This statement from the National Association for the Education of Young Children maintains that teachers must concern themselves with inequities in children's experiences and individual differences of students. They must have appropriate expectations for children's capabilities at the time of school entry. Offers strategies schools can use to…

Discusses the effect of children's outdoor play on their learning, the promotion of children's development by their playing of games which they have invented, and suggestions for adults to encourage children to invent outdoor games. (BC)

Presents a view of developmentally appropriate practice that differs from that of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). A program that incorporates this view is described in terms of its theoretical perspectives and classroom practices and compared to the NAEYC description of appropriate and inappropriate practice.…

Examines results of a survey documenting the current state of adolescent programs in the Montessori schools of North America. Includes information on the students, adults, and physical environment of such programs, as well as the programs' enrollment, grouping, activities, and materials. (HTH)

Investigated the effects of developmental and nondevelopmental computer software on four- and five-year-old children's intelligence, creativity, and self-esteem. Also assessed the effect of supplementing developmental software with related activities. Children exposed to developmental software supplemented with activities had gains in more areas…

Provides background information on the development of NAEYC's position statements on developmentally appropriate practice and clarifies assumptions made by Kessler and others about NAEYC's positions. Offers justification for the developmentalist perspective and suggests an alternative argument for appropriate practice that draws on the strengths…

Developmentally appropriate map activities incorporate such concepts as topology, projective space, spatial information, point of reference, direction, cardinal direction and orienting. Such activities offer children excitement, challenge, and a sense of discovery. (BB)

Notes that much of the new instructional software has been disappointing in terms of its appropriateness for young children. Reviews several programs notable for their developmental appropriateness in the areas of creative arts, language arts, thematic approaches, and computer accessibility. (HTH)

Discusses elements for a developmentally appropriate movement program for young children ages 3-5 years old. Emphasizes four major areas from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education guidelines: child development, teaching strategies, content, and assessment. Includes a vignette of an appropriate movement class for 4-year-olds.…

Describes the types of classroom art experiences that should be provided for young children and discusses reasons teachers continue to rely on recipe art lessons. Suggests learning center activities and materials, as well as ways that teachers can facilitate creativity. Considers how coloring books dampen children's motivation to draw. (KB)

Examined developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and effects of teachers' DAP beliefs/practices on first graders' social skills and academic achievement. Found that students taught by teachers with developmentally inappropriate beliefs had higher language achievement than others. Students whose teachers' practices were neither appropriate nor…

Adolescents are challenged to adjust to a new physical sense of self, new intellectual abilities, and cognitive demands; expand verbal skills; establish emotional and psychological independence from parents; establish adult vocational goals; develop productive peer relationships; manage their sexuality; and develop self-control. Transitional…

Examines the traditional place of play in contemporary early childhood programs in light of new directions in theory and curriculum, the push for educational outcomes, and perceived pressures of the global market economy. Maintains that a new focus on teaching through play may provide a way to reconcile demand for outcomes with a concern for…

Investigated effect of classroom type (DAP versus DIP) on stress behaviors and activity participation of 102 preschool children as moderated by socioeconomic status (SES) and sex. Found twice the level of overall stress behavior in DIP classrooms, with lower SES children and males (during small motor/paper-and-pencil activities) exhibiting…

Notes that infant curriculums involve every aspect of child development and should be appropriate for the individual child. Highlights characteristics of ideal curriculums, and provides guidelines for assessment of child and curriculum, and of communication regarding curriculum. (LBT)