We have designed this book to be used in conjunction with a standard textbook on human development. Please note the listing of McGraw-Hill Higher Education Developmental Psychology offerings on page iii. It is our intention that students read all or a portion of such a text before turning to the present text. When students turn to our text, they will find the following in each chapter:
A brief summary of key theories and findings on a topic in human development, such as language development or peer relations.
Descriptions of events or episodes from hypothetical classrooms. These descriptions provide concrete illustrations of pedagogical strategies suggested by the research and theory on human development previously summarized for the reader. These descriptions often include dialogues between students and teachers. The dialogues make the descriptions come alive and help engage the reader.
An explicit statement of the pedagogical strategies illustrated. These statements tie the strategies closely both to the descriptions provided of the hypothetical classrooms and to the research and theory from which they were derived.
A list of key terms and concepts considered in the chapter.
A set of multiple-choice test questions. These questions provide students an opportunity to evaluate their comprehension of the material in the chapter. Some questions refer to the research and theory covered and some to the pedagogical strategies. Answers to all questions are available in Appendix A.
Our coverage of the human life span is quite broad and extends largely from the preschool years -- although we do touch on infancy -- through adolescence. In fact, each chapter includes descriptions of four hypothetical classrooms: preschool, early elementary school, later elementary school or middle school, and high school. This coverage is well suited to the focus of most teacher education program.
Our coverage of the many domains of human development is quite broad as well:
Chapter 1 focuses largely on the cognitive and intellectual aspects of development, and includes the work of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Howard Gardner, and Robert Sternberg.
Chapter 2 explores language development and its role in the classroom. Topics include first language development, bilingualism, and second-language learning. Connections also are made to research on cognitive development, such as the theories of Vygotsky and Piaget. Connections also are made with issues related to culture and ethnicity.
Chapter 3 is concerned with individual differences in the classroom. Here we consider the important dimensions along which students are likely to differ. These dimensions are gender, ethnicity, economic background, and ability level.
Chapter 4 is concerned with issues in classroom management, including motivation. A wide range of theories is considered, including those of Jerome Bruner and Abraham Maslow. This chapter, then, makes connections with the cognitive, social, and emotional realms.
Chapter 5 focuses on how students understand and define themselves and with how they understand and relate to others. Topics covered include self-esteem, friendship, and family stresses, such as divorce and poverty.
In summary, research and theory on human development has the potential to inform educational practice. It is our hope that this book will help that potential to be realized.