In this popular text, Hearron and Hildebrand position the child development program among the key components of a child's “ecosystem.” They show high-quality children's programs as essential support for a child's family—not as islands of education unconnected to the rest of a child's world. Coverage is clearly based on developmentally appropriate practices and the indicators of quality established by the NAEYC and organized around thirteen core competencies, with a full chapter devoted to each. As the narrative is written in friendly, easy-to-understand language, and bolstered by learning aids, examples, and exercises that capture student attention and keep it.