The guidelines and principles of developmentally appropriate practice serve as the underlying foundation of all the books NAEYC publishes, but we also offer materials that address DAP explicitly:
Books
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Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 (3d ed.)
by Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp, eds.
Since the first edition in 1987, NAEYC's book Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs has been an essential resource for the early child care field. Fully revised and expanded, the 2009 version comes with a supplementary CD containing readings on key topics, plus video examples showing developmentally appropriate practice in action. Based on what the research says about development, learning, and effective practices, as well as what experience tells us about teaching intentionally, DAP articulates the principles that should guide our decision making. Learn more. |
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Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction for Teachers of Children 3 to 6
by Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp
This engaging little book describes the core concepts of DAP and makes them meaningful to everyday practice for preschool teachers. Learn more. |
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Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction for Teachers of Infants & Toddlers
by Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp, with Janet Gonzalez-Mena
This book describes the core concepts of DAP and makes them meaningful to everyday practice for teachers of infants and toddlers. Learn more. |
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Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children
by Susan B. Neuman, Carol Copple, and Sue Bredekamp
Effective, research-based strategies for promoting children's literacy learning in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary classrooms and in infant/toddler settings. This book offers crystal-clear guidance and exciting ideas for teachers to help young children on the road to reading and writing competence. Learn more.
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NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria NAEYC's 10 program standards outline a broad research- and evidence-based consensus in the early childhood field on what every program for the care and education of young children should be to be developmentally appropriate. They also can inform professional preparation programs and curriculum development/choices. |
Videos
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Looking at the Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DVD) Based on NAEYC's book Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, this video gives learners a brief introduction to the foundational ideas of the early childhood field. It is versatile enough to be shown as part of any beginner-level discussion of DAP. Learn more. |
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The New D-A-P Video Program (DVD-ROM) The video includes an overview of developmentally appropriate practice, presentations from NAEYC leadership and experts in the field, and scenes depicting developmentally appropriate practice in action—in classrooms for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and primary grade children. Learn more.
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Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Focus on Intentionality and on Play (DVD-ROM) DAP and Intentionality addresses ways in which teachers intentionally use a variety of learning formats and teaching strategies to support children’s learning. DAP and Play focuses on the characteristics and types of play and the teacher’s role in supporting high-level play. Learn more. |
Brochures
Based on Developmentally Appropriate Practice
These five brochures provide families with a quick picture of developmentally appropriate programs in action and describe why such programs work best for young children.
- A Caring Place for Your Infant
- A Caring Place for Your Toddler
- A Good Preschool for Your Child
- A Good Kindergarten for Your Child
- A Good Primary School for Your Child
