How and what should young children be taught? What emphasis should be given to emotional learning? How do we involve families? Addressing these and other critical questions, this book discusses what an integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum might look like across the preschool and early elementary years.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Development and Early Education. Developmental Science and Early Education: An Introduction. Rethinking Early Schooling: Using Developmental Science to Transform Children's Early School Experiences. Bridging Developmental Theory and Educational Practice: Lessons from the Vygotskian Project. Part 2.:Brain Functioning and Learning. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Education Practice. Neurodevelopmental Changes in Infancy and Beyond: Implications for Learning and Memory. Learning to Remember. The Mind of the Preschool Child: The Intelligence--School Interface. Part 3: Social and Emotional Development. Development of Self, Relationships, and Socioemotional Competence: Foundations for Early School Success. Taming the Terrible Twos: Self-Regulation and School Readiness. Teaching Hearts and Minds in Early Childhood Classrooms: Curriculum for Social and Emotional Development. Supporting Peer Relationships in Early Education. Promoting Social Acceptance and Respect for Cultural Diversity in Young Children: Learning from Developmental Research. Part 4: Language and Literacy. The Social Context of Language and Literacy Development. Teaching and Learning to Read. Changing Classroom Conversations: Narrowing the Gap between Potential and Reality. Young Latino Children's English Reading Development: Insight for Classroom Teachers. Supporting Parental Practices in the Language and Literacy Development of Young Children. Part 5: Mathematics and Science. Early Mathematics Education and How to Do It. Improving Preschoolers' Number Sense Using Information-Processing Theory. The Early Construction of Mathematical Meanings: Learning Positional Representation of Numbers. Applying Developmental Approaches to Learning Math. Construction and Representation of Space in 5-Year-Old Children. Enhancing Mathematical Problem Solving in Primary School Children. Science Education for Young Children: A Conceptual-change Point of View. Improving Science Teaching for Young Children. Part 6: Conclusion. Applying Lessons from Developmental Science to Early Education.

About the Author

Edited by Oscar A. Barbarin, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Social Work, and Barbara Hanna Wasik, PhD, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and School of Education, both at: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Reviews

"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, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development, Erikson Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA "The range of this text is tremendous and the scholarship that underpins it is impressive... 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" -- Richard Eke, Educational Review, Vol. 63, No. 2, 2011, UK