1. Quality
DAP must be presented with a high quality effect to ensure the importance of each practice and to have a positive impact on the children's learning. Quality is important for students to recognize because it will be beneficial for them throughout their entire life. Sometimes the better quality your work is, the more people will recognize it. Children will feel better about their assignments or work when they are done if there is great quality in what they have accomplished. If the quality is poor in their work it will have a negative effect on them and it is important to try and steer them away from poor quality.

2. Reward
Extrinsic rewards are important in the DAP for short term goals. Rewarding children for a long term can have a negative effect so keeping them short term is more effective for DAP. Rewards make students feel like they have truly accomplished something. They are sometimes used to keep the students motivated and ensure their work will be completed. Rewards can come by the words you say but they can also come by treats like candy or extra time at recess. Positive consequences can also be used as a type of reward and will help a child feel independent and important.

3. Support
Developmentally Appropriate Practices promote positive support systems to ensure the children feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations. It is always important to be supportive to children because they are learning and developing emotional and cognitive practices at this time and teachers want to put a positive meaning and effect on their lives. Negativity only brings a child down; support will always lift them up. Children need to feel like their teacher is there for them and will support and guide their decisions. We sometimes don’t know what goes on at home so if we see there is a need we should support them emotionally so they know that they can come to us.

4. Teamwork
Being able to work through differences with a team is a key factor in DAP because it shows you can disagree with someone and work past it. Teamwork is great to use in the classroom and most children love to work in groups. Building social skills is very crucial to their everyday lives and teamwork can help build social skills for them to use. Sometimes activities or games require tasks that can not be done alone so those that like to work alone and not with others will need to learn to compromise and develop skills to function as team member.

5. Unique
Uniqueness is essential in DAP because children need to feel they can be themselves when their friends aren’t doing the same things. There are so many people in this world today it is important to be unique and to be yourself. As Dr. Seuss says, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is Youer than You.” Children love when they can relate to what you are saying and sometimes there is no better way than using Dr. Seuss to show how it is important to be unique and to not always try to be like someone else.

6. Valuable
DAP help children learn best in an environment that children feel safe and valued. Everything in the classroom is valuable whether it is for the students or for the teachers. Time in the classroom is valuable for the children’s educations so it is important to stay on a schedule. The crafts that children make in the classroom are always valuable to either the teacher or their parents. Children always need to feel that they are valuable and we as teachers need to be able to recognize their individual value.

7. One of the great things about being positive and having DAP is to know that children, parents, and other staff members should always feel welcome in the classroom. Children look up to their teachers especially in the elementary years but if they don’t feel welcome this would not be the case. It is imperative that we implement the manners they need in a welcoming environment for example when the students say ‘thank you’ we as teachers need to always respond with ‘you’re welcome’.

8. eXcitement
A lesson without excitement is a boring lesson to children. DAP are to be positive so the children can be engaged and excited about learning. Some children aren’t shy and will let you know when they are bored but most teachers try and fix the problem before it is noticed by others. Children can read our emotions very well so if you are excited about teaching they will most likely be excited about learning the material.