Identifying factors related to poverty that affect infants, toddlers, and their families, this book describes promising early child care and intervention practices specifically tailored to these children and families' needs. Leading authorities from multiple disciplines present cutting-edge research and discuss the implications for practice and policy. Contributors review salient findings on attention, memory, language, self-regulation, attachment, physical health, family processes, and culture. The book considers the strengths and limitations of existing early intervention services for diverse populations and explores workable ways to improve them.

Introduction, 1. Poor and Low-Income Families, Infant/Toddler Development, and the Prospects for Change: Back to the Future, Lawrence AberI. Cognitive Development 2. The Development of Attention in Infancy and Early Childhood: Implications for Early Childhood and Early Intervention, John Colombo, Kathleen N. Kannass, Dale Walker, and Caitlin C. Brez 3. Facilitating Learning and Memory in Infants and Young Children: Mechanisms and Methods, Patricia J. BauerII. Language Development 4. How Babies Talk: Six Principles of Early Language Development, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff 5. Bilingual Language Learners, Erika Hoff and Silvia PlaceIII. Social-Emotional Development 6. The Development of Self-Regulation in Infancy and Early Childhood: An Organizing Framework for the Design and Evaluation of Early Care and Education Programs for Children in Poverty, Clancy Blair, Daniel J. Berry, and Allison H. Friedman 7. Temperament as a Tool in Promoting Early Childhood Development, John E. Bates 8. Leveraging Attachment Research to Re-vision Infant/Toddler Care for Poor Families, Lisa J. BerlinIV. Health and Physical Development 9. Nutrition and Physical Activity, Robert C. Whitaker and Rachel A. Gooze 10. Impact of Early Childhood on Health throughout the Lifespan, Barry S. ZuckermanV. Implications for Families 11. An Ecological View of the Socialization Process of Latino Children, Natasha J. Cabrera 12. Infant/Toddler Care and High-Risk Families: Quality Services for "Omitted" Children, Brenda Jones Harden, Colleen Monahan, and Meryl YochesVI. Infant/Toddler Care and Education 13. Beginnings of School Readiness in Infant/Toddler Development: Evidence from Early Head Start, John M. Love, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Helen Raikes, Cheri A. Vogel, and Ellen Eliason Kisker 14. Research-Based Approaches for Individualizing Caregiving and Educational Interventions for Infants and Toddlers in Poverty, Judith J. Carta, Charles Greenwood, Kathleen Baggett, Jay Buzhardt, and Dale WalkerConclusion 15. Translating Contemporary Developmental and Health Science: Designing an Early Childhood Program for Young Children and Their Families Living in Poverty, Samuel L. Odom, Elizabeth P. Pungello, and Nicole Gardner-Neblett