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Module 2: Child Growth and Development

Developmental and Individual Needs

Page 16
All humans have common needs.  Our emotional, social, intellectual, physical and health needs must be satisfied in order for us to grow, learn and thrive.  
Research tells us that:
  • Learning starts with families and in communities.
  • Children learn through relationships, play, and active exploration.
  • Every child and family has unique gifts and abilities.
  • Children learn best when they are healthy, safe, and free of hunger.
  • Learning is interrelated and builds upon prior learning and development.
  • Young children can learn more than one language.
  • Building “executive function” (the command and control center of the brain) is crucial for development and learning.
  • Children learn in and through their environment.  (From Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines: Birth through 3rd Grade)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) provides care providers with guidelines for applying research directly to practice.  The guidelines are referred to as Developmentally Appropriate Practices, or DAP.  
There are three core considerations for DAP:
  1. Knowledge of child development and learning helps us decide which experiences are best for children at specific times in their lives. 
  2. We learn about each child’s interests, abilities, and progress when we continually observe a child’s play and interactions.
  3. By getting to know the children’s families and learning about the values, expectations, and factors that shape their lives at home and in their communities, we will be able to provide meaningful, relevant and respectful learning experiences for each child.
Teachers help ensure Developmentally Appropriate Practices when they intentionally meet young children where they are developmentally, and help the children achieve learning goals that are both basic and challenging. 
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