Psychological Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Reframing Dilemmas in Research and Practice.

Susan L. Golbeck, Ed. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 338 pages. $79.95. The Rutgers Invitational Symposia on Education (RISE) originally grew from a concern for education reform. Over the years, several volumes have emerged from RISE, each written on a separate topic. This book is based on papers from the 12th symposium (Creating Environments for Learning in the Early Years: From Research to Practice, from November 1998). Each chapter in this book, written by "leaders in the field of child development," offers current and past research on such topics as early childhood instructional models, socioeconomic differences in cognitive development, achievement motivation, learning and play, learning through feeling, children's perspectives, constructivist education, mathematical knowledge, maps as tools, literacy development, imagination styles, and children with disabilities.

Several things were impressive about the book. It seemed as though the authors took pains to keep classroom teachers in mind. Offering research from both sides of unique and timely topics, the contributing authors suggest an array of activities to try in the classroom. The writers also gave some endearing vignettes from their personal research experience, which made the reading particularly enjoyable. Reviewed by Catherine A. Grubb, Doctoral Student, University of Alabama at Birmingham