The most recent iteration of NAEYC's key Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) texts (the 2020 Position Statement and the fourth edition of the DAP book) reflect a more robust stance on family educator-relationships and attention to issues of equity as reflected in linguistic shifts. This article analyses NAEYC's rhetorical moves between the…

The question of 'developmental appropriateness' in education can be both empowering and inhibiting. When are students 'ready' to talk about social injustices and systemic inequalities? How might educators introduce social inequities using developmental findings about reasoning? This article presents social domain theory as a lens through which…

Despite many welcoming individuals and communities, the hegemonic narrative regarding immigrant origin families suggests that hard work may not be enough to overcome the economic, social, and political walls within and encompassing the United States. The increasingly diverse stories of immigrant families are often met with undifferentiated…

Many predominantly White universities and colleges are seeking ways to both recruit and retain Black students (Simmons, J., Lowery-Hart, R., Wahl, S. T., & McBride, M. C. (2013). "Understanding the African-American student experience in higher education through a relational dialectics perspective." "Communication…

The author discusses bringing her perspective as an early childhood educator and developmentalist to her policy-making position as a Board member of the Pasadena Unified School District. Noting that the higher education standards adopted in many states as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 have impacted kindergarten programs and…

Assesses articles in this special issue on reconceptualizing early childhood education. Maintains articles are based on conception of education in which teachers are not concerned with adopting a canon but with developing sensitivity needed to see children's place in their community and society and to structure classroom activities that encourage…

The recent call for developmentally appropriate practices is analyzed from the perspective of the sociology of the curriculum, which is examined briefly. Discussion covers metaphors that form the foundation of curriculum theory and two alternative metaphors: early childhood education as caring and as schooling for democracy. (LB)

Alternative programs developed in early childhood education over the years, from Colonial church communities to Montessori to current developmentally appropriate practices, are reviewed. It is suggested that teachers with limited perspectives on curriculum may violate the various ways of young children's knowing. (LB)