Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: Best Practices in Early Childhood Education (with MyEducationLab)

This best-selling text addresses all aspects of classroom life, including the roles of children and adults, the physical and social environments, and teaching and learning within multiple domains for children age three to eight. It provides a comprehensive, cohesive approach to curriculum development, which results in greater continuity for children and practitioners in group settings in childcare, preschool, and the early elementary grades.     Concentrating as much on the “how” of curriculum development as on the “what and why,” the authors provide practical, research-based guidelines for translating theory into best practice that accommodates age-appropriateness, individual differences, and social and cultural diversity. Students learn how to conceptualize, plan, implement, and evaluate curriculum through detailed application opportunities in each chapter. New Features to this Edition include: Assignable activities online at MyEducationLab are meaningfully integrated into each chapter, with margin notes referring to videos, classroom artifacts, and strategies in “Assignments and Activities” and more applied exercises in “Building Teaching Skills and Dispositions” New Developmentally Appropriate Practice definitions are incorporated throughout Stronger focus on national curriculum standards More emphasis on key topics such as circle time, structuring the environment, classroom arrangements, scheduling, and cultural variations in teaching Thorough integration of children with special needs in every chapter, offering examples, case studies, and specific adaptations to activities Stronger emphasis on intentional teaching, helping students prepare for the reality of classroom expectations

Table of Contents:
Introduction     Part 1 Foundations of Early Childhood Education   Chapter 1Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Evolving Framework for Teaching Young Children     Why Is There a Need for DAP?   The Early Childhood Profession Responds   General Practices Typically Associated with DAP    It Requires Judgment to Determine Developmental Appropriateness  DAP Has Historic Roots    There Is Empirical Support for Developmentally Appropriate Programs   DAP Programs Vary in Structure and Content   DAP Is Adaptable Across Program Settings   The High/Scope Approach to Early Childhood Education   The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education    The DAP Debate   What Does the DAP Debate Mean for Early Childhood Practitioners?    Implications of DAP for Professional Practice     Summary     Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter     Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam     Chapter 2   Teaching and Learning in Developmentally Appropriate Programs   Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Child Development and Learning    Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Effective Teaching Strategies    Which Teaching Strategies Are Best?    Common Teaching Strategies  The Cycle of Learning    Linking the Cycle of Learning to Teaching   Teaching in the Zone of Proximal Development   Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Content Addressing Content in Early Childhood Education Benefits of Standards   Challenges in Using Standards   Addressing the Challenges   Summary  Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter  Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam     Part 2  Setting the Stage for Learning     Chapter 3 Planning and Implementing Effective Small-Group Activities   Why Plan?   Characteristics of Effective Planning    Planning Basics   Creating Developmentally Appropriate Plans   Aligning All the Parts of the Lesson Plan    Using Principles of Developmental Direction to Enhance Your Planning    Applying the Principles of Developmental Direction to Your Plans    Common Activities in Early Childhood Programs    Making and Implementing Plans    Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Chapter 4 Planning and Implementing Effective Group-Time Activities     Planning Effective Group Times    Writing Group-Time Plans   Group-Time Preparations and Strategies Variations on Traditional Group Times    Common Questions Practitioners Ask About Group Time    Adaptation of Whole-Group Instruction for Children of Different Ages and Abilities    Pitfalls to Avoid During Group-Time Planning    Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter    Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Chapter 5 Organizing Space, Materials, and Time   Organizing the Physical Environment   Why Use Learning Centers?    Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Learning Centers   Examples of Centers   Dealing with Implementation Issues    Adjusting the Physical Environment    Selecting Materials for Each Curricular Domain    General Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Materials    Using the Same Materials for Many Purposes    Creating a Daily Schedule   Sample Schedule    Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter    Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam  Chapter 6 Child Guidance in Early Childhood Classrooms     What Children Need to Know    What Self-Discipline Is    How Self-Discipline Evolves    Degrees of Self-Discipline Among Children and Within the Same Child    Developmental Influences on Self-Discipline    How Experience Influences Self-Discipline    How Adult Discipline Styles Influence Children’s Self-Discipline    The Relation Between Authoritative Teaching and DAP    Authoritative Teaching and the Importance of Teamwork Among Staff    Questions Adults Ask About Promoting Self-Discipline in Children    Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam    Chapter 7 Evaluating and Guiding Children’s Progress by Using Authentic Assessment     The Changing Face of Early Childhood Assessment    Responsible Early Childhood Assessment and Evaluation    Standardized Testing: What Part Should It Play in Evaluating Children’s Progress?   Placement of Young Children on the Basis of Test Results   The Concept of Authentic Assessment  Strategies for Assessment in the Early Childhood Classroom    Organization and Use of Authentic Assessment and Evaluation Data: Portfolios and Student-Led Conferences    Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Chapter 8 Strengthening Developmentally Appropriate Programs Through Family Involvement     The Changing Nature of Family Involvement in Early Childhood Education    Barriers to Family Involvement    Characteristics of Effective Family Involvement    Effective Family Involvement Techniques    Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Part 3 The Curriculum     Chapter 9 The Aesthetic Domain     Aesthetics Defined    The Arts Defined    Scope of This Chapter   Aesthetic Education for Young Children    Importance of Aesthetic Learning    Relationship Between Aesthetic Learning and Knowing   Children’s Acquisition of a Fundamental Knowledge Base for Aesthetic Development    Aesthetic Learning and the Teacher’s Role   Current Educational Issues   Purpose and Goals    Teaching Strategies    Pitfalls to Avoid    Approaches to Teaching the Arts  Activity Suggestions    Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter    Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam  Chapter 10 The Affective Domain   Children’s Developing Self-Awareness and Sense of Competence    Children’s Acquisition of a Fundamental Knowledge Base for Affective Development    Children’s Stress Reactions in Response to Overwhelming Emotional Demands   Promotion of Healthy Self-Esteem in the Early Learning Environment    Current Educational Issues    Purpose and Goals for Affective Development    Affective Teaching Strategies   Activity Suggestions    Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter    Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam    Chapter 11 The Cognitive Domain     Cognitive Maturation    Children’s Acquisition of a Fundamental Knowledge Base for Cognitive Development    National Expectations and Standards    Current Educational Issues    Purpose and Goals for the Cognitive Domain    Teaching Strategies   Activity Suggestions   Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam    Chapter 12 The Language Domain   Oral Language Development    Children’s Acquisition of Literacy: Connections Among Oral Language, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, and Emerging Reading and Writing    Integration of Language Experiences Across the Curriculum    Current Educational Issues Purpose and Goals for the Language Domain    Teaching Strategies    Activity Suggestions    Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Chapter 13 The Physical Domain     Physical Activity  Health, Safety, and Nutrition   Current Educational Issues    Purpose and Goals  Teaching Strategies   Activity Suggestions   Summary   Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Chapter 14 The Social Domain     Social Skill Development  Socialization: Children’s Behavior and Adult Expectations Social Responsibility    Social Studies    Relationship Between the Social Domain and Cognition   Current Educational Issues Purpose and Goals  Teaching Strategies    Activity Suggestions    Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter    Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam   Part 4 Integrating Curriculum    Chapter 15 Integrating Curriculum Through Pretend and Construction Play     Characteristics of Play    Pretend and Construction Play Across the Curriculum and in Development    Integration of Multiple Domains    Teachers’ Questions Regarding Pretend and Construction Play   Promotion of Play Skills    Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter   Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam    Chapter 16 Integrating Curriculum by Using Themes and Projects    Defining Themes and Projects    How Themes and Projects Contribute to Children’s Concept Development   Additional Benefits for Children    Teachers’ Benefits    Program Effects   Pitfalls in Theme Teaching    Principles of Effective Theme Teaching   How to Create Thematic Units Common Questions About Themes and Projects    Summary    Applying What You’ve Read in This Chapter    Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam    Appendix A    Sample Lesson Plans    Appendix B    Field Trips     Appendix C    The Big, Big Turnip     Glossary References     Name Index    Subject Index   

About the Author :
Marjorie J. Kostelnik is Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. A former child care, Head Start, and preschool teacher, as well as elementary school specialist, Dr. Kostelnik has been actively involved in helping educators in early childhood programs explore the implications of developmentally appropriate practices. Her work has taken her to many settings throughout the United States and abroad. Marjorie teaches classes in early childhood inclusive education and is currently on the Coordinating Commission for High Quality Early Childhood Education for the state of Nebraska. Anne K. Soderman had 14 years of classroom experience working with children in both public and nonpublic educational settings prior to joining Michigan State University in 1979, where she is now Professor Emeritus. In addition to continuing to consult with schools in international settings, she is currently carrying out an administrative assignment and conducting research on second-language acquisition in Beijing, China. Soderman is also co-author of Guiding Children’s Social Development and Learning, 6th Ed. (2009), Creating Literacy-Rich Preschools and Kindergartens (2008) and Scaffolding Emergent Literacy (2005). Alice Phipps Whiren is a professor emeritus of the Department of Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University. She taught curriculum in early childhood and child development to undergraduate and graduate students and was supervisor of the Child Development Laboratories. Early in her career, she taught young children in an inner-city public school in Michigan. She also served as a Head Start assistant director and has provided a variety of training sessions for preprimary teachers nationally and internationally.