Focus on Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Equitable and Joyful Learning

Volume editors:

Iliana Alanís, PhD, a native of South Texas, is professor of early childhood and elementary education in the department of interdisciplinary learning and teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has more than 20 years in the early childhood field

· Work focuses on teaching practices in culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood contexts with an emphasis on the effect of schooling for language minority children in Spanish/English dual language programs. She is especially interested in forms of teaching that promote native language development and its correlation to second language acquisition.

· Author of more than 48 refereed publications related to dual language education. Recent research focuses on higher‑order cognitive and linguistic interaction found in student-student exchanges.

· Former president of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education and former board member for the National Latino Children's Institute. She has served as a NAEYC Governing Board member and an Early Childhood Advisory Board member for Scholastic Education.

· Member of the Dual Language Training Institute, facilitating professional development for teachers in dual language classrooms across the country.

· Coauthor of The Essentials: Supporting Dual Language Learners in Diverse Environments in Preschool and Kindergarten (NAEYC, 2021).

Toni Sturdivant, PhD, is an assistant professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

· PhD in Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching with a cognate in Early Childhood Education; master's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education with a specialization in Child Development, BA in Linguistics with a minor in African and African American studies.

· Has taught prekindergarten in an urban school district and a center-based setting as well as kindergarten. Served as a trainer for early childhood teachers. Currently teaches pre-service teachers in the College of Education and Human Services.

· Research focuses on issues of racial learning and racial identity with young children as well as culturally relevant teaching practices. Has been published in Early Childhood Education Journal, The Journal for Multicultural Education, the International Journal of Early Childhood, and other scholarly journals.

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.

· Coeditor of Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens.

· Extensive prior experience creating content on play, developmentally appropriate uses of media, and other topics for educators and families.

· 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.

About the Editors 

Focus on Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Equitable and Joyful Learning Book Series 

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction 

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Preschool 

Part 1: Creating a Caring, Equitable Community of Learners 

Chapter 1: The Power of “Good Morning” | Sarah Calzone 

Chapter 2: Every Child Belongs: Welcoming a Child with a Disability | Pamela Brillante 

Chapter 3: Will You Pass the Peas, Please? | Nikki Waldron 

Chapter 4: Instead of Discipline, Use Guidance| Dan Gartrell 

Chapter 5: Preventing Exclusionary Discipline Practices in Early Childhood | Sarah C. Wymer, Amanda P. Williford, and Ann S. Lhospital 

Part 2: Engaging in Reciprocal Partnerships with Families and Fostering Community Connections 

Chapter 6: 5 Rs for Promoting Positive Family Engagement | Bweikia Foster Steen 

Chapter 7: Many Languages, One Community: Engaging All Families | Lorraine Cooke 

Chapter 8: Integrating Families’ Funds of Knowledge into Daily Teaching Practices | Iliana Alanís and Irasema Salinas-González 

Chapter 9: Building Relationships: The Key to Engaging Fathers | Lindsey L. Wilson and Holly S. Schindler

Chapter 10: Learning with Families About the Contexts of Young Bilingual Children with Disabilities | Cristina Gillanders and Sylvia Y. Sánchez 

Chapter 11: Promoting Linguistic Diversity and Equity: Teaching in Multilingual Learning Spaces | Carola Oliva-Olson, Linda M. Espinosa, Whit Hayslip, and Elizabeth S. Magruder 

Part 3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing Children’s Development and Learning 

Chapter 12: Practical Approaches to Informal Assessment of STEAM Experiences | Angela Eckhoff and Sandra M. Linder 

Chapter 13: Anecdotal Records: Practical Strategies for Taking Meaningful Notes | Celeste C. Bates, Stephanie Madison Schenck, and Hayley J. Hoover 

Chapter 14: Developmental Moments: Teacher Decision Making to Support Young Writers | Kathryn F. Whitmore and Lori Norton-Meier 

Chapter 15: Authentic and Meaningful Developmental Screening in Early Childhood | Marisa Macy and Stefano J. Bagnato 

Chapter 16: Learning Stories: A Framework for Authentic Assessment and Critical Pedagogy | Isauro M. Escamilla, Linda R. Kroll, Daniel R. Meier, and Annie White 

Chapter 16 Appendix: Ellie’s Learning Story: “種植 Planting” 

Part 4: Teaching to Enhance Each Child’s Development and Learning 

Chapter 17: The Power of Science: Using Inquiry Thinking to Enhance Learning in a Dual Language Preschool Classroom | Leanne M. Evans 

Chapter 18: A Guided, Exploration-Based Visual Arts Program for Preschoolers | X. Christine Wang, Keely Benson, Corinne Eggleston, and Bin Lin 

Chapter 19: Supporting Positive Racial Identity with Literacy-Based Math | Toni Sturdivant 

Chapter 20: Meaningful Talk: The Importance of Using Sophisticated Language at Preschool | Tracy Weippert 

Chapter 21: Using Nature Contact to Support Children Under Stress | Becky L. DelVecchio, Susan Ferguson, and Wesley Knapp 

Chapter 22: Timing Is Everything: Understanding the Importance of Timing, Length, and Sequence of Activities | Monica Lesperance 

Part 5: Planning and Implementing an Engaging Curriculum to Achieve Meaningful Goals 

Chapter 23: Never Too Young to Champion a Cause: Supporting Positive Identity Development Through Social Justice Curriculum in Preschool | Veronica Benavides, Roxanne Ledda, and Maimuna Mohammed 

Chapter 24: Diverse Children, Uniform Standards: Using Early Learning and Development Standards in Multicultural Classrooms | Jeanne L. Reid, Catherine Scott-Little, and Sharon Lynn Kagan 

Chapter 25: Preschool in the Park: Place-Based Learning in Unexpected Spaces | Rachel J. Franz 

Chapter 26: Metamorphosis: Life Cycle in a Box | Sara Starbuck 

Chapter 27: Listen to What We Hear: Developing Community Responsive Listening Centers | Emily Brown Hoffman and Kristin Cipollone 

Chapter 28: Walk with Us: Indigenous Approaches to Developmentally Appropriate Practice | Trisha L. Moquino, Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank, Rebecca Blum-Martinez, and Katie Kitchens 

Part 6: Demonstrating Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator 

Chapter 29: Becoming Your Best: Building Professional Competencies | Meghann Hickey 

Chapter 30: Personalized Professional Development: How Teachers Can Use Videos to Improve Their Practice | Rachel E. Schachter and Hope Kenarr Gerde 

Chapter 31: Leading with LOVE: Leveraging Our Value Every Day | Chaz Simmons 

Chapter 32: Beginning (or Continuing) the Journey to a More Equitable Classroom | Janis Strasser and Llariley Coplin 

Chapter 33: Incorporating Anti-Racist Approaches for Asian American Children | Shu-Chen “Jenny” Yen 

References 

Index