CHILDREN TODAY

An Applied Approach to Child Development through Adolescence

by Karin Sternberg

Children Today: An Applied Approach to Child Development through Adolescence offers a blend of classic child development theories and practical knowledge. Dive into real-world applications, stories, and case studies that connect theory to practice. 

The recognition that children are growing up in a digital world and the emphasis on how technology affects the lives of children makes this the most modern text available for your Child Development course. 

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Theories of Child Development

Chapter 3. Genetics, Conception, and Prenatal Development

Chapter 4. Birth and the Newborn

Chapter 5. Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Chapter 6. Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Chapter 7. Social and Emotional Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Chapter 8. Physical Development in Early Childhood

Chapter 9. Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

Chapter 10. Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood

Chapter 11. Physical Development in Middle Childhood

Chapter 12. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

Chapter 13. Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood

Chapter 14. Physical Development in Adolescence

Chapter 15. Cognitive Development in Adolescence

Chapter 16. Social and Emotional Development in Adolescence

Karin Sternberg, Ph.D. is a research associate at Cornell University. She has a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, as well as an MBA with a specialization in banking from the University of Cooperative Education in Karlsruhe, Germany. Karin completed some of her doctoral research at Yale and her postdoctoral work at the University of Connecticut. Afterward, she worked as a research associate at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and School of Public Health. She has held a grant from the National Institutes of Health for the development of a cognitive training program for seniors. She currently teaches Child Development and Cognitive Development at Cornell University.

Sternberg's interest focuses on the application of psychological/behavioral research to improve people's relationships and lives. This passion led her to develop the concept for this textbook, which she uses in her own Child Development course at Cornell.

In line with the effort of putting research into practice, Sternberg, together with her husband Robert J. Sternberg, has developed the concept of True Compatibility in relationships and is using his theory of love as well as relationship research in general to help people find their true love and create happy, life-long relationships.

Sternberg is the author of a textbook on the psychology of love, Love 101, and the co-author of The Psychologist's Companion, Cognitive Psychology, The Nature of Hate, and The New Psychology of Love, among other books.

Professor Sternberg invites you to share your feedback, ask questions or comments with her directly at sternbergchilddevelopment@gmail.com.

Discover four key principles of the text.

Putting Theories into Action

Students learn to apply the theories learned immediately to children’s lives.

Exploring how Technology Impacts the Lives of Children

Every chapter has a section that discusses the influence of digital devices, social media, and the online environment on children.

Reminding Students of the Big Picture 

Children Today recognizes the multifaceted factors shaping child development.

Teaching Milestones in Context

Children develop at their own individual pace. The order in which skills are learned is often more important than the exact time at which a skill is acquired.

Discover this modern approach to teaching Child Development.

Request your copy today!

Oxford Insight

Children Today: An Applied Approach to Child Development through Adolescence is available in Oxford Insight. Oxford Insight delivers best in class content within a powerful, data-driven learning experience designed to increase student success. A guided and curated learning environment—delivered via your LMS or standalone—Oxford Insight provides access to the e-book, digital resources, assignable/gradable activities and exercises, and analytics on study achievement and progress. Get the most out of your Child Development course with Oxford Insight.

Digital Features included in Oxford Insight

Author-narrated Section-Opening Videos

The author overviews each developmental stage covered in the section, preparing students for what they will learn in the coming chapter. 

Assignable Research Applied Videos

The author speaks with leading researchers about their work and how students can apply this research to their interactions with children to support growth and development.

Assignable Interactive Case Studies

Featuring children from the opening and closing scenarios found in the text, these case studies allow students to connect theory to practice by making decisions about hypothetical scenarios and learning about the consequences of their decisions on the children involved. Students will be asked to connect theories to practice through drag-and-drop, matching and multiple-choice questions, and to reflect on their choices and their impact via writing assignments. 

Assignable End-of-Chapter Quizzes

Assesses understanding of key concepts in the chapter. 

Practice Quizzes (Self-Assessments)

End of section practice quizzes allow students to test their knowledge of the section topics.

Experience Oxford Insight. Request your demo today!

Text Features

Introductory and Chapter Closing Scenarios

Topics central to each chapter are introduced in an opening scenario focusing on the real-life experience of one or more children. The children return throughout the chapter and sometimes in later chapters. The closing scenario shows how their situation has changed over time and offers the reader a glimpse into the future. 

What’s it Like...

Children, caregivers, and professionals involved in their lives describe their experiences with a variety of circumstances. Students learn to acknowledge and put themselves in the position of others. 

Theory in Action

Illustrates how theories can be used practically when adults interact with children.  

Assignable Culture Counts

This assignable feature highlights surprising and interesting research that demonstrates ways in which cultural differences show up in children’s lives and development. This feature also includes techniques of data analysis. 

End of Section Activities for Groups and Individuals

Every section ends with activities that encourage students individually or in small groups to take the perspective of parents, caregivers, and pediatric health professionals. These activities help students imagine what it is like to raise a child in our modern world. 

These activities include:

• Act it Out!: Prompts featuring real-life situations in which students can choose roles and act out scenarios.
  
  
• Show What You’ve Learned!: Assignable activities present students with scenarios drawn from real life and ask them to write letters, make action choices, or give advice to protagonists in a story, based on the information from the section.
  
  
• What Would You Do?: Assignable activities where students get to make their own choices and afterward are presented with a fictional scenario to see how their choice played out.
  
  
• What’s Your Position?: Encourages students to think critically about important topics, using the material in the book and additional recommended resources to construct their own opinion and to justify that opinion in a clear way, based on the facts. This activity can be used as a basis for writing assignments or in-class discussions.

Instructors will find a comprehensive set of resources designed to support their teaching, available in Oxford Insight and Oxford Learning Link, coming soon at oup.com/he/sternberg1e.

Resources include:

• Lecture Slides
• Image Slides
• Additional Videos
• Test Bank

"I really liked that the digital textbook platform is customizable, but more importantly tracks how much time a learner spends reading a section to recommend review/study time. Brilliant!" 

"I love that this is accessible for all students and that the instructor can customize the content. " 

"The Insight Center provides exactly what I need—insight into the students engagement with the materials in the book. I am excited about this aspect of the book." 

—Silas Burris, Montgomery College

—Clair Ford, Bridgwater State University

—Sheila Greenlee, Christopher Newport University

"My students always want to discuss technology. I think the coverage of technology in every chapter is something that students will appreciate." 

"Re: Case Studies: I am ALWAYS looking for case studies for my classes so I would absolutely use these! I really appreciate that questions and activities are also included with the case study." 

"The videos are highly applicable for students as they learn about children and consider situations that children in their care may face, or that their families may face." 

—Bridget Walsh, University of Nevada-Reno

—Mary Jon Barrineau, Columbia College

—Glenda Seward, Kirkwood Community College

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