Child Development, Second Edition: A Practitioner's Guide (Social Work Practice with Children and Families) [Hardcover]

Douglas Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 2004 | ISBN-10: 159385076X | ISBN-13: 978-1593850760 | Edition: Second Edition

This indispensable clinical resource and text helps readers understand the latest developmental knowledge and apply it in their work with children and families. The book begins with a framework elucidating the transactions between individual development and the child's wider environment, and emphasizing the crucial role of attachment. Key developmental processes and tasks from infancy through middle childhood are then discussed in paired chapters that respectively address how children of different ages typically feel, think, and behave, and how to intervene effectively with those who are having difficulties.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is indeed a practitioner's guide to child development. Davies presents frontier understanding of the complex interactions between child and experience that underlie all developmental achievements leading to both healthy and problematic child behavior. Combining advanced academic knowledge with applications to specific child problems, the author provides both students and those already involved in clinical work and intervention efforts a clarity of vision into how developmental symptoms arise and how they can be alleviated. This text is an excellent preparation for undergraduates and graduate students interested in understanding and improving the lives of children."--Arnold J. Sameroff, PhD

"I highly recommend this second edition for courses in child development or human behavior in the social environment. Although the text provides the depth and complexity required for graduate-level students, it could easily be adapted for use with undergraduates. The author expertly integrates knowledge of human development with practice examples and strategies, helpfully organized by developmental stage. Case studies are rich in complexity and cultural diversity, and provide challenging, realistic material for discussions and assignments. In particular, I appreciated the inclusion of multiple case studies involving child maltreatment and family violence, trauma, and parental substance use--all difficult but common issues that can profoundly affect child development and practice with children and families. The underlying risk and resilience framework offers a cutting-edge perspective on child development that resonates well with social work practice philosophies. Readable, well-organized, and engaging."--Kristen Shook Slack, PhD, MSW, School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"No one else writes about attachment and development with the wisdom and genuineness of Douglas Davies. This second edition has retained all the graceful writing and richness of content of its predecessor, but now has an expanded scope. Included are additional cross-cultural studies and case examples, many more descriptions of normal child behavior, references to current policy, and updates in all areas of developmental research. Of great significance is a detailed, comprehensive chapter on brain development that is both knowledgeable and clear. I find this book useful both in the classroom with graduate students and in clinical practice with families. When psychological writing unfolds with such ease and candor, when the information seems to flow from one subject to the next, you know you are reading the work of a gifted writer and clinician. An exceptional text."--Sallie Foley, MSW, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Michigan

"This new edition, while specifically aimed at those in social work, contains thought-provoking material for any student of child development. The new chapter on brain development updates and extends Davies's developmental pathways conception in useful ways, and the thorough vignettes help to engage students in consideration of what development looks like in actual life."--Katheryn East, EdD, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, College of Education, University of Northern Iowa

"I used the previous edition of this text in a cognitive development course for psychology doctoral students. Numerous students reported that the text was a tremendous resource both professionally and personally. The chapters are concise yet deeply informative and generate great discussions, and the author has a gift for helping students stay connected and stimulated. The coverage of brain development and other new topics in the second edition will make this text even more comprehensive and useful. In addition to graduate courses, I could see using this book in undergraduate courses as well."--Valerie Correa, PsyD, LMFT, School of Professional Psychology, Pacific University

From the Back Cover

This volume contributes in a very important and clear way to our understanding that a solid, thorough grasp of childhood development is crucial to appropriate clinical practice with children and their families. Davies embeds child development in a useful attachment paradigm as well as in a broad environmental context in which risk and protective factors are carefully and thoughtfully arranged. He traces the course of development in chapters that describe relevant issues and achievement in relation to age, and alternates these with chapters that illustrate the significance of that understanding to appropriate clinical practice. This helpful juxtaposition is transactionally enriching. Throughout, his clinical examples, brief and long, are compelling, intelligent, and continuously instructive (Jeree H. Pawl, PhD, Director, Infant-Parent Program, Department of Psychiatry, San Francisco General Hospital). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 478 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; Second Edition edition (August 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159385076X
• ISBN-13: 978-1593850760
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Child Develoment Text Available, November 3, 2006

By 

K. Vander Dussen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Child Development, Second Edition: A Practitioner's Guide (Social Work Practice with Children and Families) (Hardcover)

As a clinical psychologist and professor in a Clinical PsyD program I thoroughly endorse this book. This is a graduate level text and I can say with certainty that professors that utilize this book will produce students grounded in the topic. I have used this text in eight consecutive semesters and my students really love this book. It is easy to read, but sophisticated. Each chapter on a developmental stage is followed by case examples whereby developmental concepts are applied. Your students will have a thorough grounding in latest findings in child development and be able to translate this into their clinical work. I cannot say enough about the superiority of this text.
Kim Vander Dussen, Psy. D., RPT-S
Licensed Psychologist
Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor
Associate Professor, Argosy University, Orange County

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best textbook in my social work education, July 25, 2007

By 

J. Underwood (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Child Development: A Practitioner's Guide (Hardcover)

Douglas Davies's text is lively, intelligent, and somehow manages to be grounded in developmental/attachment theory AND the narrative, real-life details of case studies. His case studies bring the factual elements to life and make this a memorable read. In all honesty, I probably know 100 people who all agree that Davies's text was the finest textbook we have ever read. Highly recommended!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, October 25, 2005

By 

Yvonne Falk (Botkyrka, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Child Development, Second Edition: A Practitioner's Guide (Social Work Practice with Children and Families) (Hardcover)

As a school psychologist (ages 4 - 13), I have been looking for a book like this for years! It's much more elaborate than the standard books on child development and it's based on the latest research rather than on theories. It provides me with a rich fund of information that I use when assessing a child, especially younger children with social or emotional issues.
One thing that appeals to me in this book, is the emphasis on psychological processes. Diagnoses like ADHD are briefly discussed but Davies explains also how for example an environmentally based language delay can lead to problems with impulsivity.
Highly recommended!