Argues for expanding the present discourse on developmental appropriateness on the grounds that this discourse assumes consensus about child development; is premised on a suspect notion of broad, universal stages; and ignores alternative perspectives on learning and development and the relationship between the two. (LB)

Reviews six books covering topics of (1) creativity and play in the early childhood curriculum; (2) the involvement of families in middle school education; (3) nonverbal communication; (4) developmentally appropriate classrooms for kindergarten through third grade; (5) schools' role in teaching respect and responsibility; and (6) the practice of…

Reviews two booklets edited by Kay Albrecht and by Albrecht and Margaret Plantz that outline principles of developmentally appropriate practices and criteria for quality in child care programs. Also reviews a book by John Meyers that guides helping professionals through the language, themes, rules, and roles of the legal system as the system…

Describes the creation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum in one child care center using input from teachers, children, parents, and others. Discusses the planning process that combined teacher-initiated activities with child-initiated ideas and questions to produce a unique, dynamic curriculum of age-appropriate and individually…

Maintains that economic education can help children understand their complex economic society and the individual economic events in which they participate. Also discusses some important concepts in economic decision making that are developmentally appropriate for young children. Information on instructional resources for teachers is also provided.…

Addresses past, present, and future issues and trends in beginning reading instruction, tracing the development of a related issue in the context of early-childhood education: developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). Addresses historical changes in reading education and in DAP guidelines, suggesting that reading education and early-childhood…

Presents readers' responses to an ethical dilemma "What Should a Teacher Do When a Parent Defines Academically Rigorous Education Differently Than She Does?" Notes that responses focused on defending practices rather than working with parents. Presents suggestions from a principal for a K-2 school, including developing an assessment…

Middle schools can be developmentally responsive and meet requirements for high-stakes accountability. School cultures must change. The hope for highly implemented, successful programs lies in the principal's facilitation of comprehensive restructuring with broad-based involvement in establishing new visions of teaching and learning and…

Argues that in debates about the value of preschool in the United Kingdom, there has been no clear distinction between the appropriateness of different education and care settings for young children's learning and the effectiveness of different curriculum models. Examines findings on curriculum content and features of teaching and learning.…

Investigated the effect of developmentally appropriate literacy interventions integrated into circle time in a Head Start setting on the detection of rhyme by 4-5 year olds. Found that the group receiving phonological-awareness treatment performed better on a rhyme detection test than the semantic intervention group. (JPB)

Discusses the educational philosophy of Henry Maier, a developmentalist who focuses on traditionally defined child and youth practices. Claims that children thrive in a developmentally safe environment that includes exploratory, child-paced time to manipulate objects, interact with others in sociodramatic play, and solve problems. Discusses signs…

The purpose of elementary physical education is poorly defined, and the public has low expectations and support for the field. The Developmentally Appropriate Physical Education Practices for Children rating scale emphasizes teaching practices that are appropriate to each student's age and ability. The paper describes use of the scale. (SM)

Examined developmentally appropriate practices in learning centers in an integrated preschool classroom, noting how special education teachers made adaptations for their special needs children, and explored the role of parents. Found that special needs children developed their own voice in learning centers and self-regulatory behaviors through…

Used teacher questionnaires and observations of classroom practices and environment to examine program-quality characteristics in 58 community-based early-childhood settings serving at least one child with disabilities. Found that both segregated and inclusive settings had moderately good quality and were similar across measures of program…

Presents a teaching dilemma in which parents of a gifted child want a more teacher-directed, structured education for their child. Describes a fictional parent-teacher conference and raises questions about how the teacher, a believer in developmentally appropriate practice, should proceed, especially with regard to NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct.…