Understanding developmentally appropriate expectations is key to supporting and encouraging your child’s growth in school. It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the different developmental milestones that exist. Families want to see their children succeed and can feel discouraged if they set expectations that are too high. To minimize stress and increase families’ understanding of developmentally appropriate expectations, we want to share some important information.
A NAEYC article titled “Explaining Developmentally Appropriate Practice to Families,” states:
- Younger children have different learning processes than older children.
- Developmentally appropriate practice is about making sure children have fun so that they will learn. Preschoolers can’t learn on demand—they learn because they want to.
- Teachers take play really seriously. We use play intentionally to ensure each child makes progress toward specific learning goals.
- Teachers use documentation to show children’s progress (like drawings, photos, or notes comparing what a child did at the beginning of the year to work done later in the year).
For a deeper understanding of this topic and for help implementing developmentally appropriate practice, see the below links!
Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Parents – Trying Together
Module: Providing Developmentally Appropriate Learning: Resources for Early Learning
