Here's what INSTRUCTORS have to say about the 6th edition of Infants, Children, and Adolescents!
Laura Berk's books are always easy to read and include up-to-date research. The 6th edition of Infants, Children, and Adolescents continues this tradition and is full of first rate resources for students.
Organization - For students new to studying child development the content of each chapter flows well and builds toward a holistic understanding of development.
Interrelatedness of developmental domains is a focus - A major goal of all my development courses is the focus on the interrelatedness of all domains - physical, cognitive, emotional, and social - in a child's development. Each domain interacts with and influences other domains of development. Let me say, Thank you for saying this and giving examples throughout each chapter of the text.
Research - In Infants, Children, and Adolescents, the citations support statements and when a particularly important study is discussed. The research is very recent and up-to-date on the latest trends and theories in child development.
- Lisa F. Huffman, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Ball State University
I really appreciate Laura Berk's work. As a parent herself and a researcher, she has the expertise, knowledge, and background for a well rounded approach to child development that includes the most up to date research with and emphasis to culture. I have used her book for over the last 10 years. My students find it manageable reading with charts that further illustrate the content. I would definitely recommend this text.
- Jill Urban Bollis, Ivy Valley Community College
I continue to use Dr. Berk's textbook, Infants, Children, and Adolescents, in my child development course because it provides the best coverage of relevant, up-to-date information in an engaging, easy-to-follow format. In particular, I find that the vignettes presented throughout the text bring the topics to life for the students, and help them see how the domains of development are truly interconnected. My students are training to be educators, and we are constantly looking for practical, real life applications of the information presented in the text - the Applying What We Know sections have been particularly helpful in this regard.
What really sells me on this textbook - besides the wonderful coverage of recent research and the beautiful artwork and photographs - is the way Dr. Berk attends to the impact of culture/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on development. The text incorporates a multicultural approach throughout the text, with examples and special topics presented in each chapter. As future teachers, I believe my students must be aware of these factors in order to be competent professionals working with students from a variety of backgrounds.
- Sara M. Hegerty, School of Education, Marquette University
Our students have been successful in learning about child growth and development through the use of the Berk text. It meets instructional needs for both the professors and students.
There are many features that are beneficial to instructors and students . . . [It is] both student and instructor friendly. Features that have been successful to learning are the highlighted terms within the chapter, learning outcomes stated at the beginning of the chapter, colorful pictures/charts, both real and graphic, and the `Ask Yourself' sections throughout the chapter for greater retention and review. Our department has a strong belief of connecting theory with practice and the Berk text supports that belief in the `Applying What We Know'. I also use the case studies for real-world/life application of content. The end of the chapter features: `Summary', `Important Terms and Concepts' and the FYI for further help are helpful in studying for tests and subject comprehension.
The supplements for both students and instructors are the main reason I chose the text. The previous text our department used had very little to support instruction. The Berk text is rich in its instructional materials. The supplements for the students promote understanding of content. The PowerPoint CD, observation program with its video clips and guide add another dimension to comprehension.
- Margaret Ellis, Houston Community College, Central Campus
I have used this text for over ten years. I chose Laura Berk's text, Infants Children and Adolescentsbecause it is very well written and engaging. It does a great job of covering all important topics for child psychology! Students have told me that they enjoy reading the book. We use it here at Anne Arundel Community College for on-line and other distance learning courses as well as traditional sections.
- Jack P. Shilkret, Anne Arundel Community College
I chose to use the Berk text for my child development class because it is the most comprehensive text on the market. Without question, the Berk text does an excellent job integrating current research with both modern and traditional theories in developmental psychology. In particular, the Berk text does a good job covering biological and neuroscience issues in ways that are readable and student friendly.
In addition, the Berk text is particularly good at integrating issues of culture/diversity throughout the text rather than just covering these issues as an after thought.
Finally, I think the Berk text has features that students really appreciate. The stories at the beginning of each chapter grab the attention of students and help prepare them for the material that follows. The chapter summaries are excellent and the Ask Yourself questions help students to review and take the knowledge that they have learned one step further. Plus, many of the boxed sections, such as the ones on social issues, help make students aware of the practical applications of developmental psychology.
I have used other texts in the past and haven't found one that does as good of job as Berk does at staying up with and covering current research in developmental psychology.
- Debbie Laible, Lehigh University
I am using the Berk 6th edition, because I have used the Berk book for over ten years and it has consistently provided a more comprehensive approach to Child Development than its competitors. I have always been impressed with the attention to detail and the student oriented approach to instruction. I feel confident that Laura E. Berk has continued her degree of excellence in her preparation and expansion of concepts and current trends in her new edition.
- Laura E. Fiorenza, West Chester University
Laura Berk continues to write developmental textbooks in a manner that engages the college student in developmental concepts, theories, and empirical research. By breaking down the complexities of child development research into smaller and more understandable components, telling `stories' that demonstrate the findings, and then integrating the pieces into a seamless whole, Dr. Berk makes the material accessible to college students regardless of their academic strengths and at all levels of scholarship. The textbook engages college students in the field of child development.
Dr. Berk continues to incorporate the extant literature on child development into new revisions of Infants, Children, and Adolescents.
Dr. Berk presents relevant and up-to-date research on prenatal development. In my view, this chapter serves a health education/public health purpose.
- Lamia Barakat, Drexel University
The
chapters on adolescence (Chapters 14 to 16) are well organized and written in an engaging style. There are sections that are rich in information but those are interspersed with helpful summaries and user-friendly boxes, photos, and graphs. One of her strengths is the use of thought-provoking examples that help tie the subsections of each chapter (often provided at the beginning of each chapter). The examples are easy to relate to, and are relevant to many of the themes discussed in each chapter. Another great strength is the constant reminder throughout each chapter that an individual's development is multidetermined.
The author captures the contemporary perspective of scholars who understand the complex interplay of developmental processes and sheds light on the multiple forces that help shape development. The author also chose to focus on applied developmental issues-this is a refreshing dimension that is sorely lacking in other textbooks. These concrete examples provide another gateway for students to identify with major social issues.
I was also impressed with the useful summaries at the end of each chapter and the questions scattered throughout the chapters. I believe it is quite a daunting challenge to write a textbook that covers development in chronological order (rather than topically organized)... Berk has produced a solid textbook that is usable by professors who wish to cover development sequentially. Her text and writing style is understandable, engaging, integrative, and thought-provoking.
I found (Ch. 15) to be very engaging. Berk demonstrates an ease with the topics and it shows. The examples were great, the discussion excellent, the use of boxes was efficient, and the review of the topics appeared thorough.
- Gustavo Carlo, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Given that we as psychologists have difficulty sifting through the chaos of our own literature, I think many authors ask too much of their lower division students. (Berk)...
strikes a balance between providing pertinent new findings and keeping it simple.
This text provides a well organized, clear, and well written introduction to child development... Students would find this text easy to follow.
I think the topics covered provide a nice balance of the historical perspectives of our field. I like how the author discusses the traditional perspectives as new topics are discussed. She does a good job of relating new empirical findings back to those traditional perspectives. Moreover, the author managed to do this in a way that was interesting and easy to follow.
The author did a good job with the inclusion of many recent research findings, without overwhelming the reader. Students should walk away from this text with a good overview of child development as a field.
- Raymond D. Collings, New York State University (College @ Cortland)
It is simply the best textbook in developmental psychology on the market. Thorough, current, and research based, yet still accessible to students from a broad number of disciplines.
Dr. Berk's text contains the most current, relevant, and accurate research that is presented in a very accessible format for students. It is one of the reasons I pick her textbook year after year.
Another reason I pick this book is its coverage of diversity and multicultural issues. It is excellent.
- Ronald Craig, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
The table of contents was very well done. As a professor who chooses my own text, I was able to get a really good idea of what the chapters covered without going through each chapter. The coverage was more than adequate.
I was very impressed by the author's inclusion of the most relevant research at the time she wrote the latest edition of the text, as well as the research that is more a foundation of child development. The content is a great mix of the two without seeming disparate.
I was very impressed by how Berk included current, relevant research while at the same time including the researchers I think of as providing the foundation for child development. I found this text to be very easy to read. More than that, it was captivating!
I thought the balance of the references was very good. Not too many so that students get bored, but not too little so they are not aware of the latest in the field.
I especially liked all of the information on diversity. [Berk] included diversity in her text which made it a part of the content, as it should be in my opinion.
I was very impressed with the number of studies/citations without making students feel like they are reading journal articles.
Personally, I think the tables, illustrations and photographs are a large part of what sets the Berk text apart from others I have read and used. The pictures were all very relevant to the content of the chapter, were beautiful colored photos, and added so much to break up the text. The tables provided concrete examples of concepts. All three were a valuable addition to the text and would attract students.
- Sandra Hellyer, Butler University
Berk's texts have always been notable for presenting a clear, understandable introduction to cognitive theories. [Chapter 12] is no exception-it is excellent. Furthermore, cognitive development is clearly related to applied situations.
I like the section on language development and am delighted to find coverage of bilingualism. Information on cultural differences is appropriately integrated into the text rather than seeming `tacked on.
I think the Berk text is superior in its handling of research. It presents research accurately and very effectively, explains it so students can understand, and shows the relationship between research findings and real-life issues. It is also quite up-to-date.Very clear interesting writing style on a level appropriate to my students. Comprehensive and up-to-date research presented in connection with real-life applications. Effective pedagogical devices.
- Dr. Joline Jones (Joline Jones-Matheson), Worcester State College
The diversity, cultural, gender & class issues coverage is a main reason I have used this book over the years. Well done.
Biology & Environment boxes: Cutting edge research... Wonderful.
- Behnaz Pakizegi, William Patterson University Academically, the content is covered thoroughly and is at a level that most students can understand.
It is not too easy nor too difficult but at the same time continues to challenge the student's ability. Canadian context is included and frequent comparison is made to other countries.
Research is utilized effectively, not too much so that students get confused or it gets mind boggling, but enough to make them realize the significance, importance and necessity of research. Discussions, where applicable, begin by quickly summarizing previous development to allow for a comparison and thus a greater understanding of the changes from one developmental level to another.
Pedagogically the text has high quality and offers great value to the students...The format of the text assists in learning the material in an interesting and manageable way. The multiple methods utilized in assisting students provide the opportunity for all learning styles to challenge the learning of the material. Stories of individuals, reflective questions about self (each relating to a specific topic), cultural influences, and application of research serves to enrich student's understanding of the developmental processes and the potential and value of research.
The organization is great; the coverage is extensive and thorough.
This text does allow the students quick access to excellent reading and learning material, even if it cannot all be covered in class. For the student with a keen interest in learning, this textbook gives them immediate access to academic material put together by professionals and appropriate for their level of learning.
The textbook is an excellent, well organized textbook which covers all topics thoroughly. It provides excellent programs to assist the students in learning the material.
- Verna Raab, Mount Royal College, Canada
The coverage of diversity and multicultural issues is one of the real strengths of this text. This is accomplished in both direct and indirect ways. Directly, the text provides numerous multicultural and cross cultural examples within the context of nearly every topic covered (whether giving examples of skeletal growth in North America and Ghana, examples of U.S. and Canadian Head Start programs, or cultural variations in child rearing practices). There are numerous examples, and they are woven into the text very well. Further, each chapter has a Cultural Influences box (at their best, as in the child health care comparison, these boxes provide important opportunities to evaluate social policy decisions and customs in our own society with other more successful alternatives.
- Michael Rodman, Middlesex Community College
The organization of the entire book is excellent. It provides superb coverage of the stages of development from conception to adolescence and does an excellent job of integrating the various dimensions (physical, cognitive, and socioemotional) of the developmental process.
For the most part, unlike many texts on child development, the book presents both depth and breadth of coverage of contemporary knowledge on child development. At the same time, it draws attention to the complexities, intricacies, and controversies that exist in our trying to understand human development and in particular, the developing child.
The text stimulates fantastic class discussions.
An appealing feature of the text is the exemplary writing style; the writing is clear, concise, easy to follow, and hence, extremely effective. The smooth and very effective integration of research material, without overwhelming the reader with cumbersome references, is commendable.
Another outstanding feature of the text, which is particularly attractive to my undergraduate students, is the masterful use of vignettes, examples, and anecdotes about real children to introduce each chapter. My students have indicated that these capture their attention at the outset and help hold their interest... This provides the motivation for them, as pre-professionals, 'to study' child development.
The presentation of materials is attractive and attention-grabbing, and the coverage is as broad as it is deep. The array of strikingly colorful photographs, charts, tables, and figures strategically placed throughout not only enhances the readability of the chapters but breaks the monotony of `black and white.'
The tables, charts, and figures are presented in such a way that students do not need a background in statistical analysis to interpret them.
The inclusion of multicultural perspectives is an extremely timely and useful contribution to learning about development in various contextual settings.
Overall, this is one of the best written and most comprehensive texts on child development that I have seen. After all, I have used this text for several years now and don't intend to change it anytime soon.
The instructor's supplements are fabulous. I am addicted to the Computerized Test bank: no more error prone tests; and no more spending hours on end transferring test items from a paper test bank. Moreover, the quantity and quality of the test items (factual, conceptual, and applied) are remarkable.
- Delores E. Smith, University of Tennessee
Strengths: Strong coverage of diversity and cross-cultural issues. Timely, up to date and thorough coverage of major topics... The Berk book is one of the most... thorough in the field.
-
Dennis Thompson, Georgia State University
Here's what STUDENTS have to say about the 6th Edition of Infants, Children, and Adolescents!
This text helped me in many ways: First, I really like how it is written - it made the material very easy to understand. Also, each chapter is very clearly organized. The Ask Yourself questions are a good step-by-step review of what I read in the chapters. The graphs are very relevant and contain up-to-date information. I like the introductions at the beginning of the sections, because they help me understand what's to come. The terms and concepts at the end of the chapters make it much easier to make study guides for my tests.
- Danielle Beech, SUNY Buffalo
Using real life experiences make it easy for me to relate to the material and understand the concepts. The vocabulary definitions on the side help me help me quickly find the definition of terms I don't understand - no flipping to the back of the book. The summaries at the end of the chapters are easy to follow and help me thoroughly grasp the material.
- Karoline Schwartz, Mt. Holyoke College
I am a visual learner. All of the pictures and graphs helped me to better understand the information presented. The outlines at the beginning of the chapters gave me a brief outline of what I was about to learn. The author seems to `speak' to the reader; her writing is very conversational which makes the material much easier to learn.
- Rachel Bain, University of New Hampshire
I really liked the Ask Yourselfsections - they helped me to understand what was presented in the chapter and helped me review what I read. The tables clearly explained what I was reading in the text and the many pictures helped support the concepts. Important terms and concepts were clearly defined and because they were highlighted, it was easy to see what terms were important.
- Elizabeth Rattner, Muhlenberg College
The Summaries at the end of the chapters are great and look like the notes that I take when I study for exams. The bulleted lists in the Summaries are particularly helpful. I also like the real stories in the chapters, both at the beginning and throughout. They help make the book easier and more interesting to read.
- Dave Rivera, La Salle University
