DCF Child Care 40 Hour Certification- Understanding Developmentally Appropriate Practices (Florida) 2023

What affect does quality early care on children? "...children who have high-quality care see academic benefits lasting into high school." DAP Developmentally Appropriate Practice focuses on children birth to eight years old and is made up of three principle components: age appropriateness, individual appropriateness, and social/cultural appropriateness. Age appropriateness considering what is typical for a child within a given age group. Individual appropriateness considering the needs of each child as a unique individual. Social/Cultural appropriateness considering the social and cultural contexts in which children grow and live. Intentionality Studies show, highly effective teachers have clearly defined goals for children and they thoughtfully prepare environments, experiences and activities to meet those goals. Three critical challenges impacting early childhood practices are: -Addressing differences in school success and achievement -Integrating and aligning preschool and elementary school programming -Improving teacher preparation, professional development and ongoing support Structural indicators are things that are "regulable," meaning they can be monitored and are important for providing consistent care. EX: Licensure Lower ratios Smaller group size Caregiver qualifications Professional development for staff Health and safety regulations Inclusive environment Process indicators are what programs "do" to help promote development through specific activities and intentional practices. Process indicators are observable interactions. EX: Curriculum and established routines Language and reasoning activities Sensitive, responsive interactions Collaboration and provisions for parents and families Parent, teacher, and child interactions Child-sized furnishings Well defined and equipped space that meets the needs of all children Studies suggest quality experiences early in life lead to better outcomes for children. These experiences lead to: Lower delinquency rates Increased graduation rates Adults who earn higher salaries Increased home ownership Better cognitive and language skills Adults who spend less time participating in social programs or on welfare Quality Preschool Developmentally appropriate curriculum Developmentally appropriate assessment procedures Continuous staff training Administrative support Low teacher/student ratio Systematic effort to involve parents Quality Early Care + Quality Education = Quality Outcomes for Children High Quality Child Care High-quality child care is a safe, nurturing environment where children learn and grow. Staff are properly trained and supported. Parents have access to the program at all times and the program is well organized to promote optimal skill development. Motivational theories focus on the belief that humans are controlled by many factors. They place more emphasis on personal motivation and desires than on what is happening in the environment. Based on these theories, you might consider what motivates children to act the way they do. Social development theories focus on emotional and personality development. Psychosocial development helps children shape their personalities by strengthening their ability to successfully negotiate conflict during various stages. Each stage of development lays foundational patterns that influence a person's ability to resolve conflict throughout life. Intellectual/Cognitive development theories focus on children developing an intellectual understanding of their world. Children interact with materials and people in the environment to construct knowledge. Children are naturally curious about the world around them and they learn best when they are stimulated and interested in what they are doing. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs This theory suggests children move through stages as certain needs are met. If basic needs are not met, children do not progress in development. Physical (Basic) Needs Safety and Security (Comfort) Belongingness and Love (Social) Self-Esteem Self-Actualization (People cannot become everything they are capable of becoming until all needs are met.) Erik Erikson 8 Stages of Social Development Erik Eriksons Theory Erikson's theory explores what a person learns when development proceeds successfully throughout life, from birth to old age. This theory suggests the way adults interact with children in the initial stages determines how the children will develop, because each stage is built upon the previous stage. Erik Erikson's 8 Stages Trust vs. Mistrust (birth to 1 year) - "I am all right." Autonomy vs. Doubt/Shame (1 to 3 years) - "I can make choices." Initiative vs. Guilt (4 to 5 years) - "I can do and I can make." Industry vs. Inferiority (6 to 12 years) - "I can join with others in doing and making things." Identity vs. Role Confusion (adolescence) - "I can be to others what I am to myself." Intimacy vs. Isolation (later adolescence) - "I can risk offering myself to another." Generativity vs. Stagnation (adulthood) - "I am concerned for others." Integrity vs. Despair (older adult) - "I can accept my life." Jean Piaget humans go through certain stages of intellectual development. The first two stages are the most relevant to development in early childhood. According to Piaget, the greatest role of the caregiver is to help the child reach an understanding by providing the child with appropriate activities that stimulate thinking. Piaget believed children build knowledge and understanding through their physical development and through their interactions with the environment. Piaget's 4 Stages Sensorimotor (birth to approximately 2 years) - Children learn through sensory perception and motor activity. Preoperational (2 years to 7 years) - Children are bound by what they experience directly and not by what they think. Children begin to use symbols (one thing that represents another). For example, using sand to make a cake. Children are egocentric; their thinking centers on themselves. They can't see things from another point of view or from another perspective. For example, they do not realize that when they stand in front of the TV, no one else can see it. Concrete-Operational (7 years to 11 years) - Children become more rational in their thinking. For example, realizing that Santa Claus probably doesn't exist. Formal Operations (11 years and beyond) - The final stage of cognitive development, in which thinking becomes very abstract. Children think beyond the present and think about ideal situations. Vygotsky children create knowledge by interacting with their environment AND through social interactions, their culture and the use of language. Two developmental levels of ability: The ability to do something with help or assistance The ability to do something without help or assistance The distance between these two levels is called the "Zone of Proximal Development."