I. Theory and Research in Child Development
1. History, Theory, and Research Strategies
The Field of Child Development
Basic Issues
Historical Foundations
Mid-Twentieth-Century Theories
Recent Theoretical Perspectives
Comparing Child Development Theories
Studying the Child
II. Foundations of Development
2. Biological and Environmental Foundations
Genetic Foundations
Reproductive Choices
Environmental Contexts for Development
Understanding the Relationship Between Heredity and Environment
3. Prenatal Development
Motivations for Parenthood
Prenatal Development
Prenatal Environmental Influences
Preparing for Parenthood
4. Birth and the Newborn Baby
The Stages of Childbirth
Approaches to Childbirth
Medical Interventions
Birth Complications
Precious Moments After Birth
The Newborn Baby's Capacities
The Transition to Parenthood
III. Infancy and Toddlerhood: The First Two Years
5. Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Body Growth
Brain Development
Influences on Early Physical Growth
Learning Capacities
Motor Development
Perceptual Development
6. Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Piaget's Cognitive-Developmental Theory
Information Processing
The Social Context of Early Cognitive Development
Individual Differences in Early Mental Development
Language Development
7. Emotional and Social Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Erikson's Theory of Infant and Toddler Personality
Emotional Development
Temperament and Development
Development of Attachment
Self-Development
IV. Early Childhood: Two to Six Years
8. Physical Development in Early Childhood
Body GrowthInfluences on Physical Growth and HealthMotor Development
9. Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Piaget's Theory: The Preoperational Stage
Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
Information Processing
Individual Differences in Mental Development
Language Development
10. Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood
Erikson's Theory: Initiative vs. Guilt
Self-Understanding
Emotional Development
Peer Relations
Foundations of Morality
Gender Typing
Child Rearing and Emotional and Social Development
V. Middle Childhood: Six to Eleven Years
11. Physical Development in Middle Childhood
Body Growth
Common Health Problems
Health Education
Motor Development and Play
12. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Piaget's Theory: The Concrete Operational Stage
Information Processing
Individual Differences in Mental Development
Language Development
Children's Learning in School
13. Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood
Erikson's Theory
Self-Understanding
Emotional Development
Understanding Others: Perspective Taking
Moral Development
Peer Relations
Gender Typing
Family Influences
Some Common Problems of Development
Berk has published widely on the effects of school environments on children’s development, the development of private speech, and most recently, the role of make-believe play in development. Her research has been funded by the U.S. Office of Education and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It has appeared in many prominent journals, including Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Development and Psychopathology, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Her empirical studies have attracted the attention of the general public, leading to contributions to Psychology Today and Scientific American. She has also been featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and in Parents Magazine, Wondertime, and Reader’s Digest.
Berk has served as research editor for Young Children and consulting editor for Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Currently, she is an associate editor of the Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology. She is a frequent contributor to edited volumes on early childhood development, having recently authored chapters on the importance of parenting, on make-believe play and self-regulation, and on the kindergarten child. She has also written the chapter on development for The Many Faces of Psychological Research in the Twenty-First Century (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), the article on social development for The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion, the article on Vygotsky for the Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science, and the chapter on storytelling as a teaching strategy for Voices of Experience: Memorable Talks from the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (Association for Psychological Science). Berk’s books include Private Speech: From Social Interaction to Self-Regulation, Scaffolding Children’s Learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education, Landscapes of Development: An Anthology of Readings, and A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting the Evidence. In addition to Infants, Children, and Adolescents, she is author of the best-selling texts Child Development and Development Through the Lifespan, published by Allyn and Bacon. Her book for parents and teachers is Awakening Children’s Minds: How Parents and Teachers Can Make a Difference.
Berk is active in work for children’s causes. In addition to service in her home community, she is a member of the national board of directors and chair of the central region advisory board of Jumpstart, a nonprofit organization that provides early literacy intervention to thousands of low-income preschoolers across the United States, using college and university students as interveners. Berk is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division, 7: Developmental Psychology.
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