Child Development : Birth to Adolescence

This textbook is for anyone interested in how children learn, grow and adapt. Students, educators, parents, policy-makers, and clinicians will gain an evidence-based understanding of child development. Chapters explore the diversity of global childhoods and what unites children around the world. Suitable for lower to mid-level undergraduates.

This textbook introduces the incredible journey we take from birth to adolescence. Covering some of the most significant aspects of becoming human – language, morality, play, empathy, creativity, learning, cooperation – it describes how these skills change, how children adapt to solve new challenges, and what makes you, you. Combining insights from psychology, anthropology, and evolution, it presents a fresh interdisciplinary approach to child development. Divided into three chronological sections – early years, middle childhood, and adolescence – this book takes a global tour of childhood, covering over 50 countries to reveal fascinating similarities and differences in the way we grow up. Complete with a full set of pedagogical features, including bulleted key points, space for recap and consolidation, a glossary of key terms, learning outcomes, chapter summaries and embedded media, it offers an accessible and engaging introduction to child development.