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    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/dap-101-9-principles</loc>
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    <lastmod>2026-10-23</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - DAP 101: Seven principles, then and now - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A young child playfully peers at their caregiver through a toy camera.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - DAP 101: Seven principles, then and now - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A preschool-aged child plays with blocks.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - DAP 101: Seven principles, then and now - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A child joyfully plays with paint.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - DAP 101: Seven principles, then and now - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A checklist based on Muriel Wong’s seven principles of DAP.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - DAP 101: Seven principles, then and now - Muriel is pictured here with her “first and best teachers,” her very first Kindergarten class. From left to right: Nicole, Sabrina, Melanie, Alex, Jamie, and Oscar.</image:title>
      <image:caption>Muriel Wong has spent forty-five years in early childhood education as a teacher, program director, parent, consultant, coach, trainer, and author. She directed the Pre-School Lab at Miami-Dade Community College’s North Campus for twenty-three years, adding the Center for Early Care and Education and leading both together for thirteen of those years. Throughout her career, to stay close to the classroom, she has also coached early learning programs through accreditation. She led countywide quality improvement and school readiness initiatives and served on NAEYC’s national Governing Board. Muriel is the author of WELS, a web-based data system that supports directors, educators, and coaches in five states and has since grown into its next generation. She has also created Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) training and led CQI work for agencies and state administrators in multiple states. Muriel is the mother of two grown children, and raising them while directing the lab shaped how she sees families. In DAP 101, she holds her 1991 seven-principle curriculum framework up to NAEYC’s 2022 position statement on developmentally appropriate practice to see what has endured.</image:caption>
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  <url>
    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/scandalizing-motherhood-why-did-we-stop-treating-birth-as-a-ceremony</loc>
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    <lastmod>2026-04-17</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why did we stop treating birth as a ceremony?</image:title>
      <image:caption>Tlazolteotl (Birthing Figure) (c. 900-1580). Retrieved from: https://www.wikiart.org/en/aztec-art/tlazolteotl-birthing-figure</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why did we stop treating birth as a ceremony? - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A wood engraving depicting an assisted birth in ancient Greece; part of: Histoire des accouchements chez tous les peuples, t.p. vignette (1887). Retrieved from: https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-101449273-img</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why did we stop treating birth as a ceremony? - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>“In this illustration, midwives and astrologers practice their arts side by side, from the 1580 edition of Jakob Rüff’s popular Renaissance midwifery book, De Conceptu et Generatione Hominis.” Retrieved from: https://guides.library.uab.edu/c.php?g=1048546&amp;p=7609202</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why did we stop treating birth as a ceremony? - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A midwife examines a person who is preparing to give birth.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why did we stop treating birth as a ceremony? - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Mangrove roots arch into the ocean.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why did we stop treating birth as a ceremony? - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>“My Birth” by Frida Kahlo (1932). Retrieved from: https://www.fridakahlo.org/my-birth.jsp</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/3-toddler-friendly-holiday-crafts-children-can-actually-help-with</loc>
    <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.5</priority>
    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - 3 (Toddler-Friendly!) Holiday Crafts Children Can Actually Help With - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A child decorates a festive fireplace craft.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - 3 (Toddler-Friendly!) Holiday Crafts Children Can Actually Help With - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Dried oranges on a baking sheet are ready to be strung together.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - 3 (Toddler-Friendly!) Holiday Crafts Children Can Actually Help With - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A cardboard “Holiday village” is lit up with twinkle lights.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - 3 (Toddler-Friendly!) Holiday Crafts Children Can Actually Help With - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A wreath is decorated with evergreens, dried orange slices, pine cones, holly, and more.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - 3 (Toddler-Friendly!) Holiday Crafts Children Can Actually Help With - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>The sun shines over a forest of snow-covered evergreens.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/scandalizing-motherhood-why-are-we-so-ashamed-of-breastfeeding</loc>
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    <lastmod>2026-04-17</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding? - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>An infant nurses to sleep in a cradle hold.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding? - Isis nurses Horus. Retrieved from: Rama, Wikimedia Commons</image:title>
      <image:caption>El nacimiento de la vía láctea (Birth of the Milky Way) by Pedro Pablo [Peter Paul] Rubens (1636-37). Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_the_Milky_Way</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding?</image:title>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding?</image:title>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding?</image:title>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding?</image:title>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding?</image:title>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding? - A limestone statue of a woman nursing from Ancient Egypt, ca. 2420–2389 B.C. or later.</image:title>
      <image:caption>A limestone statue of a woman nursing from Ancient Egypt, ca. 2420–2389 B.C. or later. Retrieved from: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/543905</image:caption>
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      <image:loc>https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67fa84dbe003dd6c78c53acc/e719856a-f58f-421b-9a75-cdcf8b214653/main-image+%281%29.jpg</image:loc>
      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding? - From “The Rest on the Flight Into Egypt” by Gerard David ca. 1512-15.</image:title>
      <image:caption>From “The Rest on the Flight Into Egypt” by Gerard David ca. 1512-15. Retrieved from: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436101</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Scandalizing Motherhood: Why are we so ashamed of breastfeeding? - A caregiver nurses her infant.</image:title>
      <image:caption>A caregiver goes “skin to skin” while nursing an infant.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/valuing-intuition-in-early-care</loc>
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    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Valuing Intuition in Early Care - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A young child uses their hands to cover their eyes.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Valuing Intuition in Early Care - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Jung’s eight personality types, with “transcendence” represented in the space where they each intersect.</image:caption>
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      <image:loc>https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67fa84dbe003dd6c78c53acc/1756140223852-U37ZFLMRJF7ERATSWZG8/unsplash-image-eLIuI2Zuskc.jpg</image:loc>
      <image:title>Blog - Valuing Intuition in Early Care - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>An infant interacts with a small dog outside in the grass.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Valuing Intuition in Early Care - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Caregivers cuddle together on a couch as a young child nurses.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/trash-or-treasure-recycling-everyday-items-for-childrens-play</loc>
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    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Trash or Treasure? Recycling Everyday Items for Children’s Play - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A young child has a variety of art materials out on a table where they are creating.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Trash or Treasure? Recycling Everyday Items for Children’s Play - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Trash or Treasure? Recycling Everyday Items for Children’s Play - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Trash or Treasure? Recycling Everyday Items for Children’s Play - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Trash or Treasure? Recycling Everyday Items for Children’s Play - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.</image:caption>
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  <url>
    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/intentionally-incorporating-rest</loc>
    <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.5</priority>
    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Intentionally Incorporating Rest - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A child leans on her caregiver’s shoulder in a restful moment.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Intentionally Incorporating Rest - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A child draws a picture on a foggy window during a rainy day.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Intentionally Incorporating Rest - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A toddler explores the properties of a pencil while freely making art.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Intentionally Incorporating Rest - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Wild geese fly over a lake with a mountain range in the distance.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.connectandgrowece.org/blog/on-floaties-and-learning-to-swim</loc>
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    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - On “Floaties” and Learning To Swim - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A young child plays in the water at the ocean shore while wearing a “puddle jumper.”</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - On “Floaties” and Learning To Swim - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A child independently floats in a swimming pool.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - On “Floaties” and Learning To Swim - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>An infant and toddler put their heads in water while taking a bath.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - On “Floaties” and Learning To Swim - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>A child plays outside in a sprinkler.</image:caption>
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      <image:caption>A child and her caregiver walk along the shore during the cold season.</image:caption>
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    <priority>0.5</priority>
    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Maria Montessori works with an orphaned child on a literacy task. Retrieved from: Association Montessori Internationale (AMI): https://montessori-ami.org/resource-library/photos/maria-montessori-children</image:caption>
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      <image:loc>https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67fa84dbe003dd6c78c53acc/1746806414702-UE73ZHZ4NPQVG55NEEDI/first_casa_dei_bambini.jpeg</image:loc>
      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>The outside of the building in Rome that housed the first Montessori program, Casa dei Bambini. Retrieved from AMI: https://archives.montessori-ami.org/news/day-6-january-1942</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Young children who had been found in the ruins of the devestating 1908 Messina earthquake prepare an outdoor lunch at their “Via Giusti” Montessori classroom. Retrieved from AMI: https://archives.montessori-ami.org/do/b867964e-d2a2-42e4-8d45-111ffbdc9004</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Children play outdoors at Caroline Pratt's City and Country School.</image:title>
      <image:caption>Retrieved from: https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/city-and-country-school/</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Lucy Sprague Mitchell teaches graduate students.</image:title>
      <image:caption>Retrieved from: https://update.lib.berkeley.edu/2020/03/20/lucy-sprague-mitchell-child-education-reformer-and-berkeleys-first-dean-of-women/</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Malaguzzi leads a 1966 math workshop at Reggio Emilia.</image:title>
      <image:caption>Retrieved from: https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/loris-malaguzzi/</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Children play with outdoor materials at a nature school.</image:title>
      <image:caption>Retrieved from: https://good2knownetwork.org/introduction-to-forest-schools-a-nature-based-approach-to-early-learning/</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Kindergarteners learn in a Waldorf classroom.</image:title>
      <image:caption>Retrieved from: https://www.waldorftoday.com/2017/11/four-unique-aspects-of-a-waldorf-kindergarten/</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - Beyond Montessori: A Look at the Roots of Child-Centered Approaches to ECE - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Dr. Montessori observes children as they complete tasks in the classroom. Retrieved from AMI: https://montessori-ami.org/resource-library/photos/maria-montessori-children</image:caption>
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    <lastmod>2026-01-09</lastmod>
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      <image:caption>A caregiver holds a young child while walking through a backyard garden.</image:caption>
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      <image:caption>Bronfenbrenner’s microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Bronfenbrenners-ecological-systems-theory-8-10_fig1_313198613</image:caption>
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