Rev. ed. of: Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8.

Includes bibliographical references.

pt. 1. NAEYC position statement : developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (adopted July 1996) -- The current context of early childhood programs -- Rationale for the position statement -- NAEYC's commitment to children -- Statement of the position -- Principles of child development and learning that inform developmentally appropriate practice -- Guidelines for decisions about developmentally appropriate practice -- Creating a caring community of learners -- Teaching to enhance development and learning -- Constructing appropriate curriculum -- Assessing children's learning and development -- Establishing reciprocal relationships with families -- Moving from either/or to both/and thinking in early childhood practice -- Policies essential for achieving developmentally appropriate early childhood programs -- References -- pt. 2. Developmentally appropriate practice : the early childhood teacher as decisionmaker / Sue Bredekamp -- Overview and NAEYC's definition of developmentally appropriate practice -- Using knowledge about child development and learning to inform practice -- Using knowledge of individual children to inform practice -- Using knowledge of the social and cultural context to inform practice -- Using multiple sources of knowledge in professional decisionmaking -- Resolving contradictions -- Resolving contradictions in practice : a strategy for making decisions and negotiating conflicts -- Considering children's individual needs in decisions about developmentally appropriate practice -- Considering families' concerns and the wider social context in decisions about developmentally appropriate practice -- Conclusion -- References -- pt. 3. Developmentally appropriate practice for infants and toddlers -- Development in the first three years of life -- Young infants (birth to 9 months) -- Mobile infants (8 to 18 months) -- Toddlers (16 to 36 months) -- Developmental milestones of children from birth to age 3 -- Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for infants -- Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for toddlers -- References and sources --

pt. 4. Developmentally appropriate practice for 3- through 5-year-olds -- Development and learning in children age 3 through 5 -- Integrated development and learning during early childhood -- A sketch of physical development in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds -- Physical growth -- Maturation -- Sensation and perception -- Gross-motor development -- Gross-motor development, widely held expectations -- Considerations for early childhood educators -- Fine-motor development -- Fine-motor development, widely held expectations -- Considerations for early childhood educators -- A sketch of language and communication development in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds -- Language and communication development, widely held expectations -- Considerations for early childhood educators -- A sketch of cognitive development in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds -- Characteristics of thought -- Information processing -- Social cognition -- Considerations for early childhood educators -- A sketch of social and emotional development of 3- through 5-year olds -- Considerations for early childhood educations -- Social and emotional development, widely held expectations -- Responding to individual and cultural variation -- Negotiating transitions : changes and challenges -- Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for 3- through 5-year-olds -- References -- pt. 5. Developmentally appropriate practice for 6- through 8-year-olds in the primary grades -- Development and learning in primary-age children -- A sketch of physical development in 6- through 8-year-olds -- Growth and maturation, sensation and perception -- Gross- and fine-motor development -- A sketch of cognitive development in 6- through 8-year-olds -- Characteristics of thought -- Information processing -- Language and communication development -- Moral development -- A sketch of social and emotional development of 6- through 8-year olds -- Considerations for early childhood educators -- Responding to individual and cultural variation -- Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for 6- through 8-year-olds -- References.