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Child Development From Infancy to Adolescence
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Child Development From Infancy to Adolescence
An Active Learning Approach

Fourth Edition


January 2027 | SAGE Publications, Inc
Child Development from Infancy to Adolescence, Fourth Edition by Laura Levine and Joyce Munsch provides a chronological, research-based exploration of child development from infancy through adolescence. Blending the latest findings with culturally inclusive perspectives, the book emphasizes applied understanding through active learning activities and real-world examples. Readers gain a deeper understanding of developmental processes across childhood while learning how research connects to everyday experiences and contemporary issues. Designed to support engagement and critical thinking, this edition helps students build a strong foundation in child development and apply key concepts to real-world contexts.
 
Preface
 
List of Active Learning
 
List of Journey of Research
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Part I: Understanding Development: Why and How We Study Children and Adolescents
 
Chapter 1: Issues and Themes in Child Development
Why Study Childhood?

 
Understanding How Development Happens

 
Contexts of Development

 
Be a Smart Consumer of Information About Development

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 2: Theory and Research in Development
Why Theories of Development are Important

 
Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud and Erikson

 
Learning Theories

 
Theories of Cognitive Development

 
Developmental Systems Theories

 
Dynamic Systems Theory

 
Cultural and Diverse Adaptations of Developmental Theory

 
Research Methods

 
Research Designs

 
Ethics in Research with Children and Adolescents

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Part II: Foundations of Child Development
 
Chapter 3: Nature Through Nurture: Genes and Environment
The Study of Genes and Behavior

 
Chromosomes, Genes, and DNA

 
Genetic Disorders

 
Behavioral Genetics

 
The Interaction of Genes and Environment

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 4: Prenatal Development, the Newborn, and the Transition to Parenthood
The Three Stages of Prenatal Development

 
Health and Risks in Pregnancy

 
The Birth Experience

 
The Newborn

 
The Transition to Parenthood

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Part III: Infancy and Toddlerhood
 
Chapter 5: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Brain Development

 
Sensation and Perception

 
Infant Body Growth and Motor Development

 
Health and Nutrition

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 6: Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

 
Theory of Core Knowledge

 
Learning

 
Cognitive Processes

 
Individual Differences in Cognitive Abilities

 
Language Development

 
Electronic Media Use and Cognitive Development in Infancy

 
Promoting Cognitive and Language Development in Infants

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 7: Social and Emotional Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Emotions and Temperament: Universality and Difference

 
The Self in Infants and Toddlers

 
Attachment

 
Contexts of Development

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Part IV: Early Childhood
 
Chapter 8: Physical Development in Early Childhood
Body Growth and Changes

 
Body Awareness, Body Image, and Sexuality

 
Brain Development

 
Health and Nutrition

 
Illnesses and Threats to Health

 
Child Maltreatment

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 9: Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development: The Preoperational Stage (2–7 Years)

 
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development

 
Cognitive Processes

 
Play and Cognitive Development

 
Language Development in Early Childhood

 
Preacademic Skills: Getting Ready for Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

 
Risks and Supports for Cognitive and Language Development in Early Childhood

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 10: Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood
Emotional Development

 
Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, and Self-Control

 
Development of Gender Identity

 
Moral Development in Early Childhood

 
Family Relationships

 
Peer Relationships and the Role of Play

 
Media and Social-Emotional Development in Young Children

 
Risks, Resources, and Resilience

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Part V: Middle Childhood
 
Chapter 11: Physical Development in Middle Childhood
Body Growth and Changes

 
Brain Development

 
Health and Well-Being

 
Physical Activity

 
Children and The Natural World

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 12: Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Piaget’s Stage of Concrete Operations (7–12 Years)

 
Cognitive Processes

 
Language Development

 
Intelligence

 
Cognitive Deficits and Intellectual Gifts

 
The School Environment and Academic Achievement

 
Beyond Intelligence: Noncognitive Factors in Student Learning

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 13: Social and Emotional Development in Middle Childhood
The Self and Identity in School-Age Children

 
Emotional Development and Emotional Problems

 
Family Relationships

 
Diversity in Family Life

 
Peer Relationships

 
Stress, Coping, and Resilience

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Part VI: Adolescence
 
Chapter 14: Physical Development in Adolescence
Brain Development

 
Body Growth and Changes

 
Teens and Sexuality

 
Health and Nutrition

 
Stress and Coping

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 15: Cognitive Development in Adolescence
Piaget’s Stage of Formal Operations (12 Years and Older)

 
Cognitive Processes

 
Moral Judgment

 
The Language of Teenagers

 
Adolescent Cognitive Development in Context

 
Risk and Success in Secondary Education

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Chapter 16: Social and Emotional Development in Adolescence
The Self in Adolescence

 
Emotions

 
Family Relationships

 
Peer Relationships

 
Beyond Parents and Peers: Important Nonparental Adults

 
The Daily Lives of Adolescents

 
Emerging Adulthood

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Summary

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Glossary
Key features
KEY FEATURES:
  • A hallmark active learning approach engages students in personal, real-world applications of research and theory throughout each chapter.
  • Chapter-opening Test Your Knowledge assessments, revisited within the chapter, help students address common misconceptions about the field.
  • Journey of Research sections illuminate how research evolves and informs new ideas on key child development topics.
  • Active Learning print and video content demonstrates a wide range of activities, from actions students can try themselves to interactions with infants, children, and adolescents.
  • Critical thinking questions at the end of each section prompt students to apply and integrate what they’ve read in order to expand their understanding of the material beyond memorization.

Numerous topics have been added, updated, or expanded throughout the book. The following list highlights some of the most important ones, but there are many others in each chapter.

Chapter 1

·       New Active Learning: Social Policy Affecting Children and Adolescents

·       New topic: Social media as a developmental context

·       Revised information on the characteristics of healthy communities

Chapter 2

·        New topics:

o   Evolutionary developmental psychology

o   Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST)

o   Culture and attachment theory

·       New Journey of Research: Contributions by theorists from many backgrounds

Chapter 3

·       Updated information about

o   Stress in childhood and epigenetic changes

o   The effectiveness of treatments to reverse epigenetic changes

o   Intergenerational epigenetic changes

o   New breakthroughs in gene therapy

·       New topic: Polygenic scores

Chapter 4

·       Substantial update and revision of the information on

o   Drug use during pregnancy

o   Endocrine disruptors

o   Changes in marital satisfaction following the birth of a child

Chapter 5

·       New and updated information on

o   The impact of breastfeeding on cognitive development

o   The benefits of breastfeeding to the mother and infant and breastfeeding rates, including a global comparison

o    Sleep training versus the cry-it-out method when infants wake up

o   Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis based on dsm-5 tr

o   Early identification of ASD, including the CDC app for tracking early milestones

 

Chapter 6

·       New topics

o    Development of implicit memory for actions and emotions in infants

o   Infants learning the “music” of the language they are hearing

o   Importance of turn-taking in conversations between adults and infants

o   The effects of background TV

·       New research on

o   A lack of evidence for theory of mind in infants

o   Importance of connection between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area for language

Chapter 7

·       New Journey of Research on day care and infant attachment to parents

·       New and updated information on

o   Security of attachment and response to stress

o   Attachment to fathers

o   Custodial grandparents

o   Infant adoption

o   Maternal employment

o   The impact of divorce on infants

Chapter 8

·       New and updated information on

o   Early preference for a thin body

o   Developmental coordination disorder and the cerebellum

o   Effects of eating ultraprocessed foods

o   New treatments for peanut allergies

o   New treatments for lead exposure

o   The prevalence of autism, its diagnostic criteria, and treatment and services for children

Chapter 9

·       New information on

o   Brain development and performance on conservation tasks

o   Relation between attention and impulse control in head start and college enrollment

o   Long-term effects of child-initiated education

o   Factors that influence emergent literacy

o   Helpfulness of using finger counting to learn arithmetic

o   Effects of neighborhood poverty level on cognitive development

·       Updated information about SES differences in children’s language environment.

 

Chapter 10

·       New topics

o   The biological approach to gender development

o   Media use and social-emotional development in young children

·       New and updated information on

o   Resilience in children experiencing homelessness

o   Autobiographical memory and self-awareness

o   Self-socialization of gender identity

o   Importance of empathy and theory of mind in moral development

o   Effects of inductive discipline

o   Prevalence of corporal punishment in schools and of spanking at home

o   Effects of parental hostility and intrusive control

Chapter 11

·       New and updated information on

o   The use of human growth hormone in childhood

o   The trajectory of ADHD into adulthood

o   Changes to the food pyramid

o   Ways to treat childhood diabetes

o   The debate about teaching cursive writing

o   Children in the natural world

 

Chapter 12

·       New topics

o   AI in the classroom

o   Cellphone bans in schools

o   Sternberg’s theory of adaptive intelligence

o   Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of intelligence

o   Long-term effects of the COVID epidemic

o   State laws requiring the use of phonics to teach reading

o   Difficulties with teaching reading comprehension

·       Updated information on

o   State laws concerning retention of students with low reading ability in the third grade and their effects on student achievement

 

 

Chapter 13

·       New topics:

o   Media use and peer relationships

o   When fear is fun

o   Effects of parental death

·       Updated information on

o   Changes in self-esteem in middle childhood

o   Effectiveness of different types of praise for raising self-esteem

o   Violent video games and aggression

o   Long-term risks of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

o   Effects of after-school self-care

o   Risk factors and protective factors around divorce

o   School bullying policies

Chapter 14

·       New and expanded information about 

o   Brain development during adolescence

o   The condition of schizophrenia

o   Sexual orientation

o   The adolescent birth rate

o   Incidence of STIs and STDs

o   Use of substances

o   Eating disorders

o   Sports-related injuries

o   Sex trafficking

 

 

Chapter 15

·       New topic:

o   Moral foundations theory and cultural differences moral judgments

·       New information about

o   Social  media and the imaginary audience

o   Development of episodic memory

o   Bidirectional effects of executive function and social functioning

o   Positive effects of risk-taking behavior

o   The importance of a sense of belonging in school on academic achievement

 

Chapter 16

·       New topic

o   The dual-cycle model of identity development

·       New and updated information on

o   Identity development of LGBTQ+ adolescents

o   School-based programs for suicide prevention

o   Peer pressure to be online

o   Involvement with AI companions

o   Historical decreases in risky behavior by teens

o   Online identity development

o   Effects of high quality friendships