Using Developmentally Appropriate Practices to Teach the Common Core

Book excerpt: Using Developmentally Appropriate Practices to Teach the Common Core: Grades PreK–3 provides current and prospective primary grade teachers with an understanding of the CCSS-ELA and CCSS-M that highlights their compatibility with developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), the instructional approach generally preferred by teachers of young children. The book begins by framing the CCSS as a distinct improvement over lengthy lists of academic content standards and as a carefully conceptualized and DAP-friendly set of curriculum guidelines. Next, the CCSS-ELA and CCSS-M for Grades K–3 are unpacked, analyzed, synthesized, and cross-referenced to key features of DAP. Finally, several "hot topic" issues—differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all learners, ensuring equitable access to the curriculum for English Language Learners, addressing assessment and accountability expectations, and educating parents and families about the CCSS and DAP—are prioritized and examined in depth. Using Developmentally Appropriate Practices to Teach the Common Core: Grades PreK–3 is a highly useful guide for both pre-service and in-service early childhood education teachers.