Sue Bredekamp

Sue Bredekamp is an early childhood education specialist from Washington, DC, who serves as a consultant on topics such as early literacy, curriculum, teaching, and professional development. From 1981–1998, she served as Director of Accreditation and Professional Development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She is the primary author of NAEYC’s highly influential and best-selling publication Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, the 1987 and 1997 editions, and coeditor of the 2008 revision.

From 2007–2008, Dr. Bredekamp served on the Committee on Early Childhood Mathematics of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences. Her professional development work included serving as NAEYC’s liaison to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Dr. Bredekamp is author of numerous books and articles related to standards for professional practice and professional development. She served as a consultant to the Head Start Bureau from 1999–2003. Dr Bredekamp holds a PhD in early childhood education from the University of Maryland.

Her professional experience includes teaching and directing child care and preschool programs for children ages 2 through 6, training child care personnel at a community college, and serving on the faculty of the Human Development/Childhood Education Program at Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC.