Developmentally Appropriate Practice Essay

When starting a new school year a teacher has new students whom they have to get to know pretty well. Prior to this new year, the teacher should have all of their expectations and goals in order; this includes the state standards and school standards. This introduces the idea of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, where teachers want to make sure that the goals they choose are difficult for the students but are also reachable goals as well (2009). Teachers have a good understanding for the grade they are teaching, meaning they can predict what a group of students are capable of and what practices to try to get the most development from their students (2009). Though they are really good at making predictions there are other outside factors that teachers need to consider.
Meaning that if they have an understanding of how the development in a child’s life progresses they can predict where their development may go next. This is not the case in all students, but for a majority it is. Teachers will have students who go from one stage of development to the next and they can predict that, but they may also have students who are struggling to catch up or who are not meeting milestones. Teachers need to also have an understanding that all children progress at different paces and times in their life. There are five ways that the, Core Considerations of Developmentally Appropriate Practices states that a teacher should implement DAP in the classroom through creating a caring community of learners, teaching to enhance and development and learning, planning curriculum to achieve important goals, assessing children’s learning and development, and establishing reciprocal relationships with families.