Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Informing Parents of Updating to DAP

    Posted 04-09-2018 06:04 PM
    I am director and teacher at a small, private, 1/2 day preschool.  As I work to transition our preschool into more developmentally appropriate practices, what are some good ways to inform parents of the changes?  Currently there are lots of cookie cutter crafts and only 20-25 minutes free choice play, to name only a couple of things.  Next year we'll transition to HighScope curriculum (currently have no "formal" curriculum), arrange our rooms to be more in alignment with ECERS, and have an hour of free choice centers time.  How can I best inform my parents of what is DAP?  I have parents who don't know, or won't understand, why we're moving away from "the way it's always been at our preschool."

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    Holly Randell
    Ankeny IA
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  • 2.  RE: Informing Parents of Updating to DAP

    Posted 04-10-2018 02:05 PM
    Start by educating parents on the importance of the process, not the product. Send home letters about all that children learn through the different processes they engage in with DAP. Perhaps host a "stay and play" event where you can engage parents in DAP activities and explain what children are learning through the activity.

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    Katherine Schoenek-Danks
    Regional Preschool Partnership
    Midland MI
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  • 3.  RE: Informing Parents of Updating to DAP

    Posted 04-11-2018 09:02 PM
    One book I would highly recommend for you to read ( in all that spare time you have haha!) is Outdoor Playscapes by Lynn Wilson
    ( Published by Nelson Publishing) . What I liked most about this is the <g class="gr_ gr_138 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="138" data-gr-id="138">no nonsense</g> get into your child's life attitude that the book has relating it to the many learning domains.It is great for designing playscapes too as <g class="gr_ gr_510 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="510" data-gr-id="510">environment</g> is <g class="gr_ gr_463 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="463" data-gr-id="463">soooo</g> important to child's play and learning. Feel free to contact me for further <g class="gr_ gr_582 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="582" data-gr-id="582">informaiton</g>.  I'm a contributor to the book but this is not a sales plug. Honestly.
    Dr. Miriam Melamed

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    miriam melamed
    [Education Consultant/Conceptual Designer]

    Toronto [Ontario][Purple Rip Tide Productions]
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