This book is an essential reference on research in early childhood education not only in the United States but throughout the world. It provides a comprehensive overview of important contemporary issues and the information necessary to make judgments about these issues. The field has changed significantly since the publication of the first edition of this "Handbook" in 1993, creating a need for an update. The "Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children, Second Edition" is thus focused on research conducted over the past decade or so. The volume is organized into four parts: (1) Early Childhood Education and Child Development (New in this edition: Moral Development; The Development of Creativity); (2) Early Childhood Educational Curriculum (New in this edition: Movement or Dance Education; The Education of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Children); (3) Foundations of Early Childhood Educational Policy (New in this edition: Childhood Poverty; The Education of Bilingual Children); and (4) Research and Evaluation Strategies for Early Childhood Education (New in this edition: Doing Historical Research in Early Childhood Education; Postmodern and Feminist Orientations). This book makes the expanding knowledge base related to early childhood education readily available and accessible. It is a valuable tool for all who work and study in the field. Following an introduction by B. Spodek and O. N. Saracho entitled, "A Researcher's Vade Mecum," this book presents the following chapters. Part I, Early Childhood Education and Child Development, includes: (1) Cognitive Development and the Education of Young Children (K. L. Seifert); (2) Young Children's Peer Relations and Social Competence (G. W. Ladd, S. L. Herald, and R. K. Andrews); (3) Children's Morality: Perspectives and Research (E. Johansson); (4) The Emotional Basis of Learning and Development in Early Childhood Education (S. A. Denham); (5) Motor Development in Young Children (D. L. Gallahue and J. C. Ozmun); and (6) The Development of Children's Creativity (M. A. Runco). Part II, Early Childhood Educational Curriculum, continues with: (7) Reconceptualizing Language Education in Early Childhood: Socio-Cultural Perspectives (J. Anderson, L. Moffatt, and J. Shapiro); (8) Emergent Literacy: Symbols at Work (S. E. Hill and S. Nichols); (9) The Literacy Education of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Young Children: An Overview of Outcomes, Assessment, and Large-Scale Interventions (R. Rueda and D. B. Yaden, Jr.); (10) The Development of Young Children's Early Number and Operation Sense and Its Implications for Early Childhood Education (A. J. Baroody, M. L. Lai, and K. S. Mix); (11) Repositioning the Visual Arts in Early Childhood Education: A Decade of Reconsideration (C. M. Thompson); (12) The Dance of Learning (K. Bradley with M. Szegda); (13) The Musical Development and Education of Young Children (G. F. Welch); and (14) Pretend Play (R. D. Kavanaugh); and (15) Early Childhood Multicultural Education (P.G. Ramsey). Part III, Foundations of Early Childhood Educational Policy, contains: (16) Creating Play Environments for Early Childhood: Indoors and Out (J. A. Sutterby and J. Frost); (17) Childhood Poverty: Implications for School Readiness and Early Childhood Education (R. M. Ryan, R. C. Fauth, and J. Brooks-Gunn); (18) Effective Preschool Programs for Children at Risk of School Failure: A Best-Evidence Synthesis (B. Chambers, A. C. K. Cheung, and R. E. Slavin); (19) Educational Policy in the United States Regarding Bilinguals in Early Childhood Education (A. M. Wiese and E. E. Garcia); (20) Child Care for Young Children (C. Howes and K. Sanders); (21) Family Context in Early Childhood: A Look at Practices and Beliefs That Promote Early Learning (B. H. Fiese, T. Eckert, and M. Spagnola); (22) Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs and Attitudes about Inclusion: What Does the Research Tell Us? (M. M. Ostrosky, B. M. Laumann, and W. Y. Hsieh); and (23) Preschool Teachers' Professional Development (O. N. Saracho and B. Spodek). Part IV, Research and Evaluation Strategies for Early Childhood Education, presents: (24) Alternative Means of Assessing Children's Learning in Early Childhood Classrooms (D. F. Gullo); (25) Evaluating the Quality of Early Childhood Educational Settings (R. Lambert, M. Abbott-Shim, and A. Sibley); (26) Integration, Innovation, and Evaluation in School-Based Early Childhood Services (J. Pelletier and C. Corter); (27) Qualitative Research: Paradigms and Possibilities (J. A. Hatch and G. Barclay-McLaughlin); (28) Feminist Issues in Early Childhood Scholarship (C. D. Thornton and L. S. Goldstein); (29) Beyond Certainties: Postmodern Perspectives, Research, and the Education of Young Children (S. Grieshaber and S. Ryan); (30) Early Childhood Education Research in Cross-National Perspective (J. L. Roopnarine and A. Metindogan); and (31) Historical Research in Early Childhood Education (B. S. F. Hinitz). [For the first edition of this book, see ED361107.]