Case Studies in Early Childhood Education: Implementing Developmentally Appropriate Practices - Tapa blanda

Developmentally appropriate practice is defined by the NAEYC as teachers making decisions about the well-being and education of children based on at least three kinds of information: What is known about child-development and learning What is known about the strengths, interests, and needs of each individual in the group Knowledge of the social and cultural contexts in which children live Both experienced and pre-service teachers need to follow these guidelines to ensure that they are supplying programs that promote the development and enhance the learning of all the children in their classrooms. In order to help teachers meet this goal of providing high-quality and developmentally appropriate programs for all children and their families, the authors have written a series of cases that exemplify the guidelines of the NAEYC, while at the same time showing students how to put the guidelines into actual practice. The cases in the book depict a diversity of children in diverse family settings and offer not just challenging situations, but possible solutions to those challenges. Each case is followed by a question (or questions) that promotes critical thinking and stimulates class discussion regarding the decisions the teacher made, the consequences of using specific practices, and the ethical bases for decision-making. The authors also stress the value of an anti-bias curriculum and its importance in creating a caring community of learners and preparing all children for the increasingly diverse world of the future.

Case Studies in Early Childhood Education

Rachel Ozretich, Linn Benton Community College

Linda Burt

Susan M. Doescher, Linn Benton Community College

Martha Foster, Linn Benton Community College

 

Helps translate the guidelines of the NAEYC into actual practices.

 

The NAEYC’s guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices are an essential tool to help teachers distinguish between proper and improper teaching methods and in preparing their early childhood curriculum.  This book of cases was written to go one more step in helping teachers–by breaking down these guidelines into actual classroom practices so that pre-service teachers entering their first practicum already have a vision of what developmentally appropriate practices are and how to implement them. 

 

The cases in the book feature 

• Classroom challenges and also their possible solutions
• A diversity of children from diverse families
• An accompanying matrix that provides the age groups and topics involved
• Questions that are designed to stimulate class discussion and promote critical thinking
• A variety of community settings  

Rachel Ozretich has been a teacher, researcher, and policy analyst in early childhood education for 24 years, working for Linn Benton Community College (LBCC), Oregon State University (OSU), and the Oregon Commission on Children and Families. Linda Burt was a researcher and faculty instructor at OSU for many years. Sue Doescher has taught and conducted research in early childhood education for over 30 years and currently teaches at LBCC. Martha Foster teaches practicum classes at LBCC and has taught full-time in LBCC’s child development laboratory for 19 years.