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Children and Their Development, Canadian Edition, 5th edition

Published by Pearson Canada (12 January 2021) © 2022

  • Robert V. Kail Purdue University
  • Anne M.C. Barnfield Brescia University College, U.W.O

Title overview

For courses in Child Development.

Children and Their Development provides a solid, research-oriented overview of child-development science. Organized topically and in modules, this text focuses on research and theory while making the material accessible for students through effective pedagogy. It uses fundamental developmental issues as a foundation for integrating studies and for demonstrating how complementary research methods work together. It also demonstrates that the results of child-development research can be used to enhance the lives of children and their families.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Cultural Influences shows how culture influences children and illustrates that developmental journeys are diverse. All children share the biological aspects of development, but their cultural contexts differ. This feature celebrates the developmental experiences of children from different backgrounds.
  • Children's Lives shows how research and theory can be applied to improve children's development. These practical solutions to everyday problems show the relevance of research and theory to real life, and show how results from research are used to create social policy that is designed to improve the lives of children and their families.
  • Focus on Research provides details on the design and methods used in a particular research study. Closely examining specific studies demystifies research and shows that scientific work is a series of logical steps conducted by real people.

The 5th Canadian edition of Kail will retire on June 1, 2026. Please speak to your rep about updating your course to the new 6th Canadian edition.

New and updated features of this title

  • The fifth Canadian edition has further improvements to the Canadian perspective, highlighting work by Canadian researchers and including more on the Canadian social and cultural perspectives. Demographic information and statistics, such as birth rates, have been revised where new information exists. There has also been an active attempt to include more information on Canada's Indigenous populations (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples) and their particular situations, issues, and views.
  • UPDATED:
    • Chapter 3 has updated Canadian information with new material on environmental pollutants and water contamination issues, particularly regarding First Nations communities. 
    • Chapter 4 includes additions to the section on nutrition, including information on issues regarding access to “wildfoods” and related food insecurity for Indigenous Peoples.
    • Chapter 5 has revised coverage of face perception, particularly regarding face perception issues in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Table of contents

  1. The Science of Child Development
  2. Genetic Bases of Child Development
  3. Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn
  4. Growth and Health
  5. Perceptual and Motor Development
  6. Theories of Cognitive Development
  7. Cognitive Processes and Academic Skills
  8. Intelligence and Inliidual Differences in Cognition
  9. Language and Communication
  10. Emotional Development
  11. Understanding Self and Others
  12. Moral Understanding and Behaviour
  13. Gender and Development
  14. Social Influences

Author bios

ROBERT V. KAIL is a Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. His undergraduate degree is from Ohio Wesleyan University, and his PhD is from the University of Michigan. Kail is editor of Child Development Perspectives and the editor emeritus of Psychological Science. He received the McCandless Young Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, was named the Distinguished Sesquicentennial Alumnus in Psychology by Ohio Wesleyan University, and is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He has also written Scientific Writing for Psychology: Lessons in Clarity and Style. His research focuses on cognitive development during childhood and adolescence. Away from the office, he enjoys photography and working out.

ANNE M. C.BARNFIELD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Brescia University College. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of London, UK, and her PhD is from the University of Sussex, UK. Barnfield is a manuscript reviewer for the journals Personality and Individual Differences, Perceptual and Motor Skills, and the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin. She is a member of the Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) Ethics Taskforce, APA Human-Animal Interaction Division, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science. Her research focuses on the beneficial influences of sport participation for children, particularly those with special needs, and applications of Equine Assisted Therapy, with a focus on anxiety disorders. Away from the office, she enjoys karate, archery, and horseback riding.

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