Written by a well-known and respected researcher in the field of child development, this topically organized text uses unique and effective pedagogy as the scaffolding for the entire text. Everything from the level of writing, to the use of modules and the special application features such as Focus on Research, Real Children feature, Cultural Influences feature and Child Development and Family Policy feature, are all designed to demonstrate how research translates into practice. Kail integrates the field by presenting four fundamental themes in child development research. These themes are used throughout the book to provide students with a foundation for understanding developmental psychology. Also, Kail introduces research methods in Chapter 2, and revisits methods again in every chapter.