Developmentally Appropriate Practice

You are here

The DAP framework is grounded both in the research on child development and learning and in knowledge about educational effectiveness and promotes young children’s optimal learning and development. 

Most Recent

A child's artwork.
Article
Young Children
December 1, 2023

Technology and Media in Early Childhood Education

This issue focuses on practical and developmentally appropriate ways to integrate technology and media in early childhood education.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Annie Moses
Members Only
An unhappy child sitting at a table with others.
Article
Teaching Young Children
October 2, 2023

A Three-Step Approach to Help Children Navigate Conflict

Teachers can follow a three-step strategy to help children resolve conflicts and develop self-regulation skills.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Kyla McRoy, Hope K. Gerde, Laurie Linscott
Members Only
Children wearing backpacks head back to school.
Blog
August 30, 2023

New School Year; Guidance from DAP

Find a variety of DAP resources to prepare for back-to-school.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Susan Friedman
Members Only
a child playing in a box
Article
Young Children
June 1, 2022

The Power of Playful Learning in the Early Childhood Setting

This excerpt from Developmentally Appropriate Practice illustrates the ways in which play and learning mutually support one another and how teachers connect learning goals to children’s play.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Jennifer M. Zosh, Caroline Gaudreau, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
Members Only
the cover of the publication young children, Volume 77, Number 2
Issue
Young Children
Vol. 77, No. 2
June 1, 2022

Summer 2022

DAP and Playful Learning: Equitable Approaches
This issue of Young Children delves into different aspects of play, different roles of educators during play, and the contexts of children and families with play.
Members Only
child with blocks
Article
Young Children
March 1, 2022

Rocking and Rolling: DAP in Action in an Infant-Toddler Setting

This Rocking and Rolling column presents an excerpt from NAEYC’s recently published Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Fourth Edition to help illustrate what DAP looks and sounds like in action.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Kathy Kinsner
Members Only