DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practice): Three Letters That Mean So Much

Parents want their children to enter elementary school with the academic knowledge they need to be successful. I would ask parents to reframe their thinking. In early childhood, memorization of facts is far less important than building an understanding of academic knowledge through play and exploration.

‘NAEYC defines “developmentally appropriate practice” as methods that promote each child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based approach to joyful, engaged learning…’ NAEYC.org (National Association for the Education of Young Children)

Let’s compare 2 scenarios:

In preschool classroom A, the children count to 20 every morning in circle time. All the children can count to 20 independently through rote memorization. Children sit at tables practicing letter and number writing on worksheets with targeted instruction about how to hold a pencil.

In preschool classroom B, some children can count to 5, some to 10, and a few can count to 20 through hands-on play and exploration. Children engage in play with tweezers and clothes pins, and are provided with a range of writing tools to experiment with making marks on white boards, paper, and chalkboards.

At first glance you may think that the students in classroom A will be better prepared for kindergarten. But, let’s take a closer look. While the students in classroom A have memorized how to rote count to 20, do they truly have an understanding of counting with 1 to 1 correspondence (understanding that a number represents the quantity of items)? Can they identify a group of 5 and add 5 more to make 10? Having hands-on opportunities to manipulate objects allow children to develop a deeper understanding of numbers and what they represent. Using buttons or pom poms in play for counting and sorting is much more developmentally appropriate than coloring a specific number of buttons on a worksheet or rote counting to 20.

Developmentally, children aged 3-4 are just starting to coordinate the motor skills necessary to hold a writing tool and make controlled lines and shapes. By providing children with activities like squeezing clothes pins and tweezers, educators can use play to promote the development of the muscles needed for fine motor control in writing. Allowing children to explore how much pressure they need to make a line, see what happens to the thickness of line when they change the angle of the marker, and use writing as a way to enhance their pretend play (ex. writing a letter to a friend using all scribbles and stickers), gives them the chance to explore and enjoy writing - an important milestone in the process of learning to write. Children learn through play. Play and investigation are developmentally appropriate for young children.

Early childhood is a critical period for brain development. Providing experiences that are both age-appropriate and individually appropriate helps children build essential skills in language, social-emotional development, problem-solving, and motor abilities. Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) are important when teaching young children because they ensure that teaching strategies, environments, and activities align with how children grow, learn, and develop.

Here are the key reasons why DAP matters:

1. Supports Individual Growth and Learning

   • DAP recognizes that each child develops at their own pace. Using practices that match their developmental stage helps children feel successful, confident, and motivated to learn.

2. Builds a Strong Foundation for Future Learning

   • Early childhood is a critical period for brain development. Providing experiences that are both age-appropriate and individually appropriate helps children build essential skills in language, social-emotional development, problem-solving, and motor abilities.

3. Encourages Active, Hands-On Learning

   • Young children learn best by doing. DAP emphasizes play, exploration, and real-life experiences that help children make sense of the world.

4. Fosters Positive Relationships

   • DAP promotes responsive teaching that values children’s feelings, ideas, and backgrounds. This helps children develop trust, empathy, and communication skills.

5. Respects Cultural and Individual Differences

   • Teachers using DAP adapt learning experiences to reflect children’s family backgrounds, cultures, and abilities, making education more inclusive and meaningful.

6. Promotes Long-Term Success

   • Research shows that children in DAP-centered classrooms are more engaged, show stronger problem-solving skills, and develop a love of learning that benefits them in later schooling.

In short, Developmentally Appropriate Practices are important because they meet children where they are, challenge them just enough to grow, and create joyful, meaningful learning experiences.

 For further information, please refer to the NAEYC website: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/purpose

Special Thanks to:

Bernadette Rodrigo, M.Ed. - Director of Children’s Village Penn Medicine Doylestown Health

Children’s Village Earns National NAEYC Accreditation (Published July 7, 2022)