History of early childhood education -- Types of programs -- Defining the young child -- Developmental and learning theories -- The teacher's role -- Observation: learning to read the child -- Understanding and guiding behavior -- Parents and teachers: partners in education -- Creating environments -- Evaluating for effectiveness -- Planning for play: curriculum basics -- Planning for the body: physical/motor development -- Planning for the mind: cognitive and language development -- Planning for the heart and soul: emotional, social, and creative growth -- Issues and trends in early childhood education -- Appendixes.