Examines definitions, scope, and negative effects of child abuse and neglect. Recommends inclusive therapeutic preschool programs to address special needs of children with significant histories of child maltreatment. Identifies service coordination for families and integration of early education and related services as critical components of the…

Examines the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the role of developmentally appropriate practice when insuring the safe inclusion of children with disabilities in play environments. Discusses four principles that should guide the creation of safe, inclusive play environments: safety; developmentally appropriate practice;…

Illustrates developmentally appropriate physics activities for young children. Addresses ways that teachers can use the environment to teach physics and answers the questions: What is the value of physics for young children? What are criteria for developmentally appropriate physics activities? How does one integrate physics into a project or unit…

Examined the extent of extra-year programs for kindergarten students in Texas school districts; identified procedures and curricular interventions; and established the growth trend of these classes statewide. Found that 39% of the 285 school districts responding had transition classes, and the trend for the state at-large appeared to be one of…

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…

Introduces Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) and explains how those practices are effective with five- through eight-year olds. Key elements discussed are: children learn by doing through active engagement, the idea of play with intent and purpose, and moving from the simple to the complex in planning for learning in active and engaging…

Early childhood educators in public school settings are influenced by trends and practices in the field of early childhood and elementary education. The paper examines those trends, conflicts between current trends and realities, and the dilemma of early childhood educators in developing quality programs in elementary schools. (SM)

Provides an abstract of the book, "Developmentally Appropriate Middle Schools," which examines young adolescents' physical, psychosocial, and cognitive characteristics, and suggests developmentally appropriate educational experiences. The book includes the idea that young adolescents' individual development should be the basis for curricular,…

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)