This popular text, appropriate for both community colleges and universities, has been completely revamped and thoroughly updated with the most current research, expanded coverage of key issues such as brain development and child abuse/neglect, and new material on Response to Intervention (RTI). It continues to equip prospective teachers with the principles and strategies necessary to guide young children, from birth through age 8, in today’s diverse classrooms with its direct and practical approach.

Key Features Include:

· More principles and strategies necessary to guide young children in today’s diverse classrooms.

· Greater emphasis on developmental theory and research for understanding children’s behavior.

· Clear connections between “guidance” and guiding cognitive development

· More vignettes and examples about diversity, culture, and disabilities among children.

· Addresses inclusion in every chapter, and covers how to manage children with especially challenging behaviors by taking a positive behavior approach.

· Many suggestions for application assignments that will help the reader get to know individual children they will likely encounter on the job.

· Core concepts addressed include: principles of guidance, values, children’s development, collaboration, strength-based approach to guidance, strategies, self-direction, personal care routines, play and learning, outdoor play, and coping with challenging behavior.

Patricia Hearron teaches child development and early education at Appalachian State University where she has coordinated the Birth-Kindergarten teacher preparation program since 1994. Before coming to Appalachian, she worked with children and families in a variety of roles: as Child Life Specialist in a children's health clinic; a teacher and director of full- and part-day programs; a state child care licensing agent; and as a consultant, conducting professional development workshops for teachers and caregivers in Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. In addition to Guiding Young Children, she is co-author (with Verna Hildebrand) of Management of Child Development Centers (Pearson) and has published and presented on a wide variety of early childhood topics including the importance of outdoor play, inclusion of children with disabilities in infant-toddler programs, the project approach, and aspects of the Reggio Emilia approach to early education and care.

Verna Hildebrand taught child development and early education in the College of Human Ecology at Michigan State University. She is recognised internationally as an expert in the field and has published several widely-used textbooks, including an Introduction to Early Childhood Education; Parenting: Rewards and Responsibilities; and Knowing and Serving Diverse Families. In addition to Guiding Young Children, she is co-author (with Patricia Hearron) of Management of Child Development Centers.