Developmentally Appropriate Preschool Education
Five Steps to High-Quality Learning in the Preschool Classroom
Sep 14, 2009
Creating a developmentally appropriate preschool classroom is a process that emphasizes the whole child. Teachers work to create an environment which meets the cognitive, social/emotional, physical, language, and self-help needs of the students. In addition, there are basic elements that distinguish developmentally appropriate education. According to Bredekamp and Copple (1997):
“Teachers make informed decisions based on their knowledge of child development, individual children and cultural and social context. (Developmentally appropriate) curriculum integrates the content areas and provides for active exploration and concrete, hands-on activities.”
Using the following steps, preschool teachers can begin to incorporate the five most important elements of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) into their classrooms.
Active Exploration of an Enriched Environment
In order to develop to their maximum potential, all young children require the opportunity to engage in regular exploration of their surroundings. The first step is to be sure that the classroom environment is safe, free of hazards, and age-appropriately childproofed. Once that is accomplished, an early childhood educator can then proceed to enrich.
The primary mode of learning for young children is through the senses. As each individual child learns more effectively thorough one sense more than others, it is best to offer activities in as many sensory modes as possible. Creating an enriched classroom environment means activities and materials should include those which appeal to visual, auditory, and tactile learners, as well as opportunities to taste and smell.
Self-Directed, Hands- On Learning Activities
Once the environment is enriched, children should have as many opportunities for independent exploration as time will allow. Teacher-guided activities set the stage for learning. Children can then play in interest areas that are designed to further develop the concepts introduced by the teacher.
Interest areas or centers are specific places in the classroom in which children can explore, experiment and make discoveries and connections on their own. Examples of developmentally appropriate interest areas include: literacy area, sand play area, water play area, dramatic play area, blocks/building area, discovery/science area, math/manipulative toy area, library area, and art area.
It is vital that the materials available to children are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Activities and materials should be neither too simple nor too difficult. It is best when children are challenged within what Lev Vygotsky (1978) calls the zone of proximal development. Activities which fall into this zone are appropriate for the individual child’s current level of ability. A child should be offered activities which are neither too difficult nor too easy so the child can accomplish them independently.
Balance Between Individual and Small Group Activities
In order for a classroom to be developmentally appropriate, large group activities should be kept to an absolute minimum. Children learn best through individual exploration and in small groups. Activities with large groups of children require more waiting and less participation, which limits opportunities for learning. While children can be trained to sit quietly and wait for extended periods, it is not best educational practice.
Teachers should strive to create a balance in which children work together in small groups. The teacher can introduced to specific concepts, then encourage them to work independently or with several peers in order to further explore what they have learned.
Regular, Supportive Interaction with Teachers and Peers
Allowing children to explore independently doesn’t mean that teachers sit back and do nothing. Teachers can guide and expand the experience through facilitated play. This term refers to the process of closely observing children and offering ideas and suggestions to further develop and extend the play experience.
It is easy for children to get stuck in the same kinds of games or playing with toys in a routine way. Small suggestions or ideas from a teacher can take a child in a whole new direction and develop higher- level skills through play. A few suggestions might include asking a child who consistently builds a flat race track with unit blocks to add on and off ramps, or suggesting that two children who usually take the roles of mom and dad in dramatic play, switch roles or bring new characters to the game.
This is also the perfect time to assist children in social interaction with peers. As conflicts inevitably arise, a teacher is available to mediate and model ways for children to solve problems and play appropriately together.
Balance Between Active Movement and Quiet Activities
A hallmark of the developmentally appropriate classroom is alternating between activities that require more physical action and those that involve less movement. Young children naturally have short attention spans. Teachers can take advantage of that critical window of opportunity when their attention can be focused by moving from more active to less active modes of learning. By changing how information is presented, teachers can hold attention more effectively.
It is an important part of room arrangement to create spaces for both active and quiet activities. During a free choice period, some children may prefer quiet pursuits like painting or listening to a book on tape. Other children may enjoy being active with building blocks or dramatic play. A developmentally appropriate classroom offers space, time, and materials for both.
Preschool teachers who make the investment of effort to bring the features of developmentally appropriate practice to their classrooms will find it worthwhile. Hands-on exploration, a balance of self-directed and teacher-directed learning, and both active and quiet activities are elements which offer an educational experience designed to meet the needs of the whole child.
Sources:
Bredekamp, S. (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice: The early childhood teacher as decisonmaker. In S. Bredekamp & C. Copple (Eds), Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs (rev.ed) (pp. 33-52) Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Vygotsky, L. (1978), Interaction between Learning and Development (pp.79-91). In Mind in Society (Trans. M. Cole). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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