1. Drs. Ellen Marshall and Cathy McAuliffe
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Drs. Ellen Marshall and Cathy McAuliffe

2. Today’s Agenda Developmentally Appropriate Practices Curriculum
ECERS-R and CLASS
Learning Centers
Project Presentations

3. What’s this phrase we keep using?
Developmentally appropriate …what does that mean?
Developmental = ?
Appropriate =?
Developmentally Appropriate = ??

4. What is meant by :developmentally appropriate content and outcomes?”
NAEYC states that standards should “emphasize significant, developmentally appropriate content and outcomes”
What is meant by :developmentally appropriate content and outcomes?”
What are the three components of DAP?
Age appropriateness
Individual appropriateness
Cultural appropriateness

5. Understanding DAP
Why is it important to understand these three components of DAP?
Research has shown over and over that teachers, when asked, will say they have a developmentally appropriate classroom
But when an independent observer evaluates the classroom, it is largely inappropriate!

6. You and DAP
Let’s see if I can help you understand DAP by taking you on a ski trip!

7. Developmentally Appropriate Practices
Let’s go on a ski trip!
Age appropriateness
Individual appropriateness
Cultural appropriateness

8. Adding to your knowledge about the three components
What are they again?

9. Age Appropriateness
What do we know about child development and how young children learn at different ages and stages?
We use this knowledge to
plan activities
interact with children
insure safe and healthy environments
make sure what we plan is interesting and achievable, but challenging

11. Age appropriateness
What does (or should) it look in your classroom?

12. Individual Appropriateness
What do we know about individual children in our group?
Strengths?
Interests?
Needs?
We use this information to
Adapt for individual children
Be responsive to individual variations in children

13. Individual Appropriateness
What does (or should) it look like in your classroom?

14. Cultural Appropriateness
What do we know about the social and cultural contexts in the children in our classrooms live?
We use this knowledge to
Plan meaningful learning experiences
Plan relevant learning experiences
Be respectful to all children and their families

15. Cultural Appropriateness
What does (or should) it look like in your classroom?

16. Meeting the Needs of All Children
Multicultural education and infusion of multicultural content in programs and activities
Developmentally appropriate ways to meet the special needs of all children
Inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs
© 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved
Morrison. Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 5e

17. Curriculum, Assessment, and Standards in Early Childhood Programs
Weaving the Tapestry
Curriculum, Assessment, and Standards in Early Childhood Programs

19. Curriculum: What is it?
Either alone, or with a partner, write down a definition of “curriculum”
Get with another pair or another person; discuss and refine definition
Where does it land on the Curriculum Continuum?

20. Curriculum Continuum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Everything that happens
Everything that happens
A detailed book of instructions

21. Your definition…
How does it compare with the following definition?

22. A curriculum is a framework of teaching practices and activities (both planned and spontaneous) that are…
based on the age of the learner, the individual characteristics of the learner, and the culture of the learner
focused on all areas of development, including physical, social-emotional, cognitive and language
based on each learner’s prior learning and experiences
play-based and in which learners are actively involved with real objects in the real world
meaningful and relevant to the learners

23. Reflection
Get with a new partner or partners and reflect on this definition of curriculum
Does it make sense?
Are you implementing a curriculum that falls under this definition?
Completely?
Partially?
Or not at all?

24. Case Studies
In trios, read the case study which you have been assigned
Using the definition of curriculum that you have been given, give this learning environment a grade
What are three things you would recommend to improve the curriculum for this child

25. Assessment (both formal and informal) is…
based on the age of the learner, the individual characteristics of the learner, and the culture and language of the learner
used for purpose(s) for which it is designed
based on multiple sources of evidence gathered over time
authentic
is based on appropriate standards and is used to improve teaching and curriculum

26. Standards are… a formalized set of benchmarks and milestones
generally set up by age range or grade
generally issued by an educational agency (such as Head Start), a state board of education, or a similar entity

27. What standards do you use?
Who issues your standards?
What are the key elements of your standards

28. Relationships
What is the relationship between curriculum, assessment, and standards?
Weaving the
tapestry…

29. Metaphors
What other metaphors can we use to describe the ideal relationship between curriculum, standards, and assessment?
Think, pair, and share
Illustrate…

30. ECERS-R and CLASS

31. Learning Centers Creative Art Project Approach/Emergent Curriculum
Communication skills (I messages)
DAP for reading to young children
DAP for teaching children to write
Blocks
Substantial portion of the day
Teaching Philosophy

32. Project Presentations