current controversy in early childhood education A involves what the curriculum for early childhood educa tion ould be (Bredekamp, 201I. On one side are those who advocate a child-centered, constructivist approach much like that emphasized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), along the lines of developmentally appropriate practice. On the other side are those who advocate an academic, direct instruction approach. In practice, many high-quality early childhood education programs include both academic and con- structivist approaches. Many education experts, such as Lilian Katz (999), though, worry about academic approaches that place too much pressure on young children to achieve and don't provide opportunities to actively construct knowledge. Competent early childhood programs also should focus on both cog- nitive development and socioemotional development, not exclusively on cognitive development (Bredekamp, 2011; NAEYC, 2009).