Final answer:
The statement that 'developmentally appropriate' means recognizing different levels of development among children of the same age (such as third graders) is true. It acknowledges the individual variations in achieving developmental milestones and cognitive abilities like theory-of-mind.
Step-by-step explanation:
Developmentally appropriate practices recognize that children develop at varying physical and cognitive levels, which implies that not all children in the same grade, such as third graders, will have identical abilities. This statement is indeed true. The concept is rooted in the understanding that children achieve developmental milestones, including cognitive development and theory-of-mind (TOM), at different ages. This diversity in development is why educational experiences need to be tailored to the individual child's stage of development, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
It's also important to note that normative approaches help identify general guidelines for development, but individual variation is widely acknowledged. Theories by developmental psychologists such as Piaget have emphasized the stages and discontinuous nature of child development, laying the foundation for understanding how children learn and grow at their own pace.