Comprehensive and authoritative, this forward-thinking book reviews the breadth of current knowledge about early education and identifies important priorities for practice and policy. Robert C. Pianta and his associates bring together foremost experts to examine what works in promoting all children's school readiness and social-emotional development in preschool and the primary grades. Exemplary programs, instructional practices, and professional development initiatives--and the systems needed to put them into place--are described. The volume presents cutting-edge findings on the family and social context of early education and explores ways to strengthen collaboration between professionals and parents. This book contains four parts. Part I, Early Education Opportunities in the United States, contains: (1) Early Education in the United States: Programs and Access (Dale Epstein and W. Steven Barnett); (2) Early Childhood Care and Education: Enrollment Patterns and Expenditures (Clive R. Belfield); (3) Investments in Early Education: Resources at the Federal and State Levels (Jason T. Hustedt, Allison H. Friedman, and W. Steven Barnett); (4) Accountability and Program Evaluation in Early Education (Walter S. Gilliam and Ellen Frede); (5) More Than Teachers: The Early Care and Education Workforce (Sharon Ryan and Marcy Whitebook); (6) Restructuring and Aligning Early Education Opportunities for Cultural, Language, and Ethnic Minority Children (Cristina Gillanders, Iheoma Iruka, Sharon Ritchie, and Carolyn T. Cobb); (7) Language, Culture, and Early Education in the United States (Eugene E. Garcia); and (8) Poverty Is a Knot, and Preschool Is an Untangler (Cynthia Lamy). Part II, Instruction and Curriculum in Early Education Settings: Impacts On Young Children's Preacademic Outcomes, contains: (9) Promoting Lower- and Higher-Level Language Skills in Early Education Classrooms (Mindy Sittner Bridges, Laura M. Justice, Tiffany P. Hogan, and Shelley Gray); (10) Promoting Early Literacy and Language Development (Douglas R. Powell and Karen E. Diamond); (11) Mathematics Learning, Assessment, and Curriculum (Douglas H. Clements and Julie Sarama); (12) Science and Early Education (Kathy Cabe Trundle and Mesut Sackes); (13) Teacher-Child Play Interactions to Achieve Learning Outcomes: Risks and Opportunities (Jeffrey Trawick-Smith); and (14) A Transactional Model of Effective Teaching and Learning in the Early Childhood Classroom (Claire E. Cameron). Part III, Developmental Processes, Early Education, and Families, contains: (15) An Ecological Perspective to Understanding the Early Development of Self-Regulatory Skills, Social Skills, and Achievement (Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman and Shannon B. Wanless); (16) Executive Functioning and Developmental Neuroscience: Current Progress and Implications for Early Childhood Education (Jelena Obradovi, Ximena A. Portilla, and W. Thomas Boyce); (17) Scaffolding Self-Regulated Learning in Young Children: Lessons from Tools of the Mind (Elena Bodrova and Deborah J. Leong); (18) Fostering Collaborative Partnerships between Early Childhood Professionals and the Parents of Young Children (Lisa L. Knoche, Keely D. Cline, and Christine A. Marvin); (19) Interventions That Promote Social-Emotional Learning in Young Children (Celene E. Domitrovich, Julia E. Moore, Ross A. Thompson, and the CASEL Preschool to Elementary School Social and Emotional Learning Assessment Workgroup); (20) Supporting the Social Competence of Young Children with Challenging Behavior in the Context of the Teaching Pyramid Model: Research-Based Practices and Implementation in Early Childhood Settings (Mary Louise Hemmeter and Maureen A. Conroy); and (21) Promoting Young Children's Mental Health through Early Childhood Consultation: Ecological Advances and Research Needs (Susan M. Sheridan, Brandy L. Clarke, and Tanya B. Ihlo). Part IV, Building Systems of Effective Early Education Supports: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Children and the Adults Who Serve Them, contains: (22) Implications of Research on Postinstitutionalized Children for Practice and Policy in Early Education (Jamie Lawler and Megan R. Gunnar); (23) Access, Participation, and Supports: A Framework for Improving Inclusive Early Education Opportunities for Children with Disabilities (Virginia Buysse); (24) Enhancing Teachers' Intentional Use of Effective Interactions with Children: Designing and Testing Professional Development Interventions (Bridget K. Hamre, Jason T. Downer, Faiza Jamil, and Robert C. Pianta); (25) Improving Language and Literacy Outcomes in Child Care (Susan B. Neuman); (26) Higher Education for Early Childhood Educators and Outcomes for Young Children: Pathways toward Greater Effectiveness (Marilou Hyson, Diane M. Horm, and Pamela J. Winton); and (27) Making the Case: Why Credentialing and Certification Matter (Sue Bredekamp and Stacie G. Goffin). [W. Steven Barnett, Laura M. Justice, and Susan M. Sheridan were Associate Editors for this book.]