Dap ???

[momofsix]

I have never been trained in DAP though I have a degree in ECE from many years ago. I always write my own curriculum and feel I do a good job. I set measurable goals for the kids to achieve and then link them to the themes we study.
As I was going through my new curriculum for this year I thought I would see if I was "missing" any important things-as I've heard a lot about DAP on here.
I came across this link, which basically says that the NAEYC itself is questioning the benefits of DAP.

http://www.education-consumers.org/research/briefs_1202.htm

For those of you that do DAP, do you see your kids as being more ready for school than others? In what ways?
Is the only way to find out their standards to buy their books? That's all I could find through a google search.

[Crystal]

Here is the NAEYC position statement on DAP: (32 pages)

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSDAP.pdf

Here is a link to the NAEYC web page with additional information and resources by age for DAP:

http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/dap

The info you linked to is VERY outdated. I would ignore it entirely.

[Crystal]

This is on their website at http://naeyc.org/positionstatements/dap

This is basically what DAP is about:

1.All areas of development and learning are important.
2. Learning and development follow sequences.
3. Development and learning proceed at varying rates.
4. Development and learning result from an interaction of maturation and experience.
5. Early experiences have profound effects on development and learning.
6. Development proceeds toward greater complexity, self-regulation, and symbolic or representational capacities.
7. Children develop best when they have secure relationships.
8. Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and cul¬tural contexts.
9. Children learn in a variety of ways.
10. Play is an important vehicle for devel¬oping self-regulation and pro¬moting language, cognition, and social competence.
11. Development and learning advance when children are challenged.
12. Children’s experiences shape their motivation and approaches to learning.

[Crystal]

This is on their website at http://naeyc.org/positionstatements/dap

The teacher's role:

1.Creating a caring community of learners
2. Teaching to enhance development and learning
3. Planning curriculum to achieve important goals
4. Assessing children's development and learning
5. Establishing reciprocal relationships with families

[Crystal]

This is on their website at This is on their website at http://naeyc.org/positionstatements/dap

Teaching strategies:

1.Acknowledge what children do or say. Let children know that we have noticed by giving positive attention, sometimes through comments, sometimes through just sitting nearby and observing. (“Thanks for your help, Kavi.” “You found another way to show 5.”)

2.Encourage persistence and effort rather than just praising and evaluating what the child has done. (“You’re thinking of lots of words to describe the dog in the story. Let’s keep going!”)

3.Give specific feedback rather than general comments. (“The beanbag didn’t get all the way to the hoop, James, so you might try throwing it harder.”)

4.Model attitudes, ways of approaching problems, and behavior toward others, showing children rather than just telling them (“Hmm, that didn’t work and I need to think about why.” “I’m sorry, Ben, I missed part of what you said. Please tell me again.”)

5.Demonstrate the correct way to do something. This usually involves a procedure that needs to be done in a certain way (such as using a wire whisk or writing the letter P).

6.Create or add challenge so that a task goes a bit beyond what the children can already do. For example, you lay out a collection of chips, count them together and then ask a small group of children to tell you how many are left after they see you removing some of the chips. The children count the remaining chips to help come up with the answer. To add a challenge, you could hide the chips after you remove some, and the children will have to use a strategy other than counting the remaining chips to come up with the answer. To reduce challenge, you could simplify the task by guiding the children to touch each chip once as they count the remaining chips.

7.Ask questions that provoke children’s thinking. (“If you couldn’t talk to your partner, how else could you let him know what to do?”)

8.Give assistance (such as a cue or hint) to help children work on the edge of their current competence (“Can you think of a word that rhymes with your name, Matt? How about bat . . . Matt/bat? What else rhymes with Matt and bat?”)

9.Provide information, directly giving children facts, verbal labels, and other information. (“This one that looks like a big mouse with a short tail is called a vole.”)

10.Give directions for children’s action or behavior. (“Touch each block only once as you count them.” “You want to move that icon over here? Okay, click on it and hold down, then drag it to wherever you want.”)

[itlw8]

crystal I need to print that out and frame it.

I do have to say I have seen some screwing interpretations of DAP

like never say no to a child But then these ar places that say they are DAP yet are heavy on worksheets for all ages, do craft projects that really the teacher does all the work.,

When I started I modeled my program after the preschool I knew... the program I attended in 1959 1960 and the program the lady across the street ran in the 60's. Plus the things we did hands on learning with grandma.

So I was doing DAP before I knew what it was.

The classes I have taken have taught me things like observation, scaffolding, teachabl moments. And how to explain to parents the concept. Teachers are sometimes the hardest because they did not take early childhood classes. In those cases having a handout is wonderful.

My kids are ready to go to school. They are curious, eager learners, creative, self sufficient . The only complaint is I always send a whole group of indian chiefs not indians.... meaning they are all leaders and it is hard when the teacher gets a whol group of leaders. LOL This years group is going to 3 different schools so no problem.

[itlw8]

Is the only way to find out their standards to buy their books? That's all I could find through a google search.

go to your library ours has a wonderful section of resource books. It does not cost a cent to use the library. I am lucky we have a bookmobile Jr that actually comes to my program 1x a month . not only books for the kids but adults and I LOVE the resource section.


Many librarys now have books listed online and you can have them sent for free by snail mail. So no excuse for not using the library.

[momofsix]

Thank you Crystal and itlw8!
I guess most of those things I think I'm pretty much doing already. I'll have to check out our library...ours have pretty slim pickings though!

[Heidi]

Thank you so much, Crystal, for putting this in plain english. I've been to trainings, I've read position papers, I've read Young Children (years ago...just signed up for it again). I have an old DAP handbook.

The way you worded it really takes it out of the theoretical gobbledy gook and puts it into terms anyone can USE. I don't know if that's how "they" are training for DAP now, or if you interpreted for us, but it helps alot. Time to copy-and-paste!


Crystal-will you be at the NAEYC conference in Atlanta?

[Crystal]

Oh my, I just realized you guys thought I wrote those....
I forgot to cite my source....just thinking I cited in the first post and that was where all the info I posted is at.....I never meant to give the impression that I wrote those guidelines!!!

I added a link to the above posts.

My apologies.

[Heidi]

Oh my, I just realized you guys thought I wrote those....
I forgot to cite my source....just thinking I cited in the first post and that was where all the info I posted is at.....I never meant to give the impression that I wrote those guidelines!!!

I added a link to the above posts.

My apologies.

I didn't really think you WROTE them...you just summarized them so nicely.