With the expertise of a body of international contributors from Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Finland, The Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Chile, this handbook explores key in-depth issues in quality Early Childhood Development and Education. Unlike previous publications in the discipline, this title combines research and practice to investigate emotional and social development, wellbeing and mental health, language, cultural environments, as well as the role of parents in a child's development. It is divided into six key parts:
Part I: Emotional Development
Part II: Social Development
Part III: Play, Development and Learning
Part IV: Memory and Understanding
Part V: Learning, Language and Literacy
Part VI: Executive Functions, Metacognition and Self-Regulation

Senior Editor's Introduction: the contribution of research in developmental psychology to early childhood education - David WhitebreadPart I: Emotional DevelopmentChapter 1: Attachment and Parenting in the Preschool Years - Jean-Francois Bureau, Audrey-Ann Deneault, Jodi Martin & Kim Yurkowski Chapter 2: Emotional Self-regulation and Reactivity, School-based Relationships, and School Engagement and Achievement - Jeffrey Liew, Carlos Valiente, Maciel M. Hernández, & Dame Abrera Chapter 3: The Role of Pretend Play in Supporting Young Children's Emotional Development - Zhen Rao & Jenny GibsonChapter 4: Researching Resilience Processes in Children's Everyday Lives During Transitioning to School: A Dialogic Approach - Kristiina Kumpulainen & Linda TheronChapter 5: Whole-of-Setting Approaches to Enhancing Factors That Support Children's Social and Emotional Skills During Transitions - Lyn O'Grady, Amelia Joyce & Cate EngelbrechtPart II: Social DevelopmentChapter 6: Social and Emotional Skill Development in Early Childhood - Shauna L. Tominey, Svea G. Olsen & Craig Bailey Chapter 7: How Others Shape Self - Jane Webb-WilliamsChapter 8: Children's Friendships and Social Development - Christian Berger, Olga Cuadros & Antonius H. N. CillessenChapter 9: Learning to Read Mind: A Synthesis of Social and Cognitive Perspectives - Claire Hughes & Rory DevineChapter 10: Triadic Interactions for the Development of Social and Emotional Competences - Luisa Molinari, Ada Cigala & Paola CorsanoPart III: Play, Development & LearningChapter 11: Securing the Future of Play in Early Childhood Education: Journeying with Children toward the Essence of Play to Evidence its Function and Value - Justine HowardChapter 12: Playing at, Participating in, and Transforming Cultures: A Vygotskian Perspective on the Potential of Early Childhoods - Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur & Maryam DalkilicChapter 13: Playing for the Future: Redefining Early Childhood Education - Emily J. Hopkins, Tamara Spiewak Toub, Brenna Hassinger-Das, Roberta M. Golinkoff & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Chapter 14: Educational Play-Supervision - Playing and Promoting Children's Development of Meaning - Pernille HviidChapter 15: New Play: A Pedagogical Movement for Early Childhood Education - Susan Edwards, Susan Greishaber, Joce Nuttall & Elizabeth WoodPart IV: Memory and UnderstandingChapter 16: Developing Skills for Remembering in Early Childhood - Catherine A. Haden, Maria Marcus & Pirko TõuguChapter 17: How Children Learn: Implications for Early Childhood Education - David Whitebread & James Adams Chapter 18: Number Concept Development in Early Childhood - Sonia White Chapter 19: Exploring, Imagining, Sharing: Early Development and Education in Science - Keith Taber Chapter 20: Conceptual Development of Prosocial Behaviors across Childhood: The Role of Moral Cognitions and Moral Emotions - Paula Luengo, Federica Zava & Consuelo HuertaPart V: Learning, Language and LiteracyChapter 21: Contexts for the Development of Language and Literacy in Latin America - Katherine StrasserChapter 22: Early Language and Literacy Development in the Finnish Context - Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen Chapter 23: Language and Literacy in the USA - Frederick J. Morrison, Carol M. Connor, Adrienne Woods & Rebecca MarksChapter 24: Language Learning Challenges in the Early Years - Julie DockrellChapter 25: Approaches to Early Literacy Development from a Multiliteracies Standpoint: A Case Study of Aboriginal Supported Playgroups - Libby Lee-Hammond & Sandra HestermanPart VI: Executive Functions, Metacognition and Self-RegulationChapter 26: The Development of Self-Regulation in Young Children - Megan M. McClelland, Claire E. Cameron & Jessica AlonsoChapter 27: Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations between Parenting, the Home Environment and Student Self-Regulation in Early Childhood - Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Debora Valcan & Anabela MalpiqueChapter 28: Emotional Self-Regulation in the Early Years: The Role of Cognition, Metacognition and Social Interaction - Anastasia Efklides & Plousia MisalidiChapter 29: Understanding the Role of Motivation in Children's Self-Regulation for Learning - Nancy E. Perry, Simon Lisaingo & Laurie FordChapter 30: Supporting Young Children's Self-Regulation Development - Valeska Grau & David PreissConclusion: The Importance of Play, Oral Language and Self-Regulation in Children's Development and Learning; Implications for Quality in Early Childhood Education - David Whitebread, Marisol Basilio, Lisha O'Sullivan & Antonia Zachariou