Directions:
Respond to each item. Each response should be concise and between 2–3 paragraphs in length.
Use MS Word to write your responses, and submit your answers to all three questions in one Word
document.
Copy and paste each question within the document, so that your Instructor can see to which question you
are responding.
Of the 12 principles of child development and learning set forth in the NAEYC Position Statement on
pages 10–16 of the Copple and Bredekamp course text, briefly describe three that were of greatest
interest to you. Additionally, for each one, share an implication you see for early childhood
professionals.
Drawing from information in the readings and Program 3 on the DVD, explain why developmentally
appropriate practice cannot be defined as a set of activities or strategies but rather as a complex
decision-making process. Describe the considerations that are involved in this process.
Using the points in “Bridging Cultural Differences” on page 46 and the related question in the FAQs on
pages 331–332 of the Copple and Bredekamp course text, explain in your own words the responsibility of
an early childhood professional when a family’s cultural practices may conflict with developmentally
appropriate practice and suggest two or three strategies for how to respond in sensitive and respectful
ways.
Required Resources
Course Text: Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early
childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: National
Association for the Education of Young Children.
NAEYC Position Statement, pp. 1–24
“To Be an Excellent Teacher,” pp. 33–50
“Frequently Asked Questions about Developmentally Appropriate Practice,” pp. 327–333