Early childhood education receives more attention and funding today than ever before, yet the quality of available programs varies widely. What interventions are most effective for promoting young children's school readiness? How can educators partner successfully with diverse families to help close the income- and race-based achievement gap? What are the obstacles to dissemination of evidence-based child care and preschool practices, and how can these obstacles be overcome? Bringing together foremost experts, this forward-thinking book reviews the breadth of current knowledge about early education and identifies important priorities for practice and policy. Part I describes the contemporary landscape of early education in the United States: what programs are in place; how they are utilized, administered, and funded; and their educational aims. Part II presents cutting-edge research on curricula and teaching methods that work. Coverage encompasses strategies for fostering specific skill areas--including language, literacy, and early mathematics and science--and for enhancing academic development overall. Next, Part III turns to the critical areas of social development and the family context of early education. Chapters describe exemplary approaches to supporting young children's executive functioning, self-regulation, social-emotional learning, and mental health. Rounding out the volume, Part IV addresses ways to better serve children with special needs, as well as how to strengthen the roles of early educators through professional development, higher education, and certification. Comprehensive and authoritative, this volume combines an impeccable research grounding with a strong applied focus. It belongs on the desks of researchers, teacher educators, and graduate students in early education, early literacy, child development, and special education; school and child care administrators; and education policymakers.

I. Early Education Opportunities in the United States 1. Early Education in the United States: Programs and Access, Dale J. Epstein and W. Steven Barnett 2. Early Childhood Care and Education: Enrollment Patterns and Expenditures, Clive R. Belfield 3. Investments in Early Education: Resources at the Federal and State Levels, Jason T. Hustedt, Allison H. Friedman, and W. Steven Barnett 4. Accountability and Program Evaluation in Early Education, Walter S. Gilliam and Ellen Frede 5. More Than Teachers: The Early Care and Education Workforce, Sharon Ryan and Marcy Whitebook 6. Restructuring and Aligning Early Education Opportunities for Cultural, Language, and Ethnic Minority Children, Cristina Gillanders, Iheoma Iruka, Sharon Ritchie, and Carolyn T. Cobb 7. Language, Culture, and Early Education in the United States, Eugene E. García 8. Poverty Is a Knot, and Preschool Is an Untangler, Cynthia LamyII. Instruction and Curriculum in Early Education Settings: Impacts on Young Children's Preacademic Outcomes 9. Promoting Lower- and Higher-Level Language Skills in Early Education Classrooms, Mindy Sittner Bridges, Laura M. Justice, Tiffany P. Hogan, and Shelley Gray 10. Promoting Early Literacy and Language Development, Douglas R. Powell and Karen E. Diamond 11. Mathematics Learning, Assessment, and Curriculum, Douglas H. Clements and Julie Sarama 12. Science and Early Education, Kathy Cabe Trundle and Mesut Saçkes 13. Teacher-Child Play Interactions to Achieve Learning Outcomes: Risks and Opportunities, Jeffrey Trawick-Smith 14. A Transactional Model of Effective Teaching and Learning in the Early Childhood Classroom, Claire E. CameronIII. Developmental Processes, Early Education, and Families 15. An Ecological Perspective for Understanding the Early Development of Self-Regulatory Skills, Social Skills, and Achievement, Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman and Shannon B. Wanless 16. Executive Functioning and Developmental Neuroscience: Current Progress and Implications for Early Childhood Education, Jelena Obradovic, Ximena A. Portilla, and W. Thomas Boyce 17. Scaffolding Self-Regulated Learning in Young Children: Lessons from Tools of the Mind, Elena Bodrova and Deborah J. Leong 18. Fostering Collaborative Partnerships between Early Childhood Professionals and the Parents of Young Children, Lisa L. Knoche, Keely D. Cline, and Christine A. Marvin 19. Interventions That Promote Social-Emotional Learning in Young Children, Celene E. Domitrovich, Julia E. Moore, Ross A. Thompson, and the CASEL Preschool to ElementarySchool Social and Emotional Learning Assessment Workgroup 20. Supporting the Social Competence of Young Children with Challenging Behavior in the Context of the Teaching Pyramid Model: Research-Based Practices and Implementation in Early Childhood Settings, Mary Louise Hemmeter and Maureen A. Conroy 21. Promoting Young Children's Mental Health through Early Childhood Consultation: Ecological Advances and Research Needs, Susan M. Sheridan, Brandy L. Clarke, and Tanya B. IhloIV. Building Systems of Effective Early Intervention Supports: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Children and the Adults Who Serve Them 22. Implications of Research on Postinstitutionalized Children for Practice and Policy in Early Education, Jamie M. Lawler and Megan R. Gunnar 23. Access, Participation, and Supports: A Framework for Improving Inclusive Early Education Opportunities for Children with Disabilities, Virginia Buysse 24. Enhancing Teachers' Intentional Use of Effective Interactions with Children: Designing and Testing Professional Development Interventions, Bridget K. Hamre, Jason T. Downer, Faiza M. Jamil, and Robert C. Pianta 25. Improving Language and Literacy Outcomes in Child Care, Susan B. Neuman 26. Higher Education for Early Childhood Educators and Outcomes for Young Children: Pathways toward Greater Effectiveness, Marilou Hyson, Diane M. Horm, and Pamela J. Winton27. Making the Case: Why Credentialing and Certification Matter, Sue Bredekamp and Stacie G. Goffin