DAP background video

The researchers found that children's increased academic achievement in first-grade classrooms was related to moderate or high levels of developmentally appropriate practice in prekindergarten. Similarly, Burts et al. 90 Part 1 The Early Childhood Education Profession: Foundations (1993) found that children who attended more developmentally appropriate kindergartens had better reading grades in first grade.

One of the most important functions of NAEYC's work on developmentally appropriate practice has been to further discussion and debate in the field about teaching practices. Given the history of the field, it is likely that this topic will continue to be debated in the future.What aspects are most likely to continue to provoke thought? Undoubtedly the realities of diversity and changing cultural contexts in our country will continue to raise questions about what is culturally as well as developmentally appropriate. Increased demands for accountability and the challenge to close the achievement gap raise the stakes over which practices can be successfully defended. Likewise, debates about what belongs in the curriculum have been a constant and will continue in the future, but are likely to be driven more by research than in the past.

"What have we learned from research on DAP? First, developmentally appropriate practices are not the norm in early childhood programs. Although teachers endorse this pedagogical method, they often struggle with implementation. Professional preparation designed to help teachers implement developmentally appropriate practice can be quite effective. We need to learn more about how to most effectively support teachers' implementation of developmentally appropriate practice. "