Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum - What does that mean?

My conversations with our 4th and 5th grade students about CA's Mission and Philosophy continue:

4th and 5th grade students see our motto “Christopher Academy...fosters a love of learning” all the time. But when they saw the entire mission statement, the phrase "developmentally appropriate curriculum" was not immediately clear. I told them they might not be able to define it in words, but they certainly would be able to tell me if an activity, event, lesson, or program felt right to them. We began by looking at a photo of a preschool classroom. We agreed that it looked like a great place for three and four year olds to play and learn. I asked why is it not appropriate for you? One of the first comments was that even though the room was for little kids it was sometimes fun to play with the stuff they used to play with when they were little. I had to smile at that comment because it is certainly true. That is why we occasionally see older kids having a blast in the sandbox. It is fun to be a kid!

My question was would it feel okay to a 4th or 5th grade student to be in the preschool room all the time. They agreed that it would not. We thought about the obvious things such as why they enjoy having individual desks and different types of materials and equipment to use including their electronic devices. But more importantly it is how they have developed their reading, writing, math, social and physical skills each year. One year.builds upon another. They compared the way they were learning math or reading or writing in earlier grades to what they can do now and what their interests are now.

Another aspect of “developmentally appropriate” relates to their social role and responsibility in the school. Because they are able to do much more complex things, they are, in fact, leaders in our school. Our younger students love opportunities when older students are being teachers and role models to them. They look up to the older students and are so excited when they can spend time together. A favorite example is the Book Buddies Program when our second grade students share books and friendships with Pre-K students. For our older students, this opportunity to be a leader and role model is a great way to build their confidence and self-esteem. Throughout the year, I will share more examples of this with you.