Quality Rating 4: Environment
Instructions
To meet the requirements for Developmentally Appropriate Learning and Practice: Environment: DAP 1.4, your philosophy statement should clearly describe how your program:
- Provides a developmentally appropriate environment for the children you serve
- Welcomes children of all abilities
- Balances child-initiated and teacher-directed activities
- Reflects the children’s interests, primary languages, and cultural backgrounds
NOTE: You will also upload your program’s daily schedule when you submit your philosophy statement. Your daily schedule is part of Developmentally Appropriate Learning and Practice: Implementation: DAP 6.4. Your daily schedule is one way you show your philosophy statement in action.
The Policy or Statement Builder provides a step-by-step guide for creating your statement.
Developmentally Appropriate Environment
In a developmentally appropriate environment, all children feel welcomed and respected. The environment offers comfortable places for children to play, work, and relax. Materials are accessible and represent the children’s development, ages, interests, home cultures and languages. Interactions with adults and other children are supportive and positive.
What does the documentation look like?
Your philosophy statement should describe a developmentally appropriate environment for the children enrolled in your program. If your program serves infants and toddlers, it should look and sound different from a program for preschoolers or school-age children. Like children, no two programs are exactly the same, but all quality programs strive to meet the individual needs of children. Your statement should explain how you customize your environment and routines to meet the children’s needs.
Welcomes Children of All Abilities
Quality child care programs create learning environments and experiences that support the unique growth and development of every child. This begins with identifying each child’s different needs, interests, and abilities. Realizing that all children share a common need for a safe and supportive environment makes it easier to welcome all children into your program, including children with special health care needs or disabilities.
What does the documentation look like?
Your philosophy statement describes your beliefs about including children with special needs in your program, including children with special health care needs or disabilities.
Child-Initiated and Teacher-Directed Activities
Children benefit from a range of activities – some they select and control and others where adults take the lead. Child-initiated activities allow children to explore, create, and express themselves independently. Teacher-directed activities guide children’s learning, particularly when trying something new.
What does the documentation look like?
Your philosophy statement describes how you balance child-initiated activities with adult-directed activities throughout your day.
Reflecting Children’s Interests, Primary Languages, and Cultural Backgrounds
Quality programs understand and believe in the power of respecting children’s interests, home languages, and cultural backgrounds. These programs recognize that children and families feel welcome and included in environments that display and communicate information in multiple languages or through images that represent the children’s backgrounds. Simple actions have significant impact on children’s social and emotional well-being.
What does the documentation look like?
Your philosophy statement communicates beliefs about the importance of reflecting the children’s interests, primary languages, and cultural backgrounds throughout your program. Think about why that is important and how your environment and activities reflect the children and families you serve.
Policy or Statement Builder
Develop a Philosophy Statement that describes your program’s developmentally appropriate environment. The Reflection Questions below will help you think about what you do in your program and why you do it. Once you have spent time reflecting on the questions below, you’re ready to build your Philosophy Statement.
- What does your program do to ensure that children of all abilities are welcome?
- How does your program address the interests of children enrolled?
- How does your program address the primary languages of children enrolled?
- How does your program address the cultural backgrounds of the children?
Once you have spent time reflecting on the questions, you have the option to download and save the Philosophy Statement template to create your statement.
Technology Tips
Download the PDF.
Save the PDF.
Print the PDF.
Edit the PDF.
Do you need more time to think about writing your Philosophy Statement? Use Writers Tips and Prompts to find examples and get more guidance.
Where can you learn more?
- The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has many helpful resources on developmentally appropriate practices by age group: Infants and Toddlers; Preschoolers; Kindergartners; Early School Age.
- Child Care for Children with Special Needs Welcoming children with special needs into your program may seem especially challenging. This Extension Alliance for Better Child Care article gives you helpful tips to boost your confidence as you open your doors to all children in need of quality care.
- Adapting the Environment for Children with Special Needs Adapting your environment to meet the unique needs of children may be easier than you might think. This article provides suggestions for getting started.
- Using Learning Centers in Child Care Learning centers are one way to provide opportunities for children to initiate their own learning. This article provides information on how to set up different learning centers in a child care environment.
- Culture and Language Find resources offered by the Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center to guide you in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate learning to young children.