This Australasian edition bridges the gap between theory and practice

This book draws on numerous theoretical perspectives, research studies conducted around the world, and our own experiences as parents, teachers, psychologists and researchers to identify strategies for promoting young people's physical, cognitive and social-emotional growth.

The book focuses on childhood and the adolescent years, but with particular attention to early childhood, and draws implications that are primarily educational in focus. We have deliberately highlighted contemporary Australian and New Zealand research and reflected local educational structures, philosophies and controversies. We have also addressed children's growth in diverse settings by systematically expanding coverage of children's distinct experiences in different cultures, ethnicities and economic backgrounds. We hope that the outcome of our efforts is a valuable resource for prospective teachers and other educational professionals.

Teresa M. McDevitt is a psychologist with specialisations in child development and educational psychology. She received a Ph.D. and M.A. in child development from Stanford University's Psychological Studies in Education program, Ed.S. in educational evaluation from Stanford University, and B.A. in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Since 1985 she has served the University of Northern Colorado in a variety of capacities - in teaching courses in child psychology, human development, educational psychology, program evaluation, and research methods; advisement of graduate students; administration and university governance; and research and grant writing. Her research focuses on child development, families, and teacher education. She has published articles in Child Development, Learning and Individual Differences, Child Study Journal, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, Youth and Society, and Science Education, among others. She has gained practical experiences with children, including by raising two children with her husband and working as an early childhood teacher of toddlers and preschool children, early childhood special education teacher, and volunteer in school and community settings.

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod is an educational psychologist with specialisations in learning, cognition, and child development. She received a Ph.D. and M.S. in educational psychology at The Pennsylvania State University and an A.B. in psychology from Brown University; she also earned licensure in school psychology through postdoctoral work at Temple University and the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has worked as a middle school geography teacher and school psychologist and has conducted research in cognitive development, memory, problem solving, spelling, and giftedness. She is currently Professor Emerita of Psychological Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado; the 'Emerita' means that she has officially retired from the university. However, she can't imagine ever really retiring from a field she enjoys so much, and so she continues to read and write about current research findings in educational psychology and child development. She is the author or coauthor of several other Pearson books, including Educational Psychology: Developing Learners; Essentials of Educational Psychology; Human Learning; Practical Research: Planning and Design, and Our Minds, Our Memories: Enhancing Thinking and Learning at All Ages.

Glenn Cupit shares his life with his wife of over 45 years, two sons and a daughter-in-law, two granddaughters and two grandsons. From a background in psychology, he has taught child development and research methods to early childhood students since the 1970s, spending several years as Head of the early childhood school at the University of South Australia. With a BA(Hons) from Sydney University, an MA(Hons) from the University of NSW and a PhD from Murdoch University, Glenn has published six monographs, 15 chapters and 17 journal articles, given 110 papers at conferences and seminars, spoken at 64 public meetings and given in excess of 350 media interviews. He has a long history of advocacy for children, especially in the area of electronic media, and has been a consultant/adviser on major children's television programs. He is the Executive of the Australian Council on Children and the Media and a life member of the Australian College of Education and, prior to retirement, a member of the Australasian Human Development Association for Children and Youth, and the Board of Educational and Developmental Psychologists of the Australian Psychological Society. In his spare time he has been a semi-professional musician and an amateur actor.

Margaret Chandler is retired from a career as a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of South Australia. She has honours degrees in philosophy and psychology from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University in South Australia, as well as a Diploma of Education and a Master's degree from the University of Adelaide. She has taught both philosophy and educational psychology at tertiary level and in retirement has also undertaken roles in research and evaluation projects in Papua New Guinea and South Asia.

Valerie Aloa received a PhD from Flinders University in South Australia; a double Master's degree (MAT) in early childhood and special education from Oakland University in Michigan, in the United States; a Bachelor of Teaching (Elementary) from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; a Diploma of Teaching (Infant) from Western Teachers College in Adelaide; and an Associateship in Arts from the University of Adelaide. Valerie has retired from the early childhood program in the School of Education at the University of South Australia (UniSA). At UniSA she concentrated on course development and teaching in child development with specialisations in infant and toddler development, social–emotional development and theoretical understandings of development, and taught the field experience courses for childcare in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs in early childhood education. Valerie has a strong commitment to the provision of high-quality childcare for infants and toddlers. She has been the director of an infant-toddler parent program at Oakland University, Michigan, a hospital-based childcare centre in Pontiac, Michigan, and a community childcare centre in Adelaide. In retirement Valerie continues to be actively engaged in childcare as the Chair of the University of Adelaide Childcare Services Board. Valerie has also been a moderator and member of the Quality Advisory Group for the National Child Care Accreditation system in Australia and was involved with that body since its inception.

Child Development and Education 2nd Edition by Teresa McDevitt (English) Paperba