With increasing numbers of children suffering emotional, educational, and social failure on entering school, the years from five to seven have returned to prominence in developmental psychology. This volume collects state of the art research on child behavior in the school transition years.

Leading researchers in neurology, sociology, anthropology, education, and psychology assess what is now commonly known as the five to seven year shift. They consider how development is influenced by changes in neurobiological subsystems; cognition, emotion, and self-concept; concerns with peers and families; and school and cultural practices. They find that important transitions in behavior and environment do take place in this period, and are best described in terms of the qualitative increase in complexity due to interactions among ecological systems.

This volume increases our understanding of both child development and the study and treatment of children at home and at school. It will interest researchers, clinicians, and students of psychology and education.

How do children develop an understanding of future events? In this state of the art review of two decades of empirical and theoretical work, leading researchers in developmental psychology and neuroscience explore what is known about the development of future-oriented processes.

Following Marshall Haith's seminal studies on early infant anticipation, this collection begins with a survey of current knowledge about the early development of expectations. Addressing both the state of neural research in this field and the role of language and social context in the development of future orientation, the authors discuss the nature of planning in action, future orientation in humans and in nonhuman primates, and the development of intermediate and long-term expectations with regard to cognitive skills and scientific activity.

Combining developmental and cognitive perspectives, this volume will interest professionals in developmental psychology, child development, and neuropsychology.