Senior Editor's Introduction: the contribution of research in developmental psychology to early childhood education - David Whitebread Part I: Emotional Development Chapter 1: Attachment and Parenting in the Preschool Years - Jean-Francois Bureau, Audrey-Ann Deneault, Jodi Martin & Kim Yurkowski Chapter 2: Emotional Self-regulation and Reactivity, School-based Relationships, and School Engagement and Achievement - Jeffrey Liew, Carlos Valiente, Maciel M. Hernandez, & Dame Abrera Chapter 3: The Role of Pretend Play in Supporting Young Children's Emotional Development - Zhen Rao & Jenny Gibson Chapter 4: Researching Resilience Processes in Children's Everyday Lives During Transitioning to School: A Dialogic Approach - Kristiina Kumpulainen & Linda Theron Chapter 5: Whole-of-Setting Approaches to Enhancing Factors That Support Children's Social and Emotional Skills During Transitions - Lyn O'Grady, Amelia Joyce & Cate Engelbrecht Part II: Social Development Chapter 6: Social and Emotional Skill Development in Early Childhood - Shauna L. Tominey, Svea G. Olsen & Craig Bailey Chapter 7: How Others Shape Self - Jane Webb-Williams Chapter 8: Children's Friendships and Social Development - Christian Berger, Olga Cuadros & Antonius H. N. Cillessen Chapter 9: Learning to Read Mind: A Synthesis of Social and Cognitive Perspectives - Claire Hughes & Rory Devine Chapter 10: Triadic Interactions for the Development of Social and Emotional Competences - Luisa Molinari, Ada Cigala & Paola Corsano Part III: Play, Development & Learning Chapter 11: Securing the Future of Play in Early Childhood Education: Journeying with Children toward the Essence of Play to Evidence its Function and Value - Justine Howard Chapter 12: Playing at, Participating in, and Transforming Cultures: A Vygotskian Perspective on the Potential of Early Childhoods - Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur & Maryam Dalkilic Chapter 13: Playing for the Future: Redefining Early Childhood Education - Emily J. Hopkins, Tamara Spiewak Toub, Brenna Hassinger-Das, Roberta M. Golinkoff & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Chapter 14: Educational Play-Supervision - Playing and Promoting Children's Development of Meaning - Pernille Hviid Chapter 15: New Play: A Pedagogical Movement for Early Childhood Education - Susan Edwards, Susan Greishaber, Joce Nuttall & Elizabeth Wood Part IV: Memory and Understanding Chapter 16: Developing Skills for Remembering in Early Childhood - Catherine A. Haden, Maria Marcus & Pirko Tougu Chapter 17: How Children Learn: Implications for Early Childhood Education - David Whitebread & James Adams Chapter 18: Number Concept Development in Early Childhood - Sonia White Chapter 19: Exploring, Imagining, Sharing: Early Development and Education in Science - Keith Taber Chapter 20: Conceptual Development of Prosocial Behaviors across Childhood: The Role of Moral Cognitions and Moral Emotions - Paula Luengo, Federica Zava & Consuelo Huerta Part V: Learning, Language and Literacy Chapter 21: Contexts for the Development of Language and Literacy in Latin America - Katherine Strasser Chapter 22: Early Language and Literacy Development in the Finnish Context - Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen Chapter 23: Language and Literacy in the USA - Frederick J. Morrison, Carol M. Connor, Adrienne Woods & Rebecca Marks Chapter 24: Language Learning Challenges in the Early Years - Julie Dockrell Chapter 25: Approaches to Early Literacy Development from a Multiliteracies Standpoint: A Case Study of Aboriginal Supported Playgroups - Libby Lee-Hammond & Sandra Hesterman Part VI: Executive Functions, Metacognition and Self-Regulation Chapter 26: The Development of Self-Regulation in Young Children - Megan M. McClelland, Claire E. Cameron & Jessica Alonso Chapter 27: Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations between Parenting, the Home Environment and Student Self-Regulation in Early Childhood - Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Debora Valcan & Anabela Malpique Chapter 28: Emotional Self-Regulation in the Early Years: The Role of Cognition, Metacognition and Social Interaction - Anastasia Efklides & Plousia Misalidi Chapter 29: Understanding the Role of Motivation in Children's Self-Regulation for Learning - Nancy E. Perry, Simon Lisaingo & Laurie Ford Chapter 30: Supporting Young Children's Self-Regulation Development - Valeska Grau & David Preiss Conclusion: The Importance of Play, Oral Language and Self-Regulation in Children's Development and Learning; Implications for Quality in Early Childhood Education - David Whitebread, Marisol Basilio, Lisha O'Sullivan & Antonia Zachariou