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DAP Paper

Megan Morrison

Brigham Young University-Idaho

CHILD230

Sister Robertson

January 18, 2023

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

DAP is a type of method used to promote the different developmental and learning

styles through different approaches. These different practices can be strengths-based, play

based approach to engaged learning for children. Each child learns differently and having

different approaches for them can help them have joy behind the learning process. It also helps

as educators to see the goals that are both challenging and eventually achievable to the child.

The different teaching practices need to be appropriate for the child’s age. Also, it needs to be

unique to the individual and their developmental progress. It also needs to be responsive to the

cultural and social environment in which the children live around. All the different types of

development are important to the child’s growth and should never be overlooked. The biggest

part is having a relationship to gain trust and for the children to feel confident and capable in

whatever is placed before them. Children when in a loving and safe environment show their

true colors and will be more open to trying new and challenging aspects of learning. When

educators are invested in a child it shows through interactions and interest. Children respond to

people who show respect toward them and let them see their success while building off their

failures. Building a good relationship with the child and the families can help the challenges of

learning be less stressful when there is support in the home and outside of it as well.

Play is a big part of DAP and how it is important and the different styles of learning

through play. Educators can show children there can be fun in learning and that learning is in

everything they do. Through play children can build on what they already know and develop
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self-regulation. Play teaches children social skills, physical abilities, and cognitive thought

processes.

A classroom that doesn’t not have developmentally appropriate practices will seem less

structured. When the children first get there, there will not be a formal greeting at the door to

the child or the family. The one teacher will be busy finishing a lesson plan while the other is

responding to an email. Also, when picking the child up, there won’t be a proper report of how

the child did that day because the teacher won’t be comfortable with the family, as they never

took the time to get to know them. The child will not have any goals to achieve while in the

classroom that they could also take home. The overall behavior in the classroom will be more

disruptive or aggressive, as the needs of each child will not be met properly. The lesson plan

and activities will not match with the children’s interest as they might be embalmed, or canned

type of lessons plans from previous classes. Without getting to know the students the

relationships and the respect from student to teacher and the other way around won’t be

there. The teachers may plan for only one type of learning, like direct instruction, and let the

learning be up to the child. The teacher won’t act as a guide when helping in the learning

process they won’t let the child find the answer by exploring but by giving them the answer to

move on. The teacher in this classroom won’t give the why behind the questions and ask closed

off questions to give direct instruction. They won’t let imagination and the thought process fully

develop the answer. There might be one topic on a butterfly one day and the next it is about

space. There is no time to deeper learning. The teachers think that students have a lot to learn

with little time and won’t stay on one topic for long to give the children all the different types of

information they will experience in life. This type of classroom will have students sitting on
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tables during circle time or teachers turning their back on students while teaching. There won’t

be effective ways to communicate with the child or with the teacher. Teachers will be

disorganized, have or want all the authority in the class, and they would discourage children

from asking questions. The teacher won’t be “experts” in whatever they are teaching and just

use other teachers’ words or books to seem like they know it all. There won’t be time

management and a flow to the classroom it will seem random and confusing. Like the circle

time is right before snack making children hungry, impatient, and not listening to what is being

said by the teacher.

For a DAP classroom the environment will be friendly and welcoming. There will be

teachers at the door welcoming the child and family into the classroom and give a little

summary of what is going on that day for the parents to keep them informed. At the end of the

day the teacher will talk with the parents about how the child did that day and how it applies to

their goals for the child. The teachers will share details of how the child improved and what

they learned and why. The teachers will give open ended question to students to help guide

their learning not force an answer. The teachers will set up activities that enhance the

children’s love for learning and not just trying to get the point across. There will be extensive

planning of the curriculum to make sure every child has their goals, and it can be worked

toward that day in the lesson play. There will be different forms of learning and not just direct

instruction. The teacher will be aware every child learns differently and is on a different

developmental stage. The lesson plan will reflect it as well, there will be a creative center to

help students visually see the words or stories being taught. There will be hands on experiences

to explore as they learn about a topic. There will be a center for dramatic play for the children
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to use their imagination. As Vygotsky states each child is a head taller when playing, meaning

they know and are older than they really are when they are playing and off in their imagination.

The topics and areas they are learning will be over multiple days to show deeper learning. It

gives time for children to develop questions and think through the process of, for example a

butterfly. The butterfly topic has many ways to visually see and physically explore what they

are. Teacher also have time to explain the why behind question the children have. The why is

how children deeper their understanding of something to apply it later in life. This type of

classroom allows self-expression and extensive communication for full comprehension. There

will be active learning and singing done to show the different learn styles and to show children

learning can be fun and it happens all the time even when they don’t recognize it. This type of

classroom shows all styles of learning to allow the children to become well-rounded learners to

help them in the future where they are more of one style of teaching and learning in school.

There will be discipline in this classroom to give children the opportunity to grow and learn

from mistakes. There would be good time management and having the class schedule being in

view for teachers, children, and parents. There would be good transitions from activity to

activity for order to remain and less confusion take place. The overall feel for the classroom will

be genuine, respectful, and playful throughout the day bring a joyful attitude from the children

and teachers.

The benefit of using DAP is that it uses hands-on learning activities that every child will

want to be a part of. It also uses strategies and different activities that help children to learn in

their own way and time. Also, it shows the importance of play for the child and for the parents
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to see it is vital for childhood learning and development is letting the learning take place when

the child is ready and invested.

When teachers use and understand DAP in the classroom it helps them see the child as

a child and not the behavior they are portraying. Teachers have a greater understanding of the

need’s children must develop properly and they want to take part in it. When teachers look at

how children grow and the different needs at each developmental stage, they see the big

picture of the child and have better understanding of how to help. Benefits toward children is

that they see the different ways of learning and how to think out the answer. It gives them a

good foundation for their future learning process. For families they see the healthy learning

environment and the types of learning styles and skills their children respond to. Families can

replicate what they see in a classroom in the home to help deepen the learning process.

Families can further the goals and experiences the children are reaching for, to help promote

their interests and develop their knowledge.