Positive social-emotional development is recognized now more than ever as the cornerstone of success in school and in life—which means every early childhood professional must enter the field ready to support children's social and emotional health. This essential text is exactly what they need: a comprehensive, one-stop guide to addressing every facet of social-emotional development, working skillfully with children and families, and improving parents' interactions with their children.

A trusted core textbook since the popular first edition was published in 2002, Pathways to Competence has been fully updated to reflect 6 years of tremendous advances in research. Highly respected expert Sarah Landy, a 20-year veteran of the early intervention field, guides future professionals through the nine most important domains of social and emotional development in children from birth to 6 years (see sidebar). Readers will

• get the most up-to-date research findings on each social and emotional area
  
  
• know what social-emotional milestones a child should reach at each age level
  
  
• address parents' most common questions about hot topics such as challenging behavior, language development, discipline, play, and feeding and sleeping problems
  
  
• get a wide range of simple, concrete strategies and principles to use with children in their care and share with caregivers to promote their children's development in each key area
  
  
• guide caregivers with updated exercises and activities that sharpen their parenting skills
  
  
• select and use appropriate assessment tools
  
  
• understand all the major theories related to social and emotional development
  
  
• test their own knowledge with updated discussion questions in each chapter

With its thorough, multifaceted coverage of each domain, this book is the authoritative social-emotional textbook for preservice professionals—and a resource inservice practitioners will use for the rest of their careers to guide parents and answer crucial questions about development. Highly readable and meticulously researched, Pathways to Competence is the one book every early childhood professional needs to help ensure a lifetime of social-emotional health for all the children they work with.

About the Author
Foreword
Joy D. Osofsky
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Starting on the Pathway

1. Understanding Early Development and Temperament

2. Helping Children Develop Body Control and a Positive Body Image

3. Developing a Secure Attachment

4. Encouraging Play and Imagination

5. Encouraging Language and Communication

6. Laying a Foundation for Positive Self-Esteem

7. Disciplining to Encourage Self-Regulation, Morality, and a Sense of Conscience

8. Encouraging Emotion Regulation

9. Encouraging Attention, Concentration, Planning, and Problem-Solving

10. Encouraging Social Competence, Empathy, and Caring Behavior

Epilogue: Putting the Pieces Together

Index