This book is factual and very informative without being too technical. It's also a wealth of information taken from many contributors. If you are wanting to be the best teacher you can be, I feel that this book is a must. Everyone always focuses on the developmental side of education. This book examines the value of a child's social competance as well allowing a child to learn and grow to become the best adult he/she can be.

If you are in early childhood education and you haven't read Lilian Katz, you've missed a major intellectual development opportunity. The book gathers in one place those wonderful explorations of thought that we have come to value so much. These articles have been instrumental in shaping my profesional development by not only provoking thought but also by providing support with the tough issues. For the benefit of children, Dr. Katz tackles topics and traditions that others won't touch. In this one volume you get her challenge to meaningful development of self-esteem, her exploration into the differences between being a teacher and a mother, her drawing of the line between excitement and education, and her stages of teaching. The latter I carry in my briefcase for ready sharing with teachers. If this is the first opportunity you have had to become acquainted with the thoughts of Lilian Katz, it will change forever the way you teach and how you look at children and learning.