The Emotional Development of Young Children

The last 20 years have witnessed a remarkable revival of interest in the study of emotions and of early emotional development, subjects that had been virtually ignored in previous decades. Bringing this popular resource completely up to date, Marilou Hyson offers a solid foundation for building an emotion-centered early childhood curriculum, linking emotional competence to school readiness and to a broad range of important child outcomes. She also provides educators with real-life examples and evidence-based teaching strategies to advance children’s understanding and appropriate expression of their emotions.

New for the Second Edition!

• Resource Notes in each chapter of Part I provide examples of recent developments in emotion-related standards, policies and programs, self-assessment questions for practitioners, and other practical tools.
• Part II, Going Deeper: Exploring Emotions and Their Development, features brief vignettes with a series of discussion questions, summaries of key information about the topic, and an annotated list for further reading.
• New Appendices provide information about the history of emotions in early childhood education and guides to selected assessment tools and to classroom-based interventions.

Critical Acclaim for the First Edition!

“Insightful and research-based information will serve as important reading for early childhood teachers.”

—Think

“Hyson’s blending of theoretical and research underpinnings with practical experience should be read by all professionals in early childhood education.”

—Readings

"This important resource brings together current theory and research into children's early emotional development, and applies this knowledge to practice."

—School Supervisor

Marilou Hyson is Associate Executive Director for Professional Development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and past editor of Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

“The second edition of this important book could not appear at a more opportune time…. Marilou Hyson has done a splendid job of bringing together the present state of our knowledge of child development and the best of early childhood practice, and combining these with her own creative ideas to help today’s educators design an “emotion-centered” curriculum.”
— From the Foreword by Edward Zigler

“This book provides a wealth of research-based strategies for teachers in all types of early childhood settings to promote the healthy emotional development of young children….critical for relationship-building, resilience, self-regulation, and school readiness—prerequisites for success not only in school but in life.”
—Sue Bredekamp, Director of Research, Council for Professional Recognition, Washington, DC

“Engaging, informative, practical, and firmly grounded in research on child development. This timely book will be a valuable resource in helping the field focus on the critical role emotions play in providing children with the foundation they need to be successful in school and in life.”
—Mary Louise Hemmeter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, co-author of Assessment of Practices in Early Elementary Classrooms