September 1996 Teachers Turn Theories into Learning Experiences
Anew report from the Laboratory's Child and Family Program, Developmentally Appropriate and Culturally Responsive Education: Theory in Practice by Dr. Rebecca Novick, provides a synthesis of literature relevant to developmentally and culturally appropriate practices and discusses the next steps in the Lab's Early Childhood Education Project. Emerging strategies in early childhood education are being built on research from such diverse fields as developmental psychology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, early childhood education, and brain-based research. From these roots have grown a host of strategies being used by early childhood educators. In early childhood education, Novick notes, change has been due, in large part, to the influence of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) in early childhood classrooms."Cooperative learning, integrated curriculum, whole language, family involvement, authentic assessment, and hands-on learning are just a few of the buzz words that have become part of the popular vernacular and are increasingly influencing classroom practices," Novick writes.
Too often, though, the changes are implemented before teachers have been adequately prepared through study, practice, and reflection. Yet it is teachers who are critical to the success of innovative strategies that foster meaningful child development and learning. "If it is our growing knowledge of human development that has spearheaded change in educational philosophy, it is teachers, often in concert with leadership from principals and district personnel, who have turned these theories into learning experiences for children," Novick says.
The publication provides an overview of developmentally appropriate practices, including sections on curriculum, multiple intelligences, and a community of learners. "A major theme in DAP," notes Novick, "is to make learning meaningful for the individual child, using practices which reflect both the age and individual needs of the child. A strong emphasis is placed on learning to think critically, work cooperatively, and solve problems."
A critical component in early childhood education is to foster the capacity for children to care for and work with others. "In short," Novick says, "in a developmentally appropriate classroom, learning involves the `whole child' and addresses all four components of learning identified by Katz: knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings. The curriculum strives to help children become lifelong learners, who can think critically and imaginatively, ask meaningful questions and formulate alternative solutions, appreciate diversity, work collaboratively, and, perhaps most importantly, have the capacity to form caring relationships with others."
The remainder of the publication describes in detail the major concepts, movements, and practices associated and compatible with developmentally and culturally appropriate practices. They include early literacy and whole-language perspectives, integrated curriculum, multiage grouping, authentic assessment, and family and community involvement.
Research on school restructuring has identified several "commitments and competencies that lead to improved outcomes for children." They include:
- High expectations for all children
- A commitment to learn from and about children, building on the strengths and experiences that children bring to school
- Wider choices and more power for those closest to the classrooms
- Development of schools as caring communities, described as "places where teachers and students care about and support each other, actively participate in and contribute to activities and decisions, feel a sense of belonging and identification, and have a shared sense of purpose and common values"
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