ORGANIZATION OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA

The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence is a comprehensive reference work addressed to those interested in human development from birth through adolescence, including students of child development, teachers, health care providers, child psychologists, family counselors, education professionals, academics, and parents. Entries were designed to be both accessible to readers with limited knowledge of the subject and authoritative.

Respected child psychologist Jerome Kagan, Daniel and Amy Starch Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, served as executive editor of the encyclopedia. He was assisted in the design of the encyclopedia by a panel of editorial advisors from the fields of education, health care, family counseling, and child psychology, reflecting the diverse fields and disciplines encompassed by the encyclopedia.

Signed entries were prepared by some of the leading experts in child development. Entries range from short to lengthy (over 5,000 words), providing the student or professional in child development with a concise understanding of the subject while still being accessible to the interested general public.

The majority of the entries offer suggestions for further study, including books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, organizations, and in some cases, websites. Entries are illustrated with photos, graphs, charts, or tables where appropriate.

Survey articles cover the primary stages, key theories, and issues in child development. Name entries profile prominent scholars/theorists in child development, with emphasis on their contributions to the field. Other entries define terms and concepts from health care, education, and developmental psychology of interest to people who work with or care for children. Also included are entries on consumer products and mass electronic media aimed at children.

Entries are cross-referenced and thoroughly indexed. A bibliography provides a comprehensive listing of sources for further study on a wide range of topics for further study.

Entries are alphabetically arranged in a single sequence.
Length of entries ranges from brief explanations of a concept in one or two paragraphs to longer, more detailed entries on more complex theories and concepts.
A brief definition of the entry term appears in italics and precedes the body of the entry.
Illustrations and sidebars accompany many of the entries to enhance the reader's understanding of the subject covered.
Further study sections are included to point readers to other helpful sources.
See also references are provided at the end of some entries to point readers to related entries.
Cross-references placed throughout the encyclopedia direct readers to entries that include subjects without their own entries.
A comprehensive general index completes the work, and guides readers to the people and concepts covered in the book.