Developmentally
Appropriate
Practices
Five Guidelines For Developmentally
Appropriate Practices
1. Creating a Caring
Community of Learners
5. Establishing
Reciprocal
Relationships with
Families
4. Assessing
Children’s Learning
and Development
2. Teaching to
enhance
development and
learning
3. Constructing
Appropriate
Curriculum
4. Assessing
Children’s Learning
and Development
Assessing Children’s Learning and
Development
•Assessment is ongoing, strategic, and purposeful.
DAP Example:
DIP Example:
Teachers use observational
assessment of children’s
progress, examination of
children’s work samples,
and documentation of their
development and learning
to plan curriculum.
Children’s progress is
measured by how well
they conform to rigid
expectations and
perform on standardized
tests.
Assessing Children’s Learning and
Development
•Content of assessment reflects progress toward important
developmental goals
DAP Example:
DIP Example:
Results of assessment are
used to improve and
individualize instruction.
Teachers “teach to the
test” to ensure higher
scores.
Assessing Children’s Learning and
Development
•The methods of assessment are appropriate to the age
and experiences of young children.
DAP Example:
DIP Example:
A child’s progress is
reported in comparison to
his or her own previous
performance, and parents
are given general
information about how the
child compares to agerelated expectations.
Teachers report
children’s progress only
in letter or numerical
grades. Emphasis is
placed upon comparing
children with each other.
Assessing Children’s Learning and
Development
•Assessment allows for individual variation in learners as well
as different rates of learning.
DAP Example:
DIP Example:
Because children advance
through sequential
curriculum at different
paces, they can progress in
all areas as they acquire
competence.
Children repeat a grade
or are placed in a special
“transition” grade if they
have not mastered the
expected reading and
math skills.
Assessing Children’s Learning and
Development
•Decisions are based upon multiple experiences, not just a
one time assessment.
DAP Example:
DIP Example:
Teachers use a combination
of assessment strategies
to see where the child is at
in a particular skill.
The child is given one
opportunity to perform a
certain task or is given
one test. Assessment is
based upon this one
outcome.
Assessing Children’s Learning and
Development
•Assessment not only looks at what the child can do alone,
but also with assistance.
DAP Example:
DIP Example:
Children who fall behind
receive individualized
support, such as tutoring,
personal instruction,
focused time on areas of
difficulty, and other
strategies to accelerate
learning progress.
Teachers do not look at
other opportunities to
enhance the child’s
growth and development.
They do not even
attempt to discuss
outside support from the
parents.
Class Activity for Assessing
Children’s Development and Learning
File Folder Games
1. File Folder Game
Pick one of the file folder game packets
provided and put together your own game.