***Unedited by BPO staff
Developmentally Appropriate Care: What Does
it Mean?
By Joan Sprain, Extension
Educator, Washington County
The term developmentally appropriate care is commonly used by
child care professionals to describe care that takes into account
the level of physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development
of a child.
While there is no one right
way to care for children, there are guidelines that focus on how
a child develops and the care that is appropriate at various stages.
These guidelines help both child care providers and parents understand
ways to care for children while helping them develop positive
self-esteem.
The following guidelines
have been developed by early childhood and child care professionals.
These guidelines focus on the idea of developmental appropriateness
which is defined in two parts:
1. age appropriateness
or the universal, predictable sequences of growth and change that
occur in children as they go through their early years of life;
and
2. individual appropriateness
or the unique growth sequence of each child with their own pattern
and timing, as well as individual personality, learning style,
and family background experiences.
Appropriate Care
for Infants and Toddlers
Infants and toddlers learn by experiencing the environment - by
seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling, and by physically
moving around. They learn a sense of trust through interaction
with consistent, caring adults.
Adults not only meet physical
needs but spend time holding, playing, and talking with the infant.
The adult helps the infant learn by pointing out things to look
at, touch, and hear.
Toilet training, feeding,
and dressing are taught without criticism and provide opportunities
to let the child do for themselves. Homes and centers are "child-proofed"
to allow the child safe exploration.
For two-year-olds, simple
books, pictures, puzzles and music are provided. Time and space
for jumping, running and dancing are arranged. Language skills
are encouraged by describing to the child what the child is doing,
repeating new words and reading aloud. Adults know that children
in this age group cannot understand the idea of sharing.
Appropriate Care
for Three-, Four- and Five-year-olds
Three-year-olds are provided with learning activities that emphasize
language, large motor physical activity, and movement. Activities
include puzzles and blocks, wheel toys and climbers, dramatic
play acting and story telling.
Four-year-olds enjoy a
greater variety of experiences and more activities like cutting
paper and fabric, other art activities and cooking. They can recognize
shapes, colors, and use basic math and problem-solving skills.
Some four-year-olds and
most five-year-olds combine ideas, have a growing memory and are
developing fine motor skills. They display a growing interest
in the written language. They are developing an interest in the
community and enjoy special events and trips.
Adults listen, encourage
creative play, join in activities, build self-esteem, and set
consistent limits.
Developmentally
Appropriate Equipment and Space Guidelines
Infants benefit from the following equipment: crib, play yard,
infant seat, high chair, waterproof mattress, and changing table.
Infants need colorful pictures, objects they can grab and hit
(such as crib gyms), and soft objects they can learn to pick up.
Older infants need safe space for rolling, sitting, and crawling.
Toddlers use the same things
as infants plus they need safe crawl space and room when taking
those first steps. Most toddlers play alone. Look for easy ways
for them to move from one space to another.
Toddlers love to explore.
Good toys at this age are containers filled with blocks, pull
toys, and stacking containers.
Preschoolers need more
space. Play spaces should be varied. In addition, they need active
as well as quiet spaces. They should also have a place to store
personal items. A child-size toilet or potty chair and a way to
wash their own hands are also helpful. They work both individually
and in small groups and are beginning to like to be in larger
groups too.
Preschoolers need a variety
of toys for play. Art materials, puzzles, toys that produce sounds,
and tricycles are typical equipment for this age.
Developmentally
Appropriate Care to Prepare Your Child for School
Some child care centers and family child care homes promote teaching
your child skills that prepare them for school. While early academic
learning gives children skills, there is little evidence that
children show long-term benefit in school performance. Some research
shows that too much emphasis on structured learning at an early
age causes children to be less interested in school.
There are, however, a number
of non-academic skills your child can develop both at home and
in child care to prepare them for school. These include the following:
Observing or the ability to notice specific things in nature and
to understand what other people are doing.
Listening, knowing what sounds mean, and being able to repeat
sounds.
Following directions in order to accomplish simple tasks and knowing
left from right.
Classifying and sorting items by shape, color, size, etc. and
the ability to tell you why objects are similar or different.
Remembering and telling you about recent activities and being
able to play games that require memory skills.
Creating and playing pretend games; feeling comfortable with doing
things differently from other children.
Cooperating and understanding how to work with others without
being overly competitive.
General Features
of Developmentally Appropriate Care
Child care providers that
practice developmentally appropriate care have the following list
of characteristics. They:
are patient and supportive with children;
promote creativity, discovery, and exploration:
encourage children to take initiative in selecting activities;
understand the individual capabilities of children;
interact with the children by talking to them as well as listening
to what they have to say:
allow children to do things for themselves:
offer choices of activities and materials;
set and enforce reasonable limits; and
are willing to use different methods of care to meet each child's
abilities and needs.
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child
Care - NNCC. Sprain, J. (1990). Developmentally Appropriate Care:
What Does It Mean? Internet. Minnesota Extension Service. (www.cyfernet.mes.umn.edu/child_care/parenthood.html).
***Unedited by BPO staff
