Chapter 2: Teaching and Learning in Developmentally Appropriate Programs

Chapter 2 was full of great ideas to remember when creating a DAP curriculum.  One great concept that I found interesting was on the first page of the second chapter, and learning the three parts of the teaching-learning knowledge base.  The first part of the teaching-learning knowledge base was that the educators need to know and understand what young children are and can be like, and know about how children develop.  Second, teachers need to understand the teaching process to make the most effective curriculum.  And third, the teacher must demonstrate their knowledge as educators, and also their academic disciplines.  The teacher-learning knowledge base and its three components are all great things to remember when creating a DAP curriculum.

            Another idea that I want to remember when creating my own DAP classroom is to remember that children develop holistically, and to always keep the whole child in mind.  This means to remember that children not only develop academically, but also aesthetically, affectively, cognitively, linguistically, physically, and socially.  If I am to be an effective teacher, I need to understand that there is more than just teaching involved in being a teacher, and I need to be aware of all of the children within the classroom, beyond their academic skills.

            The idea that every child develops at varying rates is another thing that I want to keep in mind when designing my own curriculum.  As a teacher, I need to keep in mind that every child develops differently, whether it is physically, academically, socially, or emotionally, and as a teacher, I need to be aware of their development in order to design the best curriculum for them. 

            One other concept that I found interesting is knowing the different between effective and ineffective praise for young children.  I guess I thought that any kind of praise was good for children, but after reading this, it really opened my eyes as to what is appropriate praise, and what may not be so appropriate.  For instance, the book demonstrates that saying, “You are a great write,” is ineffective praise because it is too broad.  Instead, the book suggests saying, “You found a way to surprise the reader at the end,” which is being specific to the child and telling them how they are a great writer.  This is definitely something that I want to remember when I am in my own classroom someday to help children become confident in what they are doing.

Question:  When talking about teachers demonstrating their knowledge as educators, what does this all entail?  Does this mean standardized tests, or just demonstrating that they are competent teachers with effective results?