Developmentally appropriate practice111

Developmentally appropriate practice
Name
Institution
Abstract
The essay looks into the application of the developmentally appropriate practice as a strategy to teach the young children. For the first time when young children get to school, that marks the beginning of the transition period where they have to move through different levels. The transition has been the common practice within the education system where students will have to move from a lower level to an upper level. However, coping with the new experience at the new station is sometimes a big challenge. The situation is not different from the young children joining the early childhood classes. During their first time in schools, they experience difficulties in learning and development which call for the intervention. A developmentally appropriate practice makes it easier for the practitioners create an enabling environment to maximize the potentiality of the children. Programs such as parent participation also can play a crucial role in enhancing the developmentally appropriate practice in young children.
Keywords: learning, development, early childhood, practitioner, educators, school, etc.
The transition has been the common practice within the education system where students will have to move from a lower level to an upper level. However, coping with the new experience at the new station is sometimes a big challenge. The situation is not different from the young children joining the early childhood classes.

During their first time in schools, they experience difficulties in learning and development which call for the intervention. A developmentally appropriate practice makes it easier for the practitioners create an enabling environment to maximize the potentiality of the children.
When talking about the Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) then we refer to the practices used by the educators to ensure effective early education. The strategy one implemented by the educators helps young children to fully achieve the development and learning potential. The DAP guidelines were created in 1997 by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The NAEYC created the DAP guidelines to promote a classroom relationship that is positive at the same time a community is built so that an enabling environment for the learning and development of the children is provided emotionally, physically and cognitively.
On the day to day basis, the educators in early childhood make quite some decisions which need to give considerations to the goals of children. As children learn and develop, they have goals that the educators need to support them as they make daily decisions. It is in this intentionality of the educators that the developmentally appropriate practice core lies (NAEYC). Thus the three knowledge areas that teachers are making the decision should consider include:
Educators need to know about the learning and development of children. This starts with
educators being able to understand the typical ages and their typical learning and development and be able to determine which experience is best for the development and the learning of children.
Educators need to know what is important for each child. By learning of a child as an
individual, the educators can redefine the decisions made so that they suit the need of the child as an individual. This is possible through the continuous observation of these children as they play or interact with others to know their skills, abilities, interests and be able to identify their learning and developmental needs.
Early childhood practitioners need to know what is important for the children regarding
culture. This involves learning more about the families, expectations and the values of children. It also involves getting to understand the factors originating from home and the communities that have shaped them into whom they are. With the background information, the educator will be in a position to provide an appropriate learning experience for children.
Parental participation is one of the components of Early Childhood Education programs is an essential program that deserves enough attention. The many kinds of literature have been able to present the family and the house where children live in the first environment where they can primarily acquire a natural education (Acar, & Akamoğlu, 2015). Parents of the young children are the first teachers or the primary caregivers even before these children get to school to meet their classroom educators. Parent participation, therefore, allows parents to help their children grow and develop while assisting them in matters of education. Therefore, this calls for the establishment of a relationship that is positive and effective between the early childhood educators and the primary caregivers who are in most cases the parents of the children. It is interesting to find that despite the various obstacles that parents may face as they try to engage with the schools, they are very willing to participate in the education of their children.
The parent participation program helps equip parents with the required skills that support the learning of their children, especially when at home. The interaction allows them to get to know what the schools require from them as parents and what to teachers expect them to do (Acar, & Akamoğlu, 2015). According to research, by involving in the learning of their children, they are able to acquire skills that will enhance the growth and development of children. Thus, their duties will involve preparing children for school, helping them with homework and teaching them how to behave well in schools. Such parents become more concern on improving the literacy of their children at home by helping them to plan well for their study. They do as well assist children with their homework and other school-related activities.
However, it is important also to understand that the families have different and varying interests and needs which then mean that parents have varying thoughts about their children. The preferences that parents have are concerned about deciding on what needs and goals that their children should have among many options (Acar, & Akamoğlu, 2015). The preferences as well are about any additional support and information that their children may require including information on the health insurance and his rights of the family. In cases where the educators and the parents work together, it becomes easy for the practitioners to identify concerns, interests, needs, and resources of the family to offer the needed intervention. Also when the practitioners understand the family interests, needs and the concerns, his or her behaviors, and practices towards the early childhood education will be significantly influenced and shaped.
The first step that the early childhood’s practitioners can take to encourage the participation of the parents includes recognizing, respecting as well as responding to the diverse nature of what these family interests and needs are (Acar, & Akamoğlu, 2015). Thus, all the teaching strategies used by educators should conform to the cultures of the family of children. By the time the parents encounter with the practitioners, they will have a different view on how they relate the home environment and the school environment(Acar, & Akamoğlu, 2015). Once the practitioners dealing with the young people get to understand their needs and interests, they can refine their services in the way that they suit these particular interests and needs. As already indicated, being the primary environment children are exposed too, these families of the children exhibit some intervention practices. However, these intervention practices vary based on the growth and developmental needs of the children as well as the earlier available resources.
In conclusion, developmentally appropriate practice is a research-based strategy that has proved to work in helping young children undergo successful learning and development. The teachers adopt various DAP considerations to utilize the whole concept when making decisions. To make is more comfortable for the practitioners to tailor through, parent participation can be helpful in preparing children for schooling.
References
Acar, S., & Akamoğlu, Y. (2015). Practices for parent participation in early intervention/early childhood special education. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 6(1), 80-101.
NAEYC: Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)