This handbook presents a comprehensive summary of research into child development from age 2-7.

Part I: Conceptual frameworks

1 Nature and nurture in early childhood Kirby Deater-Deckard and Katherine Cahill

2 Vulnerability and resilience in early child development Ann S. Masten and Abigail H. Gerwitz

3 Family influences on early development: integrating the science of normative development, risk and disability, and intervention Michael J. Guralnick

4 Developmental pathways and intersections among domains of development Catherine C. Ayoub and Kurt W. Fischer

Part II: Early biological and physiological development

5 Early brain development and plasticity Jane W. Couperus and Charles A. Nelson

6 Social regulation of stress in early childhood Megan R. Gunnar

7 Temperament Jennifer N. Martin and Nathan A. Fox

Part III: Cognitive development

8 Early conceptual development Susan A. Gelman

9 Executive functions in developing children: current conceptualizations and questions for the future Marilyn C. Welsh, Sarah L. Friedman and Susan J. Spieker

10 Developing social understanding in a social context Rachel Barr

11 Mathematical thinking and learning Herbert P. Ginsburg, Joanna Cannon, Janet Eisenband and Sandra Pappas

Part IV: Language and communicative development

12 Language experience and language milestones during early childhood Erika Hoff

13 How children learn language: a focus on resilience Susan Goldin-Meadow

14 What counts as literacy in early childhood? Catherine E. Snow

Part V: Social, emotional and regulatory development

15 Getting along with others: social competence in early childhood Richard A. Fabes, Bridget M. Gaertner and Tierney K. Popp

16 Feeling and understanding: early emotional development Ross A. Thompson and Kristin H. Lagattuta

17 Temperament, attention and the development of self-regulation Mary K. Rothbart, Micahel I. Posner and Jessica Kieras

18 Maladjustment in preschool children: a developmental psychopathology perspective Susan B. Campbell

Part VI: The social ecology of early development

19 Family systems Marc H. Bornstein and Jeanette Sawyer

20 Poverty during early childhood Eric Dearing, Daniel Berry and Martha Zaslow

21 Orphanages as a developmental context for early childhood Charles H. Zeamah, Anna T. Smyke and Lisa D. Settles

22 Peer relationships in early childhood Deborah Lowe Vandell, Lana Nenide and Sara J. van Winkle

23 Child care and early development Deborah Phillips, Kathleen McCartney and Amy Sussman

24 The social ecology of the transition to school: classrooms, families and children Robert C. Pianta and Sara Rimm-Kaufman

25 Medial and early development Sandra L. Calvert

Part VII: Policy issues

26 Evaluating early childhood assessments: a differential analysis Samule J. Meisels and Sally Atkins-Burnett

27 Head start: what do we know about its effectiveness? What do we need to know? John M. Love, Louisa Banks Tarullo, Helen Raikes and Rachel Chazan-Cohen

28 Early childhood policy: a comparative perspective Jane Walsfogel

29 Promoting social competence in early childhood: classroom curricula and social skills coaching programs Karen L. Bierman and Stephen A. Erath

30 Treatment and prevention of conduct problems: parent training interventions for young children (2-7 years old) Carolyn Webster-Stratton and M. Jamila Reid