For more information, contact:
Kristina Gawrgy
202-350-8857
kgawrgy@naeyc.org
For Immediate Release:
November 3, 2008
NAEYC Launches Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) at Annual Conference and Expo
(Washington, D.C.)– Thousands of early childhood educators, administrators, and policy makers will gather this week for the launch of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) newly revised position statement on, “Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8.”
The new DAP will be released during the opening general session at NAEYC’s Annual Conference and Expo 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 5, 2008 at the Dallas Convention Center in Texas. The launch will include a brief history of DAP, a look at the current educational context and the opportunities to improve practice as we move forward.
“The newly revised statement on developmentally appropriate practice reflects both continuity and change about best practices in the early childhood field,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “Our commitment to excellence and equity in educating all young children remains the foundation of DAP, and this revision provides new guidance based on more recent research and knowledge both about how children learn and develop.”
First released in 1996, DAP is a set of principles of what is developmentally appropriate for young children at different stages in general, and in terms of individual children’s context of family, culture, community and other life experiences.
NAEYC believes that expectations for all aspects of children’s learning should be challenging and achievable. If the principles of DAP are implemented in every program setting and are reflected in our policies, great strides can be made in reducing achievement gaps for young children. Another key message is that children’s learning experiences should also be far better integrated and aligned particularly between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten through third grade.
With the rising attention to the value of and need for high-quality early childhood programs for every children, the revision of DAP comes at a critical time.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the United States.
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Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.
