Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Practice DCAP in Early Childhood Education

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Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate
Practice (DCAP) in Early Childhood Education

• Andrea Honigsfeld
• Fulbright Guest Lecturer
• October 2002, KHÍ

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What is DAP?(NAEYC, 1987)
What is missing from DAP?
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DCAP
What is missing from DAP?
Social and Cultural Context Learning experiences
that are meaningful, relevant, and respectful of
all cultures represented in the
class Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate
Practice
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How is diversity defined by NCATE?(National
Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education)

• Differences among groups of people and
  individuals based on ethnicity, race,
  socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities,
  language, religion, sexual orientation, and
  geographical area.

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The key questions of DCAP(Based on Hyun, 1998)

• What relationships do students see between the
  activity or the work they do in school and the
  lives they live outside of the classroom?

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Key questions, continued

• Is it possible to incorporate aspects of
  students lived culture into the work of
  schooling without simply confirming what they
  already know?

I know that.
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Key questions, continued

• Can this incorporation be practiced without
  devaluing the objects and relationships important
  to students?

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Key questions, continued

• Can this practice succeed without ignoring
  particular groups of students as others within
  a dominant culture?

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How do we get there?

• Multicultural Education
• Anti-bias Curriculum
• Culturally Congruent Critical Pedagogy

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Multicultural Education

• Goals
• To help children become more aware of themselves
  as individuals and of their cultures and/or
  cultures
• To help them develop an understanding of and
  appreciation for the cultures of others
• To help them develop knowledge, attitude,
  patterns of behavior, and skills to function
  cross-culturally

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Anti-bias Curriculum

• GOALS
• To enable every child to construct a
  knowledgeable and confident self-identity
• To develop a safe, just, and diverse interactive
  learning environment
• To foster critical thinking about bias and
  stereotyping
• To develop the knowledge and skills needed to
  stand up for oneself in the face of injustice

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Culturally Congruent Critical Pedagogy

• Allows children to express and show the
  importance of their own family culture and
  identity
• Employs childrens personal experience, family
  culture, and diverse language expressions as
  important sources of learning and teaching
• Respects differences in perceiving, learning,
  understanding, and decision-making