Part 1  •    Early Childhood Education and Professional Development  Chapter 1   You and Early Childhood Education: What Does It Mean to Be a Professional?   Chapter 2   Current Issues and Public Policy: Contemporary Influences on Children and Families   Chapter 3   Observation and Assessment for Teaching and Learning: Effective Teaching Through Appropriate Evaluation Part 2  •    Foundations: History and Theories   Chapter 4   The Past and the Present: Prologue to the Future   Chapter 5   Theories Applied to Teaching and Learning: Foundations for Practice   Part 3  •    Programs and Services for Children and Families   Chapter 6   Early Childhood Programs: Applying Theories to Practice  Chapter 7   Child Care: Meeting the Needs of Children and Families   Chapter 8   The Federal and State Government: Supporting Children’s Success  Part 4  •    Teaching Today’s Young Children: Linking Development and Learning   Chapter 9   Infants and Toddlers: Foundation Years for Learning  Chapter 10    The Preschool Years: Readiness for School and Life  Chapter 11    Kindergarten Education: Learning All You Need to Know   Chapter 12    The Primary Grades: Preparation for Lifelong Success   Chapter 13    Technology and Young Children: Education for the Information Age   Part 5  •    Meeting the Special Needs of Young Children  Chapter 14    Guiding Children: Helping Children Become Responsible   Chapter 15    Multiculturalism:  Living and Learning in a Diverse Society   Chapter 16    Children with Diverse Needs: Appropriate Education for All  Chapter 17    Parent, Family, and the Community Involvement: Building Partnerships for Student Success   Appendix A NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment  Appendix B NAEYC Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age Eight Appendix C Time Line: The History of Early Childhood Education   Endnotes   Glossary   Index  

The comprehensive Thirteenth Edition of Early Childhood Education Today presents current research-based applications for providing high-quality early education to all children so that they can be successful in school and in life.   The new edition retains the engaging style that has made the book so popular and provides practical examples of authentic teaching practices used by master teachers. Its strong coverage of development in the age/grade-specific chapters and its emphasis on diversity make it a market leader.   Invigorate learning with the Enhanced Pearson eText The Enhanced Pearson eText provides a rich, interactive learning environment designed to improve student mastery of content with the following multimedia features: Embedded videos. In each chapter at least one video is included that illustrates text concepts and provides a window into the real world of teaching young children. Check Your Understanding of chapter content. Exercises matched to chapter learning outcomes help readers apply the concepts and ensure that they master the learning outcomes. Exercises and suggested feedback are provided in the Pearson eText. Reflect and Apply exercises. These eText exercises present challenging situations and ask readers to apply text content to propose a solution. Feedback is provided so that readers can compare responses with that of an experienced teacher. Observe and Analyze exercises. These video-based eText exercises present readers with a video illustrating child growth and development, teaching and/or learning in action. An open-ended question asks readers to examine the video critically and respond using evidence from the video and understanding of chapter concepts. Feedback is provided for support. Correlation to NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation Programs. In the eText, new chapter-opening links correlate the chapter to the specific National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards covered, helping students become familiar with these important standards for knowledge and practice.

A new modular chapter organization focuses the text on critical learning outcomes, aligned to professional standards New chapter-opening learning outcomes. Clarifying exactly what readers will learn in the chapter, these learning outcomes align with the major text sections of the chapter. In the eText, readers can click on the learning outcome to be taken directly to the relevant section of the chapter. Correlation to NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation Programs. In the eText, new chapter-opening links correlate the chapter to the specific National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards covered, helping readers become familiar with these important standards for knowledge and practice. New Embedded Activities help students assess and apply their understanding New Check Your Understanding exercises. These interactive eText exercises present a scenario and response options. Feedback on answers will help students determine whether fundamental concepts are understood or need review. New Reflect and Apply exercises. These eText exercises present challenging situations and ask readers to apply what they’ve read to propose a solution. Feedback is provided so that readers can compare responses with that of an experienced teacher. New Observe and Analyze exercises. These video-based eText exercises present readers with a video illustrating child growth and development, teaching and/or learning in action. An open-ended question asks readers to examine the video critically and respond using evidence from the video and understanding of chapter concepts. Feedback is provided for support. Chapter-ending Activities for Professional Development including: Ethical Dilemmas. Early childhood professionals will inevitably face difficult choices that require a solid understanding of ethical responsibility and best practices. To that end, each chapter includes an ethical dilemma based on issues and real-life situations faced by early childhood teachers today. They present difficult decisions that teachers and others have to make. These ethical dilemmas help readers build a better understanding of what it means to think like a professional and to respond appropriately in complicated and potentially compromising situations. Activities to Apply What You have Learned. The chapter-opening learning outcomes are revisited. One activity per learning outcome helps students assess content knowledge and/or apply understanding of that content.  Features contributed by early childhood educators demonstrate authentic developmentally appropriate practices from around the country Voice from the Field. Teachers’ authentic voices play a major role in illustrating authentic practices. Voice from the Field features enable practicing teachers to explain their philosophies, beliefs, and program practices. These teachers mentor readers as they relate how they practice early childhood education. Among the contributors are professionals who are Teachers of the Year, have received prestigious awards, and have National Board Certification. Voice from the Field: Competency Builder. The Voice from the Field features that are labeled as Competency Builders are designed to build competence and confidence in performing essential teaching tasks, step-by-step.  Lesson Plans. Planning for teaching and learning constitutes an important dimension, the professional role. This is especially true today, with the emphasis on ensuring that children learn what is mandated by state standards. The lesson plans in this text, found in chapters 9-13, follow the 5E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate). They enable readers t

The Thirteenth Edition includes: Increased focus on practical and applicable content. Every chapter specifically outlines and identifies through Implications for Teaching headings what teachers can do in their classrooms to help children learn and grow. 7 new Voice from the Field and Voice from the Field: Competency Builder features. A refocused emphasis on the professional goals and responsibilities of early childhood teachers today. Every chapter focuses on the contemporary societal and educational issues that influence what teachers teach and how they teach and the professional practices teachers need to be successful. An expanded discussion of teaching with standards, including state standards, Common Core State Standards, and professional organization standards. An increased emphasis on how teachers can incorporate multicultural practices into their teaching and learning. An expanded discussion of the integration of technology through teaching and learning including more examples of how teachers use technology to teach and a new 5E lesson plan specifically designed around teaching with technology. An expanded discussion of the teacher’s role in the observation and assessment of children’s learning and how to use observation and assessment to enhance instructional practices.  New Ethical Dilemmas at the end of the chapters.