What does a developmentally appropriate, equitable approach to working with infants and toddlers look like? This book offers an accessible exploration of educator practice in real programs for children under age 3. Each section of the book includes a range of examples that address key topics and highlight diverse settings and contributors. Readers peek into classrooms around the country to see how teachers make intentional decisions to provide equitable learning for each child, based on their community’s specific contexts (those of the children, families, teachers, school, and wider community). Showcases how educators build strong relationships with infants and toddlers and their families to support development across social and emotional, language, cognitive, and physical domains in playful, joyful environments. Readers can use the content as a model to adapt and put into practice in their own classrooms.
One in a series of books (infant and
toddler, preschool, kindergarten) that each provide practical, age- and
grade-specific examples of how educators implement developmentally appropriate
practice (DAP).Chapters address the six DAP guidelines and include the following:
A brief overview of the guideline Select articles from NAEYC’s peer-reviewed periodical, Young Children, excerpts from NAEYC books, and new content that showcase excellent practice related to the guideline
What Does Developmentally Appropriate Practice Look Like in an Infant and Toddler Program?
If you’ve ever wondered how effective teachers actually do DAP with very young children, this is the book for you. Here, you can peek into classrooms to see teachers making intentional decisions in key areas of practice. These areas form the six guidelines for DAP in action:
1. Building a community where everyone is welcomed and supported to grow
2. Facilitating reciprocal partnerships with families
3. Observing, assessing, and documenting children’s development and learning
4. Using teaching strategies that enhance learning for each child
5. Implementing curriculum tied to meaningful learning goals
6. Demonstrating professionalism
You’ll discover
- More about what each guideline means for working with infants and toddlers and their families
- Chapters that showcase articles from Young Children and NAEYC book excerpts—plus brand-new content—illustrating excellent teaching strategies related to each guideline
- Examples you can model, adapt, and implement in your own practice
Enrich and deepen your teaching, and enable children’s learning to flourish!