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“The range of this text is tremendous and the scholarship that underpins it is impressive....In an area that is seeing a proliferation of edited collections presented as handbooks this text stands out for its vision in linking through new theoretical developments and theorized pedagogical developments. It will serve as a resource for all engaged with early years professionals, as a standby for academics, and a must for those engaging with early childhood education as students. My students will have to buy their own because mine is staying close to me, it will serve me as a teaching resource and an inspiration for my future professional work.”

—Educational Review


“Cohesively and clearly summarizes current research from developmental psychology and also offers concrete suggestions for how to incorporate this information into appropriate learning experiences for young children....The book should be of interest not only to educational psychologists, early childhood educators, and graduate students in these areas, but also to those involved with educational administration and policy making. It is comprehensive, detailed, accurate, and easily understandable—a rare combination. It takes a biopsychosocial approach, bringing together current research from education, psychology, and other developmental sciences.”

—PsycCRITIQUES


“The editors and contributors address many of the questions, tensions, and controversies in contemporary early childhood education through the synthesis of research in developmental science. A powerful overall theme framed by the editors and echoed by the contributors is that science and education would be served well by more and better engagement; educators would more effectively support children's learning with better understanding of child development theory and research, and researchers would be more adept at defining and studying problems when informed by children in classrooms. This recommendation is more than abstract, however, as each chapter contains specific recommendations based on research evidence....Researchers, graduate students, teacher preparation faculty, and administrators of educational systems would likely appreciate and benefit from what the Handbook has to offer.”

—Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology


“Fills the void for a compilation of empirically validated early learning classroom practices which take into account the individual needs of developing children....Although the chapters are interrelated, each one is self-contained with its own theoretical framework for understanding early learning and development from a socio-cognitive perspective....Makes a good literature review resource for researchers and graduate students in Child Development and Early Education....The breadth of issues covered by this handbook makes it a valuable resource for child related professionals such as K-3 practitioners, reading specialists, developmental and educational psychologists, early education policy makers, early education faculty, researchers, and parents....The handbook may be used as a supplementary text to help teacher-education students understand how research findings and the concepts they learn in their child development classes are applicable to teaching and learning during these early years....Students taking methods courses in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Reading Education, Math Education, and Science Education will find valuable information about effective programs and instructional practices for their respective fields within the handbook. Suggestions for future research are contained within most of the chapters. Hence, graduate students and researchers seeking new directions for research in Child Development and Early Childhood Education would find the handbook a worthwhile read....The rare usage of psycho-social theories to discuss socio-emotional competence in Part III of the handbook was a refreshing change to the mostly socio-cognitive framework.”

—Education Review


“This authoritative text draws together important research into early childhood development. It would be of value as a text for students specializing in early years as well as teachers and other professionals engaged in higher education programmes.”

—SEN (Special Education Needs) Magazine


“This exceptionally comprehensive and accessible volume will be of value as a text in programs preparing early childhood educators, as a basis for professional development, and as a handy resource for early childhood researchers. In addition, it provides a solid research basis for effective arguments to policymakers and the public about the importance of high-quality early childhood programs for children's development and later academic achievement.”

—Catherine E. Snow, PhD, Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Education, Harvard University


“A 'must have' for early childhood educators. This volume helps the reader keep abreast of the diverse knowledge bases that underlie the teaching of young children, and shows how applying research and theory can aid in preparing children for school. Coverage includes basic neural changes in infancy, typical socioemotional development, the effects of relationships and culture, and teaching and learning in specific content areas. The chapters provide a solid framework for novices and a terrific catch-up for seasoned professionals, with excellent bibliographies and cross-references. Barbarin, Wasik, and company have done the field a great service.”

—Barbara Bowman, MA, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development, Erikson Institute, Chicago, Illinois


“This handbook fills a unique niche by bringing together the best of developmental science with the best of early education. By taking a biopsychosocial approach, it provides the reader with the latest science relevant to early education. The benefits of this information are amplified by educators proposing specific recommendations for the translation of developmental research into more effective educational practice during the preschool and early school years.”

—Arnold J. Sameroff, PhD, Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan

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Table of Contents

I. Development and Early Education

1. Developmental Science and Early Education: An Introduction, Oscar A. Barbarin and Kevin Miller

2. Rethinking Early Schooling: Using Developmental Science to Transform Children’s Early School Experiences, Sharon Ritchie, Kelly L. Maxwell, and Sue Bredekamp

3. Bridging Developmental Theory and Educational Practice: Lessons from the Vygotskian Project, Anna Stetsenko and Eduardo Vianna

II. Brain Functioning and Learning

4. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Education Practice, Maria Fusaro and

Charles A. Nelson III

5. Neurodevelopmental Changes in Infancy and Beyond: Implications for Learning and Memory, Patricia J. Bauer

6. Learning to Remember, Peter A. Ornstein, Jennifer L. Coffman, and Jennie K. Grammer

7. The Mind of the Preschool Child: The Intelligence–School Interface, Marc H. Bornstein

III. Social and Emotional Development

8. Development of Self, Relationships, and Socioemotional Competence: Foundations for Early School Success, Ross A. Thompson and Miranda Goodman

9. Taming the Terrible Twos: Self-Regulation and School Readiness, Susan D. Calkins and Amanda P. Williford

10. Teaching Hearts and Minds in Early Childhood Classrooms: Curriculum for Social and Emotional Development, Janet E. Thompson and Kelly K. Twibell

11. Supporting Peer Relationships in Early Education, Kathleen Cranley Gallagher and Patricia R. Sylvester

12. Promoting Social Acceptance and Respect for Cultural Diversity in Young Children: Learning from Developmental Research, Oscar A. Barbarin and Erica Odom

IV. Language and Literacy

13. The Social Context of Language and Literacy Development, Gordon Wells

14. Teaching and Learning to Read, Barbara Hanna Wasik and Beth Anne Newman

15. Changing Classroom Conversations: Narrowing the Gap between Potential and Reality, David K. Dickinson, Catherine Darrow, Sarah M. Ngo, and Lisa A. D’Souza

16. Young Latino Children’s English Reading Development: Insight for Classroom Teachers, Steve Amendum and Jill Fitzgerald

17. Supporting Parental Practices in the Language and Literacy Development of Young Children, Oscar A. Barbarin and Nikki Aikens

V. Mathematics and Science

18. Early Mathematics Education and How to Do It, Herbert P. Ginsburg

19. Improving Preschoolers’ Number Sense Using Information-Processing Theory, Robert S. Siegler

20. The Early Construction of Mathematical Meanings: Learning Positional Representation of Numbers, Maria G. Bartolini Bussi and Mara Boni

21. Applying Developmental Approaches to Learning Math, Beth Casey

22. Construction and Representation of Space in 5-Year-Old Children, Rossana Falcade and Paola Strozzi

23. Enhancing Mathematical Problem Solving in Primary School Children, Erik De Corte, Lieven Verschaffel, and Fien Depaepe

24. Science Education for Young Children: A Conceptual-Change Point of View, Stella Vosniadou

25. Improving Science Teaching for Young Children, Mark Enfield and Dwight Rogers

VI. Conclusion

26. Applying Lessons from Developmental Science to Early Education, Samuel L. Odom, Oscar A. Barbarin, and Barbara Hanna Wasik

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About the Editors

Oscar A. Barbarin, PhD, is the Lila L. and Douglas J. Hertz Endowed Chair in the Department of Psychology at Tulane University. He is also a Senior Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is past President of the American Orthopsychiatric Association and was elected to the Governing Council of the Society for Research in Child Development. Dr. Barbarin’s research has focused on the social and familial determinants of ethnic and gender achievement gaps beginning in early childhood. He has developed ABLE, a mental health screening tool for young children. Dr. Barbarin is principal investigator of the PAS Initiative, a national study that focuses on the socioemotional and academic development of boys of color.

Barbara Hanna Wasik, PhD, holds a William R. Kenan, Jr. Professorship in the School of Education and is a Fellow at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Wasik also chairs the School Psychology Program. She serves as a consultant to national organizations and has held office in state and national organizations, including the American Psychological Association. She was an invited participant to the White House Conference on Child Care and served as a member of the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy of the National Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses on early childhood interventions, family literacy, social and cognitive development, problem solving, home visiting, and the observational study of children.

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Contributors

Nikki Aikens, PhD, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Washington, D.C.

Steve Amendum, PhD, Department of Elementary Education, College of Education, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Oscar A. Barbarin, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Maria G. Bartolini Bussi, PhD, Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

Patricia J. Bauer, PhD, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Mara Boni, PhD, Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

Marc H. Bornstein, PhD, Child and Family Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Sue Bredekamp, PhD, Council for Professional Recognition, Washington, DC

Susan D. Calkins, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies and Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina

Beth Casey, PhD, Department of Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts

Jennifer L. Coffman, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Catherine Darrow, MAT, Department of Teaching and Learning, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Erik De Corte, PhD, Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Fien Depaepe, PhD, Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

David K. Dickinson, EdD, Department of Teaching and Learning, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Lisa A. D'Souza, MEd, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts

Mark Enfield, PhD, School of Education, Elon University, Elon, North Carolina

Rossana Falcade, PhD, Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, University of Modena, Modena, Italy

Jill Fitzgerald, PhD, School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Maria Fusaro, EdM, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Kathleen Cranley Gallagher, PhD, School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Herbert P. Ginsberg, PhD, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York

Miranda Goodman, BA, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California

Jennie K. Grammer, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Kelly L. Maxwell, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Kevin Miller, PhD, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Charles A. Nelson III, PhD, Division of Developmental Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Beth Anne Newman, BA, School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Sarah M. Ngo, MEd, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts

Erica Odom, MS, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Samuel L. Odom, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Peter A. Ornstein, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Sharon Ritchie, EdD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Dwight Rogers, PhD, School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Robert S. Siegler, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Anna Stetsenko, PhD, Subprogram in Developmental Psychology, PhD Program in Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York

Paola Strozzi, PhD, Preschool and Infant Toddler Centers, Institute of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

Patricia R. Sylvester, PhD, School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Janet E. Thompson, MA, Center for Child and Family Studies, University of California, Davis, California

Ross A. Thompson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California

Kelly K. Twibell, MS, Center for Child and Family Studies, University of California, Davis, California

Lieven Verschaffel, PhD, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Eduardo Vianna, PhD, Department of Social Science, LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, Long Island City, New York

Stella Vosniadou, PhD, Department of Philosophy and History of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Barbara Hanna Wasik, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Gordon Wells, PhD, Department of Education, University of California, Santa Cruz, California

Amanda P. Williford, PhD, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

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Audience

Early childhood professionals and researchers, teacher educators, K–3 teachers and reading specialists, and developmental and educational psychologists; graduate students in these fields.

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Course Use

May serve as a supplemental text in graduate-level courses.