Putting the “D” in DAP for Infants and Toddlers Rosita A. Ortega M.Ed.

Look at me!! What is DAP? You meet the child where they are, as individuals and as a group. Support each child in attaining challenging and achievable goals. NOTE: To change images on this slide, select a picture and delete it. Then click the Insert Picture icon in the placeholder to insert your own image.

How would this look like in your classroom? At your table group, you will have 5 minutes to write down what you already do in your classroom on chart paper that is “DAP”.

3 Core Considerations of DAP Grounded in the research on how young children develop and learn for effective early education.

#1 Teachers know about child development and learning #1 Teachers know about child development and learning. As educators we understand the typical development and learning at different ages. This knowledge, based on research, helps us predict which experiences will support children’s learning and development.

#2 We know what is individually appropriate. When we learn specific details on how a student learns, we use this information to refine our decisions on how to teach and care for that specific child. When we continually observe a child at play and interaction with the physical environment and others, we learn about the child’s interests, abilities, and developmental progress.

#3 Teachers know what is culturally important. Make and effort to know the children’s family. How does this background information help us? You will learn about the values , expectations, and factors that shape their little lives at home and in their communities. It provides meaningful, relevant, and respectful learning experiences for each child and family.

Something to think about as early childhood educators “There are approximately 1900 days between the day a child is born and the day he or she enters kindergarten.” Little Texans Big Futures, Texas Early Learning Council

Responsive Caregiving Style of interaction in which the teacher takes the time to pay attention to what a child is signaling, and then provides a response that meets the child’s needs in a loving way.

Developmental Domains and Focus of Concentration Physical Health & Motor Development Social & Emotional Development Language and Communication Development Cognitive Development Resources to get additional information on these domains. Little Texans: Big Futures – Your early learning guide for infants, toddlers, and three year olds Circle Activity Collection: Infant and Toddler – online support as well from CLI Engage

How Am I Playing? – Table Activity One person will be the child, and one person will be the teacher. The child will play with the toy as the adult observes and interacts to scaffold the child’s learning. Questions to think while interacting with the child 1. What is the child doing during his/her play? 2. What developmental domain/s is the child developing? 3. What language and play can I add to build on the learning?

Using an Assessment Tool to Individualize Observation (anecdotal) – Writing out what the child is doing during a specific time of the day. It is based on facts and not opinion. You are telling a story by giving the who, where, and what they were doing. Developmental Checklist – Determine how many times out of the year to give and share with the parents. (example to use – Checklist from the Children’s Learning Institute

What do we gain as a teacher of infants and toddlers? “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”  ― Haim G. Ginott

www.tea.texas.gov (go to Academics tab) www.cliengage.org Resources www.tea.texas.gov (go to Academics tab) www.cliengage.org