Focus on Developmentally Appropriate Practice

If you've ever wondered how effective teachers actually do DAP in kindergarten, this is the book for you. You will see how kindergarten educators provide integrated learning opportunities that you can adapt to create a robust learning environment that is play oriented and supportive of required mandates and expectations.

You'll read about educators making intentional decisions in key areas of practice, which form the six guidelines for DAP in action:

1. Building a strengths-based community where everyone is welcomed and supported to grow and learn
2. Facilitating reciprocal partnerships with families
3. Observing, assessing, and documenting children’s learning and development
4. Using teaching strategies that enhance learning for each child
5. Implementing curriculum tied to meaningful learning goals
6. Demonstrating professionalism

This book will inspire you to apply these guidelines to establish goals and create learning experiences that fit who and where your students are and advocate for practices and environments that facilitate equitable, joyful learning for all kindergartners.

Volume editors

Eva C. Phillips, EdD, is dedicated to teaching and advocating for young children and early childhood educators. Throughout her almost 40 years of service to North Carolina, she served as a kindergarten teacher, a state‑level Title I preschool and kindergarten consultant, an assistant professor and Birth‑Kindergarten Education Program Coordinator, and a district‑level program manager for early learning. She has collaborated on numerous projects supporting developmentally appropriate practices and was cocreator and cofacilitator of North Carolina’s Power of K Teacher Leader Initiative while at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Dr. Phillips also served as president of the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children from 2009 to 2013. After retiring from the state in 2017, she began a consulting business to support early learning educators through professional development, consulting, and coaching. She is coauthor of the book Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction for Teachers of Kindergartners and the white paper Children Come First: Ensuring School Policies, Practices, and Strategies Lead to Positive 3rd Grade Outcomes. She is dedicated to working with educators in their pursuits to provide the most authentic, appropriate, engaging, and challenging experiences for all young children.

Amy Scrinzi,EdD, is an accomplished educator with extensive experience in the field of education spanning more than 30 years. She is an assistant professor of child development at Meredith College in North Carolina. In addition, she serves as the coordinator of the birth‑to‑kindergarten licensure program, overseeing and guiding aspiring educators in their journey to become licensed educators. Dr. Scrinzi is a former classroom teacher of pre‑K through third grade, having taught in several public school districts in North Carolina. She later worked at the state’s Department of Public Instruction as a state‑level early childhood education consultant, developing and facilitating projects that included coleading the state’s Power of K three‑year kindergarten teacher leadership initiative. She also served as a state‑level K–2 math consultant, state lead for the North Carolina Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA), and state‑level mentor for nonpublic pre‑K teachers seeking a birth‑to‑kindergarten teaching license. She is coauthor of the bookBasics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction for Teachers of Kindergartners. Her experience as a classroom teacher, consultant, mentor, and author has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of early childhood education, and she remains dedicated to supporting teachers’ use of effective practices that align with the developmental needs of young learners.

Series editor

Susan Friedman is senior director of publishing and content development at NAEYC. In this role, she leads the content development work of NAEYC’s books and periodicals teams. Ms. Friedman is coeditor of Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens. She has extensive prior experience creating content on play, developmentally appropriate uses of media, and other topics for educators and families. She has presented at numerous educational conferences, including NAEYC’s Professional Learning Institute and Annual Conference, the South by Southwest Education (SXSW EDU) Conference & Festival, and the School Superintendents Association’s Early Learning Cohort. She began her career as a preschool teacher at City and Country School in New York City. She holds degrees from Vassar College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.