Book Title: Understanding Human Development: Prenatal Through Adolescence

Book Description

Understanding Human Development is an introductory textbook for individuals entering early childhood education and related fields. The textbook provides an overview of the developmental lifespan from conception to adolescence using social justice and ecological perspectives. The textbook aims to represent equitable approaches to understanding human development and discusses the diverse factors and interactions that support or hinder development. The chapters can be divided and used in courses focused on one or more of the major age groups. Four case studies guide learners in examining how systemic inequities impact children and their caregivers throughout the developmental process. The intersectionality of race, culture, social class, ability, and gender will be examined with a special focus on healthcare access, gender identity, and sexual development.
Chapters are grouped into the following units:

• Unit 1: History and Theory
  • Chapter 1: Understanding Human Development
  • Chapter 2: Theory and Research in Child Development
• Unit 2: Prenatal, Birth, and Postnatal Experiences
  • Chapter 3: Conception, Pregnancy, and Prenatal Development
  • Chapter 4: Birth, the Newborn, and Postnatal Experiences
• Unit 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood
  • Chapter 5: Cognitive, Language, and Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
  • Chapter 6: Social, Emotional, Adaptive, and Identity Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
• Unit 4: The Preschool Years
  • Chapter 7: Preschool Cognitive and Language Development
  • Chapter 8: Social, Emotional, Adaptive, and Identity Development in Preschoolers
• Unit 5: Middle Childhood
  • Chapter 9: Middle Childhood Physical
  • Chapter 10: Middle Childhood Cognitive and Language Development
  • Chapter 11: Social and Emotional Development in Middle Childhood
• Unit 6: Adolescence
  • Chapter 12: Adolescent Physical and Sexual Development
  • Chapter 13: Adolescent Cognitive Development
  • Chapter 14: Adolescent Social-Emotional Development