Product Description
Berk's signature storytelling style invites students to actively learn beside the text's "characters" who share their influential experiences and developmental milestones. Students are provided with an exceptionally clear and coherent understanding of child development, emphasizing the interrelatedness of all domains--physical, cognitive, emotional, and social--throughout the text narrative and in special features. Focusing on education and social policy as critical pieces of the dynamic system in which the child develops, Berk pays meticulous attention to the most recent scholarship in the field. Berk helps students connect their learning to their personal and professional areas of interest and their future pursuits as parents, educators, heath care providers, counselors, social workers, and researchers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

great
I need this for an online course I'm taking and so of course I'm pleased to get what I need. Otherwise I wouldn't be reading such a book, but considering it's required reading it is written well.

Good
The book was what I expected and it got to me in only a few days, so over all I was happy.

disappointed
This book was not detailed about what it had been through.This book had been wet, the book was taped, pages were rolled.It was far from being in good shape.I buy all my books online and this one was the worst buy of them all.

Just What The Doctor Ordered
This book was just what I needed for the class I am taking.I could have purchased it from our book storefor almost twice as much as I spent through Amazon.Thank GOD for used books, especially the ones in good condition that you can purchase cheaper.Going to college,the cost is getting higher and higher,so getting books cheaper is a blessing for me. Amazon is the way to go.I have several more classes to take so I will be ordering my books through Amazon. I will let my classmates know what a deal I got through Amazon and I know that the book sales will climb.I am taking Early Childhood and only have a few more credits to go,then graduation.
Doris

thanks you
This book is what I need to get a better grade in class. It arrived in excellent condition and on time. thank you so much ... Read more

Product Description

Every chapter has been updated to reflect current thought and research in the field. Chapters devoted to specialized tests in neuropsychology have been updated to reflect new editions of these popular instruments. Special topic chapters have been added such as working in pediatric coma rehabilitation, using the planning, attention, sequential, simultaneous theory of neuropsychological processes, additions on ADHD, and more appear written by the leading experts and practitioners in these fields to reflect the demands of current practice in clinical child neuropsychology.

Customer Reviews (2)

Exercisepsych
Excellent. Title isn't introductory level, which is what I was looking for. I have several other books on neurology and this title is well written and informative.

Introduction to Child Neuropsychology
The Handbook of Clinical Child Neuropsychology provides an excellentreview of the various patterns of neuropsychological impairment seen inchildren with various medical disorders (i.e., Diabetes, Seizure Disorder,etc.).This book is an excellent resource! ... Read more

Product Description

Over the past two decades, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) emerged as a leading-edge method for helping parents improve their children’s disruptive and oppositional behavior. Today, PCIT has a robust evidence base; is used across the country in settings as diverse as hospitals, mental health centers, schools, and mobile clinics; and is rapidly gaining popularity in other parts of the world. In keeping with this increasing recognition of PCIT’s effectiveness, the authors of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy present this expanded clinical edition to keep readers up to date on new practice developments, current treatment protocols, and the latest research findings.

This update retains the fundamentals as detailed by PCIT’s founder, Dr. Sheila Eyberg, including an overview of the therapy, detailed description of the course of treatment, and handout materials. The text goes further to explore the evolution of PCIT outside the original target ages of three-to-six (including preventive PCIT for very young children at risk) and examines the use of PCIT with special child populations, such as abuse victims and those with ADHD. Contributing experts discuss uses of the therapy in school, at home, with minorities, and with highly stressed families. But regardless of the population, setting, or topic covered, interventions remain faithful to basic PCIT principles and methods.

New features of the expanded second edition include:

• Adaptations of PCIT for babies, toddlers, preteens, and siblings.
• Applications for abuse survivors, children with developmental disabilities, ADHD, and severe aggression problems.
• Uses of PCIT with separating or divorced parents.
• Culturally relevant PCIT for ethnic minority and international families.
• Teacher-child, staff-child, and home-based applications.
• PCIT training guidelines.
• A brand-new chapter summarizing current research supporting PCIT.

As PCIT broadens its scope, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Second Edition, brings innovative ideas and proven techniques to clinical child psychologists, school psychologists, and other mental health providers working to enhance the lives of children and their families.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Guide for Child Therapists
I am a licensed child psychologist who specializes in parent training for young children with behavior problems. There are many excellent therapist manuals but this one stands out. It offers excellent guidance from initial assessment to treatment implementation to monitoring treatment progress and outcome. The handouts in the appendix are particularly good. Overall, the authors are very effective at integrating the best information that research and practical experience have to offer. ... Read more

Product Description
OBSERVING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS is an approximately 200 minute program of video segments that feature the highlights of infant, child and adolescent development. Designed to deepen student's understanding of major developmental milestones, the program focuses on concrete and observable behavior and features segments of children interacting with peers, parents, and teachers in a variety of settings. The video focuses on how major developmental theories are exhibited in everyday behavior. Instructors can use the program as a classroom lecture tool or observational component. Because it is also available for student purchase, the program can also be utilized for out of class assignments. The observational video program is available for instructors on VHS with Instructor's Manual, free upon adoption of any Wadsworth Child Development textbook. It is also available for student purchase on a CD-ROM that comes automatically packaged with a student workbook. The student workbook features concept overviews, key terms and definitions, and a variety of critical thinking applications, many that ask the student to approach the same video segment from more than one theoretical perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent
This was in excellent shape, I was very impressed. All the CD's were included and it was almost brand new.

Fantastic
This was awesome normally 40$ in my bookstore I only paid 5$! Thanks it was in great condition! See you next quarter. ... Read more

Product Description
This second edition of the hugely successful Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology incorporates important advances in the field to provide a reliable and accessible source of practical advice.

Beginning with a set of general conceptual frameworks for practice, the book gives specific guidance on the management of problems commonly encountered in clinical work with children and adolescents, drawing on best practice in the fields of clinical psychology and family therapy. In six sections, thorough and comprehensive coverage of the following areas is provided:
DT Frameworks for practice
DT Problems of Infancy and Early Childhood
DT Problems of Middle Childhood
DT Problems in Adolescence
DT Child Abuse
DT Adjustment to Major Life Transitions
Each chapter dealing with specific clinical problems includes detailed discussion of diagnosis, classification, epistemology and clinical features, as well as illustrative case examples.

This book will be invaluable both as a reference work for experienced practitioners, and an up-to-date, evidence-based practice manual for clinical psychologists in training.

The Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology is one of a set of three handbooks published by Routledge, which includes The Handbook of Adult Clinical Psychology (Edited by Alan Carr & Muireann McNulty) and The Handbook of Intellectual Disability and Clinical Psychology Practice (Edited by Alan Carr, Gary OReilly, Patricia Noonan Walsh and John McEvoy). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Useful Handbook
The Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology is a must have if studying child psychology at postgraduate level.It is probably one of the few text books that I will still use in clinical practice once finishing University training.
The first few chapters gives a solid background on how to do psychological letters and reports, and gives good overall summary ofchild development.Sections are divided into development stages with the more common problems separated into chapters such as sleep problems, toileting problems in the infancy and early childhood section; and drug abuse, mood problems in the adolscent section. These chapters cover childhood issues and disorders in a succinct and methodical format including classification, diagnosic criteria, aetiological theories, assessment, treatment, and further reading.Information is easy to find in this book as well as having a very readable style.
Money is well spent on this book!

Book Damaged
The content of this book is excellent, however, the condition it arrived in was far from ideal. The book arrived with the cover bent and a number of pages dog eared. Very disappointing!!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Thorough
This book is very thorough... It embraces ideals that we, as a people, hold dear and yet it is grounded in truth... the reality of our circumstances.I would definitely recommend this book to all who have dealt, are dealing and will be dealing with "the black child."

Cogent
One of the most important studies on the psyche of our children. Clear analysis, straight and comparative along with a variety of ideas on how to raise Black children to become prodcutive additions to our African Nation.

Black Children...
As Dr. Wilson correctly observed, "In an oppressive society, the social institutions, of which the family is part and parcel, actually work against the oppressed."That said, one must recognize that the oppressed mustn't employ the same methods as the oppressor for building strong families and rearing productive children.In the Developmental Psychology of the Black Child, Dr. Wilson skillfully provides Black parents with the tools needed to produce the type of children needed for further the race. ... Read more

Product Description
This much-awaited companion to the award-winning Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children reveals how daily child-parent social interactions govern children's language and social development.

Based on unparalled data from 2-1/2 years of observing the everyday interactions of 1- and 2-year-old children learning to talk in their own homes, Hart and Risley have charted the month-by-month growth of the children's vocabulary, utterances, and use of grammatical structures. The compelling narrative highlights reliability-tested research findings and is supplemented with numerous transcripts from observations and a list of 2,000 words of children's expressive vocabulary from 19-36 months of age.

This book is must-reading for professionals in speech and language, child development, psychology, and education who need to understand how children come to talk as much and as well as their parents and caregivers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book!
This was a great book. It is based on research done by Hart and Risley on how children learn to talk.It was required for an Early Childhood Graduate Course.I purchased it here on Amazon at a very reasonable offer.The service was impeccable and it was shipped right away.Great overall! I'm glad I purchased the book.

Expanding on Meaningful Differences
I prefer not to spoil it for you, but Hart and Risley continue what they started by delving more deeply in langauge differences between SES homes by investigating the cultural differences in familial routines and how they construct meaning in those contexts.

In the end, they strengthen even further the asking of two key questions: Do low SES families hamper their children's ability to succeed because of the lack of meaningful conversation in the home? Is early childhood education deliberately structured to meet the needs of a child socialized in a context that promotes one meaning of what literacy and communication is?

Essential reading
This is essential reading for any one interested in why children perform so differently in literacy. Seminal work ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must for Early Childhood Educators!
How wonderful to read a book about children's art!This book shows the process that children go through to develop art, which is the beginning of creativity, reading, and writing.Every educator should read this book.

Valuable reference for last 38 years!
I ordered this book 37 years ago when my daughter was a baby. I loved the children's art, and the text was fascinating. The colourful pages showed how children go through progressive, predictable stages in creating drawings and paintings.
The book gave enough perspective to understand the child's approach, and how to foster their artistic ability and not interfere or squash it.
The book has a great recipe for finger paint made with flour, water and food dye, which is cooked. We used this paint and allowed our baby daughter to sit on 4 foot square canvases and splash away. The resulting paintings are still bright on our walls. People love them and are astonished that a one year old created them.
I have given out the paint recipe countless times, and carefully loaned my book out to those I could count on to return it.I'm thrilled to find out they may still be available.
This book should be required reading for everyone who has anything to do with children: parents, grandparents and educators. If it was, we would have more creative people in the world. But it is NOTa chore to read - it is a delight.
I will be cooking paint again soon for my grand daughter. ... Read more

Product Description
Part of the authoritative four-volume reference that spans the entire field of child development and has set the standard against which all other scholarly references are compared. Updated and revised to reflect the new developments in the field, the Handbook of Child Psychology, Sixth Edition contains new chapters on such topics as spirituality, social understanding, and non-verbal communication.

Volume 3: Social, Emotional, and Personality Development, edited by Nancy Eisenberg, Arizona State University, covers mechanisms of socialization and personality development, including parent/child relationships, peer relationships, emotional development, gender role acquisition, pro-social and anti-social development, motivation, achievement, social cognition, and moral reasoning, plus a new chapter on adolescent development. ... Read more

Product Description
The 25th anniversary edition of a parenting classic

With the first edition of The Hurried Child, David Elkind emerged as the voice of parenting reason, calling our attention to the crippling effects of hurrying our children through life. He showed that by blurring the boundaries of what is age appropriate, by expecting--or imposing--too much too soon, we force our kids to grow up too fast, to mimic adult sophistication while secretly yearning for innocence.

In the more than two decades since this book first appeared, new generations of parents have inadvertently stepped up the assault on childhood, in the media, in schools, and at home. In the third edition of this classic (2001), Dr. Elkind provided a detailed, up-to-the-minute look at the Internet, classroom culture, school violence, movies, television, and a growing societal incivility to show parents and teachers where hurrying occurs and why. And as before, he offered parents and teachers insight, advice, and hope for encouraging healthy development while protecting the joy and freedom of childhood.

In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the book, Dr. Elkind delivers important new commentary to put a quarter century of trends and change into perspective for parents today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review of "The Hurried Child-Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon"
"The Hurried Child-Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon"
A book review by: Katie H. Lam

Today's child is ever "hurried" through childhood. It is important that as parents and educators that we are knowledgeable and understanding of the development of the child. This book analyzes the ways that America as a society is pressuring youth for early intellectual achievement in this notion of being fast paced for success earlier and earlier. Elkind's book is divided into a three main sections-a preface that includes updated information on societal changes since his original publication in 1981, Part I-Our Hurried Children, and Part II-Hurried Children: Stressed Children.
In the preface the author offers a discussion on current topics such as the "Internet", "Lapware", and Britney Spears and the impact on our youth. He states that in twenty years we have hurried our children and teens more and more.
In Part I of the book the author analyzes the dynamics of what areas of society hurry our children from parents, schools, the media, and technology (Lapware and the Internet). The author states that the majority of the factors are coming down through changes in adult society. He discusses that children are hurried from the time of conception with new technology that speed up learning processes in the womb. The author also looks in this portion of the book what the media does to hurry our children through the television programming available twenty four hours a day specifically aimed at them.Elkind states that parents and society try to accelerate a child's early acquisition of skills and abilities through summer educational programs, children's fashions that mimic adults dress, and the use of adult behavior and language. He also looks at what and how a parent's stress reflects upon children. Parents have begun to treat the child as a partner, a therapist, and as a conscience. The author also looks at the American model of education. He states that society ignores differences in mental abilities and the pace at which we learn is not addressed at all. Children are pressured and hurried to meet bench marks through standardized testing and it is all designed to "keep up" with competing countries as just the beginning of the madness. Elkind looks at how schools are starting to rotate children from class to class at much too early of an age, thus contributing to problems in education down the road.The author stresses that another factor in hurrying children is "Children learn the rules of social license before rules of social responsibility." The book carefully addresses how society "encourages" risky behaviors in children through pseudo-sophistication and that they are taught to model emotional and intellectual maturity, thus inviting them to behave in wise, mature ways such as drinking, sexual activity, behavior, etc.
In Part II, the author looks at ways to remediate the stress that is put on children. He reviews basic child development stages through Jean Piaget's stages of appropriate child development and readiness. I think this is an excellent addition to the book, to assist parents with research and data to support the need to slow down the "hurrying" of our children. The author stresses the importance of following the age related stages. The author also strengthens his point that it is important and healthy for children to have a certain amount of stress and hurriedness to realize their full potential.An excellent quote in the book on this topic is, "the boiling water that hardens the egg, softens the carrot-what causes one person to fall apart doesn't bother another person." The final chapter of the book examines strategies for helping stressed children including a chart for identifying stress levels in a child. He addresses five qualities that children possess who manage stress well share: social competence, impression management, self-confidence, independence, and achievement. His main emphasis in the book is to remember that "the importance of free, self-initiated, and spontaneous play to the child's healthy, mental, emotional, and social development. In the end, a playful childhood is the most basic right of children."I fully recommend this book for anyone that works with today's children or have children of their own. It is an organized, well-structured, and will help you realize what is really important in the world today.

Very relevant in today's society
This book should be required reading for all parents. I have been a parent for 26 years, still have children in elementary school also. This book details how our hurried society and competitive parents are hurting our children.

Everyone who deals with children should read this book.
This book provides research based information about the "hurrying" of today's American child.Whether you work with children, have children or even plan to have children, you should read this book.It helps one to recognize what is developmentally appropriate and inappropriate in terms of dealing with children.

Not what I thought
Basically the book is the same as it was 25 years ago, but with a new introduction.It was a bit repetative, and there was a lot of theory in it.I would have liked to hear more examples of how not to hurry your kids, and bad examples of hurrying.I didn't really find that.If you buy a used version of the original book, I think you'll get the same information.I wasn't very inspired or helped by the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Following a life shattering experience, a child enters upon a confusing emotional journey that can be likened to a prism of many colors of dark feelings like sadness and fear, but also warm feelings of love and courage. The way they deal with these feelings has a lasting impact on their life as they grow. The Colors of Grief explores strategies for supporting a grieving child to ensure a healthy growth into adulthood. Drawing on the latest research in neurology and psychology, Janis Di Ciacco illustrates the childa??s grieving process using a model of development that employs a??key stagesa??. These range from preverbal infancy (0a??2 years) through to early adulthood (about 25 years). She shows how a childa??s progress through these stages can be impaired by an early encounter with loss, which can contribute to cognitive, emotional and social difficulties. Drawing connections between bereavement, attachment issues and social dysfunction, the author suggests easy-to-use activities for intervention at each key stage, including infant massage, aromatherapy and storytelling.This is a revealing and accessible book for both parents and professionals working with, or caring for, bereaved infants, children or young adults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent resource!
Excellent resource for anyone wanting to better understand the feelings and behaviors of children who have experienced early losses, and how their experiences of loss effect relationships as an adult.This is a must read for therapists who deal with children.Sandra S. Thomas, Ph.D.

Outstanding Content!
Colors of Grief covers current research, strategies, and in depth analysis of how children, ages 0-25 deal with grieving and significant loss. Dr. DiCiacco provides specific suggestions for developmental stages. A neccessary book for all adults who are involved with children.

the colors of grief
The Colors of Grief: Understanding a Child's Journey Through Loss from Birth to AdulthoodThis book is the best!My husband and I have adopted 3 children.Parenting for everyone is challenging.For parents who have adopted children, there are many factors that go beyond the "normal" parenting responsibilities. Dr. DiCiacco's book is a great source of knowledge for me in trying to understand the "why is my child behaving like that?"What happens during a child's developmental years is so important.For an adopted child, grieving is already a part of their makeup.So to have a readable book full of knowledge that makes sense to my many questions is exciting.Our children have struggled in making good decisions and have difficulty in "connecting dots".I recommend all adoptive parents and professionals working with children to have a copy of this book to read and use as a resource.I guarantee you will be enlightened.DRM - Denver, Colorado

Excellent Resource
The Colors of Grief is an excellent resource for both parents and professionals. It is written in a clear and concise manner and offers excellent information when working with both children and adolescents. It offers therapeutic activities as well as transitional tools that are an exceptional resource. This book is a must!

Incredible book
This book is an absolute must for caregivers and professionals working with children.It is a compassionate, thorough, developmental look at loss through the eyes of a child.This book has been invaluable for me working with familites of loss. ... Read more

Product Description
"An important reference to students, researchers, and practitioners."—Booklist

... Read more

Product Description
For Teachers and Parents of Children to Age 12

Finally, a book that shows you how to teach kids the eight indispensable skills-self-confidence, self-awareness, communication, problem solving, getting along, goal setting, perseverance, and empathy-they'll need for living confident, happy, and productive lives. Filled with step-by-step advice, practical ideas, and real-life examples, Parents Do Make a Difference puts field-tested tools into the hands of every parent and teacher who wants their children to succeed.

"The fact is this may well be the only book you'll ever need on raising great children."--from the Foreword by Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the SoulAmazon.com Review
In 1998, a fierce debate was sparked by Judith Rich Harris'sThe Nurture Assumption:Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do: Parents Matter Less Than YouThink and Peers Matter More, a fairly scholarly book thatposited, as clearly indicated by the subhead, the radical theory thatchildren are more influenced by peers and siblings than they are bytheir parents. Parents Do Make a Difference, by Michele Borba,Ed.D., has clearly been marketed as a rebuttal. The title alone is akind of bolster to parents' sagging self-esteem.

Once you open thebook, though, it's just as clear that, marketing aside, the book wasnot actually written as part of the parents vs. peers debate, which ithas absolutely nothing to do with. Nor is it a scholarly work, in thevein of Harris's book. The original title of this book was probablysomething like "The Eight Skills of Raising Successful Children." These simple skills, which Borba (author of 36 other educationalpublications) has researched and workshopped across the country, thenimplemented in the curriculum of three elementary schools, arecommonsensical, feel-good affirmations for parents and kids. Borbauses lots of lists: the aforementioned eight skills, "four steps todeveloping positive self-beliefs," "four steps to enhancing socialcompetence," and so on. The "success tips" and affirmations are prettystraightforward, as with this suggested "pillowgram": "Slip a messageunder your child's pillow. 'Kevin, I loved looking at your drawingstoday. You are so artistic! Sleep tight! Love, Dad.'" These are fine,basic self-esteem builders; unfortunately, they can sometimes veer toomuch on the cloying side. But for parents who want to help theirchildren develop the eight skills (self-confidence, communication,getting along, perseverance, self-awareness, problem solving, goalsetting, and caring), it should be of significant help. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Lists helpful resources
Con: Contents are presented in a "textbook-y" way, making it seem less personal, abstract, and redundant.
Pro: Lists additional books, websites, movies, and other helpful resources related to the chapter material.

parents do make a difference
a book for anyone with children, as children do not come with a manual on what to do. I am a grandmother and use the positive messages of this book for my grandchildren with great results.

Extremely Important Parenting Book
I consider myself to be a well educated, caring person with a lot of common sense, however this book has been a real eye opener on human nature and how to nurture our children to grow to their greatest potential.I'm only on page 50 but I feel compelled to write a review already!

Excellent 'how to' guide for parents or anyone who cares for children
This is easy to read, well laid out and is packed with useful tips on how to help kids be their best selves. It's a real 'how to' guide, with lots of examples of actual situations & what to say to help your child overcome specific difficulties & be more successful. I like it so much I've ordered another copy to share with friends (gently & tactfully, of course!) Every parent should read this book - it's not about pushing your kids to achieve & driving them to prove what a great parent you are - this book is about nurturing their strengths & helping them believe in themselves & be more confident in who they are, just so they can be happy & enjoy life more.

Definitely worth the money & time spent reading it & putting it into practice. Does what it says on the cover!

A Must Have
I have bought tons of books over the years many were good some not so much this is one of the only books I have kept and always go back to for advice and ideas. This book is a must have for all parents ... Read more

Product Description
The classic guide to understanding children’s mental development is now updated and better than ever!

Hailed by parents and educators, Your Child’s Growing Mind is a window into the fascinating process of brain development and learning. It looks at the roots of emotion,intelligence, and creativity, translating the most current scientific research into practical suggestions for parents and teachers.

Dr. Healy also addresses academic learning, offering countless suggestions for how parents can help without pushing.She explains the building blocks of reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics and shows how to help youngsters of all ages develop motivation, attention, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Using the science of childhood development, she also examines today’s hot issues, including learning disabilities, ADHD,influences of electronic media, and the hazards of forced early learning.From infancy to adolescence, this is the perfect guide to helping and enjoying a youngster’s mental, personal, and academic growth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A Must read for any parent
a very insightful book on kids overall development(not just mind development) with extremely helpful hints on the 'right' activities for kids of different ages. It has definitely made me a better parent.

This book has good information
I ordered this book primarily because I was looking for information on the best way to assess and encourage brain development in my infant. It has a lot of good information on things like what kind of activity, interaction and play is helpful for brain development and what is not. It also has good information about benchmarks of development for different ages/stages. This is a great reference for parents who really want to understand their child's brain development and create a brain-rich environment.

YOUR PARENTAL DUTY
After reading a number of neuroscientific based books, I rounded out my self-directed exploration of the brain with this masterpiece by Jane Healy, Ph.D. It simply is simply the ultimate guide for understanding how the minds of children - from infants to teenagers - grow, change, and develop.

Yes, it has the neuroscientific jargon that you would expect from any credible book that endeavors to explain the complexities of the brain and it's neural functions and networks, but what you don't expect is for it to be so abundant with sound advice (backed by research of course) about how to logically, and lovingly raise children to maximize their intellectual capacities, and reach their full potential in ways that are best for them; all in accordance to their individual rate of growth.

Reading this book will enable you to look into the mind of your child (or children) and identify, and understand their thought process. Her take-away message is clear: pay attention to your child, follow their lead, and gently guide them with interactivity, play, and lot's of love. This book should be required reading for all parents, and parents-to be.

I'm glad I read this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book.I read it the month before my first child was born.It is full of suggestions on how to approach educating your child.It's mostly what should be common sense, but mostly, it says be loving and attentive, and nature will take it's course.You can't force your child to be intelligent, but intelligent child need to be nurtured with love and attention to blossom.If you keep your child warm and safe and let them be children, that's all they need to develop.

A great find
This is a fantastic book!!! It has opened my mind to the black hole of a child's mind.I would definitely recommend it all parents trying to understand their toddlers.The book is written in such easy to read language that I couldn't put the book down after I started reading it.Many useful tips are also provided and I've learnt a great deal from it. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is full of the techniques that we have used successfully over the years. Many we have adapted to suit their needs and many we have made up ourselves. What we have become particularly good at is not giving up!A mother of two adopted children, Celia Foster has written "Big Steps for Little People" as a personal 'insider's guide' to parenting adopted children.Drawing on the hard-won wisdom gained in her own family life, Celia offers a thoughtful account of life with adopted children and examines the issues that many adoptive families encounter, including the development of children with attachment problems and how to tackle behavioural difficulties. She combines real-life anecdotes with suggestions and strategies that other parents can put to use.This book will be a great comfort and help to all adoptive families and offers insights for the professionals who work with them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I loved this book
I really enjoyed this book because I have done so much reading on adoption and the problems that can arise. This family adopted and kept on going. They experienced so many different adventures, so many different ways to adopt/foster children. Sometimes enough is not enough and we realize that more is not too much. It's a great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Overcoming Loss is a photocopiable resource that addresses childrens' feeling of loss, which can arise from changing communities, schools, moving house, divorce or the death of a parent or grandparent. Children are limited to a vocabulary of broad emotions like 'happy', 'sad' and 'angry', and are often unable to articulate their grief in words. This can impair their long-term emotional development.

The activities in Overcoming Loss use the power of play and creative arts to give the grieving child the language to identify subtle feelings, such as shame, despair and jealousy. Designed to encourage social and emotional learning, these exercises employ play, art and story-telling to access the ways in which children naturally express their feelings, and offers opportunities for parents and professionals to direct the child towards understanding their emotions.

Parents, teachers, counselors and anyone working with children between the ages of 4 and 8 who are dealing with a loss will find this resource a practical and effective tool. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Hardest emotion to identify in children.
Grief is one of the hardest emotions to identify in children of divorce. Grief is so quiet and divorce is so loud. The swirl of passion and pain expressed by the adults smothers the heartache felt by their children. This book was written for clinicians but can be a critical tool for parents to help their children deal, heal and move on after the death of a marriage. Charlotte Hardwick, author ofWin Your Child Custody War: Child Custody Help Source Book--A How-To System for People Serious About the Welfare of Their Child (12th Edition)

You will want to get this book
This book has great ideas for using art and play for younger children to help with grief processing. Great applications for therapists and workers helping younger children.
you may also want to look at:
Creative Interventions for Bereaved ChildrenAssessment and Treatment Activities for Children, Adolescents, and Families: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective TechniquesCreative Interventions for Troubled Children & Youth

Helpful resource
This book is a helpful resource for those working with grieving children. It integrates play and art activities to help children identify and express feelings. Counselors and therapists working with grieving children may also be interested in the following books:

Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children

Mourning Child Grief Support Group Curriculum: Middle Childhood Edition ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Very Good Clinical Resource
As a child psychologist who works primarily with foster and adopted children and their families, this is a book I turn to as a reference quite often. Clearly, foster and adopted kids are not the only one's who struggle with attachment-related concerns, but much of our understanding about the process stems from research with this population. This book includes the writing from top names in the field and it lays out the theoretical basis for attachment in a clear manner. Parents will probably find the information too dry and clinical, but practitioners should have a copy, especially if they are working with at-risk populations of children and families.

Christopher J. Alexander, Ph.D. (Author, 'Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment of Foster and Adopted Children; A Guide for Parents and Practitioners,' 2009).

Excellent book tackling attachment issues
As a social worker, this is one of the best Attachment Theory books. I would recommend pairing it with a Child Developmental text, such as Doug Davies work. In conjunction, excellent material with concrete practicalities. ... Read more

Product Description
Now in a revised and expanded second edition, this indispensable clinical resource and text helps readers understand the latest developmental knowledge and apply it in their work with children and families. The book begins with a framework elucidating the transactions between individual development and the child's wider environment, and emphasizing the crucial role of attachment. Key developmental processes and tasks from infancy through middle childhood are then discussed in paired chapters that respectively address how children of different ages typically feel, think, and behave, and how to intervene effectively with those who are having difficulties. Ideally structured for classroom use, the second edition has been updated throughout to reflect current research, practice advances, and policy issues. Included are an important new chapter on the developing brain and expanded coverage of applications for child care and school settings.
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Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent
I was happy with my purchase and the seller was quick to mail me the book that I got it way ahead of the scheduled delivery date. The book was in excellent condition.

Child Development: A Practitioner's Guide
This good is a good read with valuable information. It made learning about Child development a joy.

Improves understanding of development
I got this book as a required textbook for my class in a PhD program. The book has excellent case examples for each chapter (so far). The authors do a good job of integrating practice into an understanding of theoretical issues. I have had child development classes before, but I feel like I have a better understanding of child development with my current class and this textbook. The one criticism I have is that some of the literature mentioned in the book seems a little dated.
All in all, a good book to begin a comprehensive understanding of child development and the issues to look out for at each stage. Incorporating practice with theoretical issues adds an extra dimension to the book.

Great text and information but it came PRINTED UPSIDEDOWN
The information in the book is VERY essential when working with children and youth. The professor who wrote the book teaches at my school, the University of Michigan School of Social Work. The only problem I've ever had with the book is that when I ordered it and it came the cover was one way and the whole text was another. So when I opened it up from the front cover, I had the last page of the text AND it was upsidedown. Amazon should really fix that!!

The best textbook in my social work education
Douglas Davies's text is lively, intelligent, and somehow manages to be grounded in developmental/attachment theory AND the narrative, real-life details of case studies.His case studies bring the factual elements to life and make this a memorable read.In all honesty, I probably know 100 people who all agree that Davies's text was the finest textbook we have ever read.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel?  Where is intelligence hidden in the brain, and why does that matter?  Why do cross-racial friendships decrease in schools that are more integrated?  If 98% of kids think lying is morally wrong, then why do 98% of kids lie?  What's the single most important thing that helps infants learn language?
  NurtureShock is a groundbreaking collaboration between award-winning science journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman.  They argue that when it comes to children, we've mistaken good intentions for good ideas.  With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, they demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked.
  Nothing like a parenting manual, the authors' work is an insightful exploration of themes and issues that transcend children's (and adults') lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (154)

IN LOVE with the audio book!
I'm not going to write a long boring review.My husband and I purchased this book on Audible.com and I can say that I haven't listened so closely to the content, nor enjoyed the narration of a book so much.Ever.Every detail is astounding.If you genuinely care about the educational, mental, and emotional growth of your children, you will LOVE this book.Happy listening!

Accurate in many respects
A must-read for any parent who doesn't want the nightmare of paying for a college education with the unwanted excursions into drinking, etc., a by-product of our somewhat bizarre school system.
I recall two of many major experiences with the school system of today:the first was when I received a call from my son's first grade teacher, hesitantly telling me my son was ''inappropriately'' touching other children.My first words were "What do you MEAN, he has never been exposed to inappropriateness" (as I had been by a family relative).The teacher continued to hesitate, searching for words.Finally, she stated ''He's hugging other kids".My first-grader was going up to other classmates and hugging them.He had attended a non-denominational Christian pre-school for four years.Hugging was not considered inappropriate.The teacher had to relate to me how not even teachers were any longer allowed to even place their hand upon a child's shoulder.
The second instance was being informed by my then 2nd-grade son that "Patrick can do anything he wants and he doesn't get in trouble" followed by reports from school that my son was arguing and bullying a child named Patrick.I was asked to report for a special meeting with the teacher.The teacher explained my son's actions and demanded the actions stop.I asked about the other child... we're not in Mayberry anymore,and in some ways that's a good thing:at first she refused to discuss details due to privacy issues.It turned out the other little boy was autistic.He had constant rocking motions and other behaviours that were against class rules.Now, keep in mind, I have a brother with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.He, being older, grew up with rocks being thrown at him in the schoolyard while the school system did nothing to prevent the bullying.Now, here I am (mid-90's) being confronted with this situation.I looked at her and said:how many ''special needs'' children are in this class of 28 children?"There were seven.I asked if the class had had ''special needs'' explained to them.No.I say, ''look, I've got a special-needs brother that went through hell in school, he wasn't protected at all and had to be removed from public school to private school, and now you're telling me my son is reacting this way to Patrick, but my son has no comprehension whatsoever that Patrick has special needs (Down's Syndrome) so my son is coming home angry because "Patrick gets away with everything and breaks all the rules" and now you're telling me that NO EDUCATION WHATSOEVER HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CLASS ABOUT SPECIAL NEEDS AND THE NEED TO RESPECT THOSE NEEDS?It's this many years later and the ONLY difference is incorporating special needs into the general classroom WITH NO EDUCATION TO THE OTHER CHILDREN?I was told this was the District Policy.When I explained special needs to my son, he stopped his behavior, he understood WHY Patrick "could get away" with breaking rules and he could not get away with breaking rules.
To me, it was heartbreaking:my special needs brother,much older, was not protected by the school system.
And now here it was so many many years later.And still no effort to incorporate and educate the general school population at a young age that we are all different and the differences need to be respected.
And don't even get me started on Teachers receiving Tenure...
I agree with almost all points the authors make.BTW, I'm a babyboomer and in our time it was Dr. Spock, who took alot of blame for creating the most self-centered me generation known to exist in this Country ... at that point-in-time, anyway.

A Useful and Flawed Update on Notions of Child Rearing
Natureshock, Bronson and Merryman's book about misplaced assumptions in the rearing of children is a worthwhile read for any parent.More a guide for critical thinking about our somewhat whacked out approach to child raising in America (reserving spots in elite preschools before a child is even born) than a guide to raising children, the book presents fresh data, surprising conclusions, and frequent cautions about old assumptions.

Nurtureshock joins a new mini-genre of literature that sells by turning old assumptions on their heads, and making us question what we once thought was surely true.Also in this category is Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (P.S.) and Outliers: The Story of Success.

The book is highly entertaining, and impossible to read without a number of "Ah Hah!" moments, but does have limitations.While presenting powerful evidence that it is best not to dole out generic praise by the boxcar load to children (it actually impairs their performance) the book is at its best.Teachers, by the way, have known this for decades, and good teachers transformed long ago from non-specific cheerleaders (You're doing great!!) to more specific statements ("I like the way you stuck with that math problem until you figured it out").Similarly, teachers have been acquainted for years with another theme of the book: academic skill testing done prior to the third grade correlates very poorly with academic performance down the line.

The authors question many of the programs that have been used to ramp up child performance, such as the Baby Einstein materials, and in doing so demonstrate how little evidence (if any!) provides a foundation for products that hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on.What the authors don't question is the concept of performance enhancement itself.In the area of language development, the authors spend a considerable amount of time describing flawed and ineffective (but expensive)programs to get babies on the fast track to linguistic mastery.They then go on to propose that there are a bunch of NEW ways to stimulate language development, giving only weak evidence that transferring from the old and goofy ways of getting babies to articulate precociously to the new and spiffy ways (based on the inevitable fMRI studies of brain function)has statistically significant long term beneficial results.Though the authors don't discuss it, there is good evidence that one of the simplest of interventions of all, having family dinners together every night with the TV off (only about 20% of American families regularly do this now) has a very measurable effect on fluency AND on reading and writing skills.

Again, the book is a great read, and obviously quite inspiring to many of its readers that have posted five star reviews.It runs the risk, however, of perpetuating the notion that children will end up working at McDonalds for a profession instead of becoming a neurosurgeon if parents don't man the neurobiological/behavioral battle stations from about ten weeks after fertilization of the ovum onward. While the authors shred older concepts of ramped up child rearing, they then jump in with both feet on their chosen NEW concepts of ramped up child rearing.What does a ten thousand foot overview of childhood development strategies say? The best evidence implies that the book you want to read if you want your child to become a highly functioning and happy adult is....To Kill a Mockingbird.Raise your girl like Atticus Finch raised Scout, and your boy the way he raised Jem:have dinner with them every night.Discuss current events.Read to your children at bedtime. Speak clearly about your values (compare Atticus Finch's approach to the problem of racism to the methods suggested in Natureshock). Make them play outside on a regular basis.Make them go to bed on time, after you make them do their homework.Not very glitzy, is it.A bit labor intensive, maybe? But find a mentor teacher, or a great pediatrician, and my bet is they'll place their money on Scout and Jem to succeed best in the long run.

The so-called Greatest Generation, which built the world's most powerful economy, made American Nobel Peace Prizes a matter of routine, and vaulted the U.S. to superpower status, did it without the benefit of scripting every verbal encounter, restructuring a walk in the park to an opportunity to improve vocabulary, and becoming adept at responding to a baby's babbles with a predetermined choreography of behaviors. Our drive to be the best parents that we can be is powerful and admirable.We want to do it right.To date, the most effective way of getting there appears to be setting some rules and sticking to them (the authors do discuss this), regular quality communication, quality AND quantity time spent together, frankness regarding values (e.g. racism)and carefully allowing experiences that are painful or challenging enough to cause growth.Atticus Finch used these techniques, and single parent though he was, gave us Scout and Jem.

Nurture shock
So far the book is pretty interesting. I had to buy it for my psychology class.

Good basic read
This is a great book for parents. It gives practical ideas that are worth reading. If you are sick of parenting books that don't offer any real good advice, check out this book. ... Read more