PLANNING A
DEVELOPMENTALLY
APPROPRIATE PROGRAM
FOR CHILDREN
INTRODUCTION
In this book, we use the word TEACHER which
means any adult who regularly works with the
children. In your program these people may be
called by titles such as teacher, lead teacher,
assistant teacher, teacher aide, or
paraprofessional. When you read teacher in this
book, it means the people who provide care and
learning experiences for the children.
INTRODUCTION
Every child deserves our best,
and we want the best for every
child. There are many factors
that affect the quality of the
child’s experiences in your
program.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT
THE QUALITY OF
CHILD’S EXPERIENCES
IN THE PROGRAM
KNOW THE CHILDREN
• We want to provide the best care and learning
opportunities for children. To achieve that goal,
we must have some knowledge of how children
grow and learn. In this book we will find out
about typical behaviors for children of different
ages. You will also find ideas for learning
materials and activities that are best for each age.
• We also need to know each individual in our
group. Children follow a predictable sequence of
development, but each one is different. You may
discover that the joy of teaching is in learning to
understand and appreciate each child.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
We know that the relationships we
have with our children and their
families are as important as the
materials and activities we provide.
Children thrive in an environment
that is warm and supportive. This
book considers the teacher’s role in
building strong relationships with
children and families.
CREATE THE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Children deserve a safe, healthy,
inviting environment. In this book
we will consider how the teacher
can create a wonderful learning
environment. You will find
information about health and safety.
Sample daily schedules will help you
plan time for meaningful play and
learning. We also provide ideas on
how to choose the best toys and
learning materials.
PLAN THE CURRICULUM
• A good curriculum is
planned to meet the needs
of the children in the
group. We will focus on
how to plan your
curriculum, how children
learn, and how to assess
children’s progress.
CAN YOU STILL
RECALL SOME
CHANGES AND
GROWTH THAT
HAPPENS TO
INFANTS?
THE FASCINATING
FIRST YEAR
• This is an amazing year of growth and development! The child’s
weight will approximately triple and she will grow about ten inches.
• She will learn to lift her head and chest, roll over, sit up, creep, crawl,
and finally stand, and will explore the world around her with her
hands, feet, and mouth.
• Grasping skills develop as she
discovers her toes and learns to reach
for objects and people.
• she will grow from being fed, to eating
soft foods and holding a bottle
independently, before developing the
ability to successfully finger feed solid
foods!
She recognizes the sound of the human
voice from birth, and soon learns to
distinguish parents, family members,
and other familiar adults. As her
hearing and vision improve, she may
become apprehensive of unfamiliar
people. With patience and time, she
can grow to trust and bond with new
caregivers. During this year she learns
to return a smile and communicate
with the people in her world.
The infant’s first communication • She understands many words
is a means of expressing the long before she can speak,
COMMUNICATION
most basic of needs, including and her receptive language
hunger and discomfort. will outweigh her expressive
language for years to come.
As the year progresses, she is
able to express more complex • In addition, even very young
needs and ideas. babies are responsive to tone,
facial expressions, and body
language.
• Cognitive growth occurs at a rapid rate during this year.
The youngest infants respond to light and sound, and
learn to visually track a moving object. As the year
COGNITIVE GROWTH
progresses, baby learns to look for an object that falls
out of sight, and will try to move to reach a desired toy.
• She may enjoy “peek-a-boo” games. She is constantly
observing and exploring her world, and learns best when
there is plenty to see and do. Towards the end of this
year, the child engages in a tremendous variety of
activities, including banging objects together, dancing,
scribbling, and looking at books.
RESPONDING TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO ONE YEAR
RESPONDING TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO ONE YEAR
RESPONDING TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO ONE YEAR
RESPONDING TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO ONE YEAR