pt. 1. NAEYC position statement: developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (adopted July 1996) ; The current context of early childhood programs ; Rationale for the position statement ; NAEYC's commitment to children ; Statement of the position ; Principles of child development and learning that inform developmentally appropriate practice

Guidelines for decisions about developmentally appropriate practice ; Creating a caring community of learners ; Teaching to enhance development and learning ; Constructing appropriate curriculum ; Assessing children's learning and development ; Establishing reciprocal relationships with families ; Moving from either/or to both/and thinking in early childhood practice ; Policies essential for achieving developmentally appropriate early childhood programs

pt. 2. Developmentally appropriate practice: the early childhood teacher as decisionmaker / Sue Bredekamp ; Overview and NAEYC's definition of developmentally appropriate practice ; Using knowledge about child development and learning to inform practice ; Using knowledge of individual children to inform practice ; Using knowledge of the social and cultural context to inform practice ; Using multiple sources of knowledge in professional decisionmaking ; Resolving contradictions ; Resolving contradictions in practice: a strategy for making decisions and negotiating conflicts ; Considering children's individual needs in decisions about developmentally appropriate practice ; Considering families' concerns and the wider social context in decisions about developmentally appropriate practice ; Conclusion

pt. 3. Developmentally appropriate practice for infants and toddlers: Development in the first three years of life ; Young infants (birth to 9 months) ; Mobile infants (8 to 18 months) ; Toddlers (16 to 36 months) ; Developmental milestones of children from birth to age 3 ; Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for infants ; Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for toddlers ; References and sources.

pt. 4. Developmentally appropriate practice for 3- through 5-year-olds: Development and learning in children age 3 through 5 ; Integrated development and learning during early childhood ; A sketch of physical development in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds ; Physical growth ; Maturation ; Sensation and perception ; Gross-motor development ; Gross-motor development, widely held expectations ; Considerations for early childhood educators ; Fine-motor development ; Fine-motor development, widely held expectations ; Considerations for early childhood educators ; A sketch of language and communication development in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds ; Language and communication development, widely held expectations ; Considerations for early childhood educators ; A sketch of cognitive development in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds ; Characteristics of thought ; Information processing ; Social cognition ; Considerations for early childhood educators ; A sketch of social and emotional development of 3- through 5-year olds ; Considerations for early childhood educations ; Social and emotional development, widely held expectations ; Responding to individual and cultural variation ; Negotiating transitions: changes and challenges ; Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for 3- through 5-year-olds

pt. 5. Developmentally appropriate practice for 6- through 8-year-olds in the primary grades: Development and learning in primary-age children ; A sketch of physical development in 6- through 8-year-olds ; Growth and maturation, sensation and perception ; Gross- and fine-motor development ; A sketch of cognitive development in 6- through 8-year-olds ; Characteristics of thought ; Information processing ; Language and communication development ; Moral development ; A sketch of social and emotional development of 6- through 8-year olds ; Considerations for early childhood educators ; Responding to individual and cultural variation ; Examples of appropriate and inappropriate practices for 6- through 8-year-olds.