Children and Their Development, Canadian Edition, 6th edition
Published by Pearson Canada (March 25, 2025) © 2026
  • Robert V. Kail
  • Anne M.C. Barnfield

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.

New and updated features of this title

  • The sixth Canadian edition has further improvements to the Canadian perspective, highlighting work by Canadian researchers and including more on the Canadian social and cultural perspectives. In updating this resource, we have added new citations and references to research published since the fifth edition. 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 Peoples and their particular situations, issues, and views. We have also added new content to every chapter.
  • UPDATED:
    • Chapter 1 has some revision of descriptions of theories in child development, with additional information on cultural influences in explanation of the theories. We have also added a section on ethical considerations when conducting research with Indigenous Peoples
    • Chapter 4 includes additions to the section on nutrition, including a section of new information on issues facing Indigenous Peoples regarding healthy growth for children. There is also new information about eating disorders, including body image disorder and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic related to a rise in the prevalence of eating disorders in adolescents. Recent research regarding delayed synaptic pruning’s effects on brain-related disorders is noted.
    • Chapter 8 has updates to the information on emotional intelligence in children. The “Cultural Influences” feature has been revised to include updated and additional information on Indigenous Peoples’ concepts regarding traditional skills and caring for nature and the earth. The acknowledgment of the need for culturally appropriate IQ testing is also now discussed, and there is further information on the effect of stereotype threat on test-taking outcomes and interpretation of test scores.
    • Chapter 13 has been reorganized and revised throughout, with explanation of gender, gender roles, and gender identity, including new coverage of gender development in transgender children. There is also much new information on socializing influences such as parents, teachers, and the media, and a new section has been added on Two-Spirit individuals and parenting.
    • Chapter 14 contains updated material and references, including recent information regarding divorce and custody, socioeconomic status, implicit bias in classrooms, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other social influences. There are also updates to Canadian statistics and some additional information on cultural variations in parenting style.

Key features

Important Digital Assets in Revel

  • MyVirtualChild. Bringing developmental practices to life, MyVirtualChild is an interactive simulation that allows students to virtually raise a child from birth to age 18 and monitor the effects of their parenting decisions over time. By incorporating physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development at several age levels, MyVirtualChild helps students think critically as they apply their course work to the practical experiences of raising a virtual child. MyVirtualChild includes current and modern-day scenarios as well as an updated interface with new avatars. You can access MyVirtualChild within Revel, or separately at www.myvirtualchild.com.
  • Truth and Reconciliation in Psychology. This module invites you to learn about reconciliation promotion with Indigenous Peoples. Dr. Natasha Wawrykow is a member of the Skuppah Band, Nlaka’pamux Nation. She resides as a visitor on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen peoples, as well as, the land of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEC peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. Dr. Wawrykow is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Victoria. Through her role as Department of Psychology Indigenization Advisor, she supports Indigenous community-driven research topics and counselling opportunities that promote reconciliation and prosperity for the Indigenous community.
  • Videos. Video topics range from discussions of contemporary research to personal stories of individuals’ struggles with and triumphs over the challenges associated with each phase of the lifespan.
  • Recent Research Boxes. Bring currency into your classroom with author-written content that connects key concepts with real-life current events. Annually our authors add new or revised content or data to ensure that your students have relevant examples to help them engage with the course.

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 Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University and Visiting Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan. His undergraduate degree is from Ohio Wesleyan University, and his Ph.D. is from the University of Michigan. Kail was editor of Child Development Perspectives, Psychological Science, and Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. He received the McCandless Young Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, was named the Distinguished Sesquicentennial Alumnus in Psychology by Ohio Wesleyan University, is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, and is an honorary professor at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He has also written Scientific Writing for Psychology: Lessons in Clarity and Style and, with John C. Cavanaugh, Human Development: A Life-Span View. Away from the office, he enjoys travel and learning to speak German. Tschüss!

Anne M. C. Barnfield is a Full Professor and Professor Emerita of Psychology at the former Brescia University College, University of Western Ontario. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of London, UK, and her Ph.D. is from the University of Sussex, UK. Barnfield has been a manuscript reviewer for the journals Personality and Individual Differences, Perceptual and Motor Skills, and the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin and an editor for the Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) HETI Journal: International Research and Practice. She is a member of the HETI Ethics Taskforce and Research and Education Committee, the APA Human-Animal Interaction Division, and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. 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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