of professionalism is a must for serving the interests and needs of young children. Becoming a professional is the sixth and final NAEYC Standard.

The hallmark of a professional, according to this standard, is "continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice." In other words, completion of a program in early childhood education is not "the final demonstration of competence but is one milestone among many, including professional development experiences" (NAEYC, 2009, p. 18). Another mark of an early childhood professional is to make decisions—even routine ones related to choosing materials or ways to organize nap time or circle time—using research-based knowledge and values. Choosing appropriate professional development experiences will help ensure success in this aspect of professionalism.

Standard 6 also includes advocacy for children and families as an aspect of professionalism, and suggests that this be informed advocacy based on knowledge about policy and ethical issues along with societal concerns. In one community, for example, early childhood care and education centers have banded together to create a strong league of stakeholders. Each center sends one teacher or administrator to the monthly meetings to discuss the current issues they are all facing as well as to learn from each other. On occasion, one or two members are sent to the state capital as representatives to advocate for the community's children.

To be effective professionals in such an organization or as representatives to larger groups, administrators, teachers, and caregivers must be able to demonstrate verbal and written communication skills that will allow them to be respected and heard.

Finally, Standard 6 reminds beginning teachers, as well as their instructors, of NAEYC's code of ethical conduct. It includes sections on ethical responsibilities to children, to families, to colleagues and employers, and to the larger community. The importance of ethical dispositions and conduct is great enough that this text devotes a large section of Chapter 9 to the topic. There, you will find much more about the code. If you would like to preview it now, however, you can find it at www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ethical_conduct.

Krogh, S. (2013).  A Bridge to the Classroom and Early Care: ECE Capstone  [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/