Three central components of the Montessori method are described and shown to be reflected in the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) guidelines for developmentally appropriate curricula. NAEYC guideline 1C states, "Teachers prepare the environment for children to learn through active exploration and interaction…

Addresses three questions related to the topic of diversity. Questions are how can citizens and professionals accept and prize cultural, ethnic, racial, and lifestyle diversity; how should commitment to prizing diversity be implemented in curricula and teaching practices; and what should be the role of the National Association for the Education of…

The four major components of developmentally appropriate practice (curriculum, adult-child interaction, relationships between home and program, developmental evaluation) are used as the framework for analyzing differences and similarities of recommended practices in early childhood education and early childhood special education. (Author/DB)

Recommends that early childhood teachers articulate clearly the reasons for programs for young children that incorporate developmentally appropriate practices, a broad range of learning activity choices, classroom observation techniques for student evaluation, and parent involvement. (BB)

Discusses the author's personal background as it affects her views on early childhood education. Describes her 12 beliefs in praise of developmentally appropriate practice. Beliefs include: (1) the theoretical foundation of developmentally appropriate practice is valid; (2) developmentally appropriate practice encourages academic rigor; and (3)…

Asserting that widespread Head Start and state universal prekindergarten programs validate the need for a nationalized preschool program, this paper presents an argument for nationalizing Montessori-style preschool education in the United States. The paper maintains that Montessori-style classrooms use developmentally appropriate practices as…

Maintains that graduation exercises are developmentally inappropriate for young children. Discusses developmentally appropriate alternative end-of-the-year activities. (BB)

Policies such as raising of entrance age, readiness screening, and kindergarten retention are intended to solve the problem of inappropriate academic demand by removing younger or unready children from the regular classroom. Research evidence does not support the efficacy of these policies. (RH)

Asserts that educators should not teach about the Holocaust to K-4 students. Addresses the purpose of teaching the Holocaust and whether it can be taught to young children; questions the use of the term "Holocaust education"; and discusses the future of Holocaust education at the K-4 level. (CMK)

This paper serves as a reflective dialog around the special circumstances of teaching in contemporary kindergarten through grade 3 classrooms. Three public school teachers who were prepared to teach in a program emphasizing an understanding of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) describe their experiences teaching in public school…

This article examines contextual issues relevant to the application of developmentally appropriate practices to young children with special needs. Appropriate practices recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children are compared with those published by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional…

They are adolescents--and those who work with them must understand them, connect with them, and make learning relevant to their lives. This article looks at recent theories and educational practices identified as appropriate for supporting the educational learning experiences of students ages 12 to 15. In this article, the author also discusses,…

This response to an article comparing guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice from the fields of early childhood education and early intervention/special education stresses the importance of recognizing the uniqueness of both disciplines and of getting recommended practices into actual practice. (DB)

As part of a continuing dialog, this response to Johnson and McChesney Johnson (1992) focuses on the many areas of overlap between principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practice and current early childhood special education principles of early intervention. (Author/DB)

This brief article responds to a previous article on guidelines developed by professional associations for developmentally appropriate early childhood special education practices. The importance of individualization in the application of practices is emphasized, and sample criteria are offered for evaluating the practices. (DB)