THE APPROACH
Developmental Designs for Early Childhood is a powerful collection of research-based teaching strategies and practices:
- Cultural Humility Practice. Filter shift to see the infant, toddler, parents with openness and curiosity.
- Equity Practice. Moving from sameness to supporting the individual child in positive identity development and wellbeing.
- Being both Warm and Demanding Practice. Incremental growth and redirects and discipline are done with dignity, empathy and compassion.
- Inclusive Practice. Examining routines to meet the temperament and needs of our neurodiverse students.
” I was reminded that my (our) work is about care and cognition, left with many ideas to support cognition with care.”
– Early Childhood -level educator
WHY DEVELOPMENTAL DESIGNS?
To create an equitable foundation for learning, certain conditions and experiences are necessary to meet the basic needs of children for autonomy, competence, relationship, community, play and safety.
When we base our practice on meeting these needs, we base our practice in equity. To meet these needs we provide educators practices to strengthen and maintain classrooms and schools where equity is a lived reality, creating a Zone of Proximal Development for ALL Learners.
