In the Sixth Edition of their classic text, the authors reiterate the critical importance of observing and recording the behaviour of young children, especially in the current atmosphere of accountability and testing. In addition, because children with special needs are now widely included in a majority of early childhood classrooms, they have completely rewritten a chapter to focus more broadly on observing behaviours that may be viewed as disquieting. Designed to help teachers better understand children's behaviour, the book outlines methods for recordkeeping that provide a realistic picture of each child's interactions and experiences in the classroom. Numerous examples of teachers' observations of children from birth to age 8 enrich this work and make it accessible, practical, and enjoyable to read. With over 130,000 copies in print, this valuable resource for pre- and inservice educators features: fresh information about how children think and learn, how their language develops, and how their families, their culture, and their environment influence and help to shape them; observations that reflect the increasingly diverse population in contemporary early childhood classrooms; and the imperative for teachers to widen their lens in order to meet the needs of young children with a range of developmental capacities, abilities, and behaviours.

This thoroughly revised and updated fourth edition outlines methods for keeping records that provide a realistic picture of a child's interactions and experiences in the classroom. Numerous records of teachers' observations of children from birth to age 8, some retained from previous editions, some newly added to reflect today's early childhood settings, enrich this work and make it concrete, accessible, and fun to read.

The authors emphasize the fundamental principles and enduring themes underlying children's development and focus on key research. This new edition also contains a new chapter on gender, as well as recent work on conceptual development.

Assessing children's development through observation - Self-identity - Emotional development - Social play - Prosocial behaviour - Large motor development - Small motor development - Cognitive development - Spoken language - Prewriting and prereading skills - Art skills - Imagination - Methods used to assess young children______________

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

How Children Develop has established itself as the topically organized textbook teachers and researchers trust for the most up-to-date perspectives on child development. The authors, each a well-known scientist and educator—have earned that trust by introducing core concepts and impactful discoveries with an unparalleled integration of theory, cultural research, and applications, all in a style that is authoritative yet immediately understandable and relevant to students. The new edition has been rigorously updated and welcomes co-author Elizabeth Gershoff (The University of Texas at Austin), who brings a breadth of research and teaching experience to the discussions of social and emotional development. It is also more interactive than ever before, with richer integration between the book and its interactive study features in LaunchPad.

The result of extensive scholarship and consultation with leading scholars, this text introduces students to twenty-four theorists and compares and contrasts their theories on how we develop as individuals. Emphasizing the theories that build upon the developmental tradition established by Rousseau, this text also covers theories in the environmental/learning tradition.