The long-awaited new edition of NAEYC's Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs is here, fully revised and updated! Since the first edition in 1987,this book has been an essential resource for the early childhood education field. Early childhood educators have a professional responsibility to plan and implement intentional, developmentally appropriate learning experiences that promote the social and emotional development, physical development and health, cognitive development, and general learning competencies of each child served. But what is developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)? DAP is a framework designed to promote young children's optimal learning and development through a strengths-based approach to joyful, engaged learning. As educators make decisions to support each child's learning and development, they consider what they know about (1) commonality in children's development and learning, (2) each child as an individual (within the context of their family and community), and (3) everything discernible about the social and cultural contexts for each child, each educator, and the program as a whole. This latest edition of the book is fully revised to underscore the critical role social and cultural contexts play in child development and learning, including new research about implicit bias and teachers' own context and consideration of advances in neuroscience. Educators implement developmentally appropriate practice by recognizing the many assets all young children bring to the early learning program as individuals and as members of families and communities. They also develop an awareness of their own context. Building on each child's strengths, educators design and implement learning settings to help each child achieve their full potential across all domains of development and across all content areas.

This book brings together multiple voices from a range of thought leaders in early childhood education to describe both how structural inequities deeply embedded in US society have a negative impact on children’s development and learning and how educators who have a strong understanding of how children's development and learning takes place within a cultural context are equipped to create effective and affirming environments, instructional activities, and assessments. Research indicates that children benefit from highly qualified, reflective teachers who provide developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and linguistically responsive experiences and interactions. The book includes recommendations for ways the broader early childhood system, institutions of higher education, and policy can support early childhood educators in meeting their professional and ethical responsibilities to our most vulnerable populations. Also includes concrete examples and approaches classroom teachers can implement to address equity as they plan lessons, select materials, and support children and families. The book expands on key points of NAEYC’s Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education position statement (2019) so that educators, policymakers, and other key stakeholders are knowledgeable, skilled, and equipped to transform the lives of children and their families.

This robust collection of articles from Teaching Young Children offers practical guidance and tips for keeping equity at the forefront of the curriculum and classroom practices. A wide range of diverse voices from the early childhood education field provide insight on various aspects of advancing equity, from supporting family diversity to considering children’s language and culture when planning learning activities. This accessible, concrete guide on hot-button, timely issues helps classroom teachers determine what exactly being equitable means in their everyday context and interactions with children, their families, and colleagues.

Featuring: Raymond Kane, Sonny Chillingworth, Ledward Kaapana, Leonard Kwan, Haunani Apoliona, Diana Aki, and George Kahamoku Jr.
This compelling look at Hawaiian slack-key guitar unveils a cultural richness that is uniquely Hawaiian. The story is told not by a narrator but by the artists telling their stories in their own words so that the spirit and feeling of the Hawaiian people emerge. The development of slack-key corresponds with Hawaiian culture while preserving its tradition in form and verse. This film, with its infectious musical aspects that are specifically Hawaiian, couples with its rich visual material and varied sequences, is an important documentary of Hawaiian culture to share with contemporary audiences.