SHAPES--an acronym for the South Plains Child Care Management Services (SpCCMS) Helping, Assisting and Preparing Educators and Staff--is also the name of a preschool readiness curriculum that is being developed for use by administrators and teachers. The first phase of the curriculum development consists of the publication of five books to be used in training teaching staff. The present text is the first book in the series. This book: (1) describes child development theories and developmental stages; (2) delineates the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children; (3) explains practices for teachers and parents to use in developing the child's self-concept; and (4) discusses child guidance and discipline. The chapters that discuss child development are organized into a sequence that examines infants, toddlers, preschool children, and school-age children. A list of 35 references is provided. (BC)