Title

Training New Staff in Developmentally Appropriate Practices

Author

Cynthia Padilla, Concordia University, St. Paul

Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Non Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

Program

Early Childhood Education

Capstone Instructor

Barbara Schoenbeck

Second Reader

Frances Hancock

Keywords

developmentally appropriate practices, training

Abstract

Training new staff in developmentally appropriate practice is important to ensure higher quality interaction and care for preschoolers in early childhood programs. New staff need to be trained in early childhood development and what is typical to expect from children ages three to five years old. After learning the expected stages of early childhood, educators new to the early childhood field need to understand what behavior is appropriate from children and what is not. Staff also need to learn what behavior and responses from teachers and caregivers are appropriate and what are not. This project will provide an orientation method to teach developmentally appropriate practice to new staff. It will include meeting with the new staff to give specific information on what is expected of them, observation forms and examples worksheets to use in the classrooms, assigning a mentor to new staff, practicing responses to children's behavior, and reflecting with the mentor. Giving examples of exactly what is expected of new staff, providing easy to read, easy to fill in the blanks forms to take and make notes of behaviors and responses, and assigning a mentor and allowing for reflection will facilitate new staff in learning how to use developmentally appropriate responses and interaction in the classroom.

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