This comprehensive introduction to infant and toddler development, responsive program planning, and responsive relationship-based curriculum incorporates all of the themes crucial to providing quality education and care to our youngest, very capable members of society. Woven through this text is the importance of: bull; recognizing the capacities in every child recognizing and respecting individuality and diversity in all children (in every chapter, as well as with in a separate chapter on children with special needs) understanding family culture and ecologyrs"s influence on children understanding and implementing the components of a quality program Students using this book will learn many practical aspects of the relationship-based approach, such as: bull; how to interact with infants and toddlers to promote development how to use a responsive, relationship-based approach and in the daily curriculum daily how to use routines, transitions, and other opportunities to respond and relate to infants and toddlers how to plan for individual children and groups how to set up the environment to promote development how to document observations how to respond to common guidance issues how to be professional and ethical "This book is filled with theory, content and context gems. It will not only benefit students of child development, but parents, child care providers, and early interventionists as well. It clearly and accurately presents how infants and toddlers develop, and how that development is best facilitated." -- J. Ronald Lally, Ed D., Co-Director WestEd, Center for Child & Family Studies, San Francisco, CA "This is a beautifully written book. The writing style is fluent and clear. The writing level is appropriate for undergraduate students. This text is special and stands out because it emphasizes the critical nature of early intimate loving interactions with caregivers in order for a baby to flourish. The key strength is the completeness of coveragehellip;This workrs"s coverage is far broader than that of many other texts currently available." -- Alice S. Honig, Syracuse University "I do not know of other texts that address both comprehensive infant development as well as curriculum development and program planning. I certainly would consider adopting this text in my courses. Child development must be the basis of working with infants, toddlers, and families, and I think this text captures that philosophy." -- Holly Brophy-Herb, Michigan State University