WHY DEVELOPMENTALLY

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE (DAP)

IS IMPORTANT IN
KINDERGARTEN

Prepared by: Leah Jean E. Jumuad

 CONCEPT OF DAP:

• DEVELOPEMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES

(DAP)
-refersto providing an environment and offering
content, materials, activities and methodologies that
are coordinated with a child’s level of development and
for which the individual child is ready.
- A way of teaching that meets young
children where they are, which means
that teachers must get to know them
well.
- All teaching practices should be
appropriate to children’s age and
developmental status, attuned to them
as unique individuals and responsive to the
social and cultural contexts in which they
live.
 IMPORTANCE OF DAP IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

• Using Developmentally Appropriate

Practice (DAP) while incorporating
foundational concepts into lessons help
teachers differentiate instruction, engage
students in the learning process, and
increase achievement of all children.
• While learners are treated as unique
individuals, all practices should be
appropriate to the child’s age and
developmental stage and build on
previously taught concepts.
• Literacy is the core and foundation of teaching .
This allows children to build on basic skills which
start in early childhood classrooms. Teachers must
effectively plan literacy instruction, reflect on
developmental stages of children, the interest of
those children and allow them to engage in the
learning and problem solving process.
• When DAP is employed in classroom
environments, lessons are more successful and
highly effective.
• Implementing DAP into classroom instruction
means meeting the learners at the
developmental stage they are currently and
enabling them to reach goals that are set for
them.
• DAP reduces learning gaps, increases
achievement for all children and allows learners
to share and engage in learning process while
they solve their own problems as they learn new
information.
• A teacher that implements DAP into
his teaching employs a busy
classroom where learners are
self-engaged, interacting physically
with objects and people, mentally
processing , and constructing
knowledge that builds on previous
learning.
• A DAP classroom has a direct-hands-
on interaction, is full of materials,
activities, and interactions that lead
to different kinds of knowledge that
young children should acquire during
the early years.
Every day , teachers encounter problems, obstacles
and constructs that hinder them from incorporating
teaching strategies into the classrooms setting.
Administrative support allowing teachers to not only
teach mandates, but allow them to teach the way
that is best for young children through the use of DAP
and teaching strategies allows teachers to teach
children and differentiate instruction to best fit each
child.