Berk has published widely on the effects of school environments on children's development, the development of private speech, and most recently, the role of make-believe play in development. Her research has been funded by the U.S. Office of Education and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It has appeared in many prominent journals, including Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Development and Psychopathology, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Her empirical studies have attracted the attention of the general public, leading to contributions to Psychology Today and Scientific American. She has also been featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition and in Parents Magazine, Wondertime, and Reader's Digest. Berk has served as research editor for Young Children and consulting editor for Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Currently, she is an associate editor of the Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology. She is a frequent contributor to edited volumes on early childhood development, having recently authored chapters on the importance of parenting, on make-believe play and self-regulation, and on the kindergarten child. She has also written the chapter on development for The Many Faces of Psychological Research in the Twenty-First Century (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), the article on social development for The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion, the article on Vygotsky for the Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science, and the chapter on storytelling as a teaching strategy for Voices of Experience: Memorable Talks from the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (Association for Psychological Science). Berk's books include Private Speech: From Social Interaction to Self-Regulation, Scaffolding Children's Learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education, Landscapes of Development: An Anthology of Readings, and A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting the Evidence. In addition to Infants, Children, and Adolescents, she is author of the best-selling texts Child Development and Development Through the Lifespan, published by Allyn and Bacon. Her book for parents and teachers is Awakening Children's Minds: How Parents and Teachers Can Make a Difference. Berk is active in work for children's causes. In addition to service in her home community, she is a member of the national board of directors and chair of the central region advisory board of Jumpstart, a nonprofit organization that provides early literacy intervention to thousands of low-income preschoolers across the United States, using college and university students as interveners. Berk is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division, 7: Developmental Psychology.

I. Theory and Research in Child Development 1. History, Theory, and Research Strategies The Field of Child Development Basic Issues Historical Foundations Mid-Twentieth-Century Theories Recent Theoretical Perspectives Comparing Child Development Theories Studying the Child II. Foundations of Development 2. Biological and Environmental Foundations Genetic Foundations Reproductive Choices Environmental Contexts for Development Understanding the Relationship Between Heredity and Environment 3. Prenatal Development Motivations for Parenthood Prenatal Development Prenatal Environmental Influences Preparing for Parenthood 4. Birth and the Newborn Baby The Stages of Childbirth Approaches to Childbirth Medical Interventions Birth Complications Precious Moments After Birth The Newborn Baby's Capacities The Transition to Parenthood III. Infancy and Toddlerhood: The First Two Years 5. Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood Body Growth Brain Development Influences on Early Physical Growth Learning Capacities Motor Development Perceptual Development 6. Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood Piaget's Cognitive-Developmental Theory Information Processing The Social Context of Early Cognitive Development Individual Differences in Early Mental Development Language Development 7. Emotional and Social Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood Erikson's Theory of Infant and Toddler Personality Emotional Development Temperament and Development Development of Attachment Self-Development IV. Early Childhood: Two to Six Years 8. Physical Development in Early Childhood Body GrowthInfluences on Physical Growth and HealthMotor Development 9. Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Piaget's Theory: The Preoperational Stage Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory Information Processing Individual Differences in Mental Development Language Development 10. Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood Erikson's Theory: Initiative vs. Guilt Self-Understanding Emotional Development Peer Relations Foundations of Morality Gender Typing Child Rearing and Emotional and Social Development V. Middle Childhood: Six to Eleven Years 11. Physical Development in Middle Childhood Body Growth Common Health Problems Health Education Motor Development and Play 12. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood Piaget's Theory: The Concrete Operational Stage Information Processing Individual Differences in Mental Development Language Development Children's Learning in School 13. Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood Erikson's Theory Self-Understanding Emotional Development Understanding Others: Perspective Taking Moral Development Peer Relations Gender Typing Family Influences Some Common Problems of Development VI. Adolescence: The Transition to Adulthood 14. Physical Development in Adolescence Conceptions of Adolescence Puberty: The Physical Transition to Adulthood The Psychological Impact of Pubertal Events Health Issues Motor Development, Sports Participation, and Physical Activity 15. Cognitive Development in Adolescence Piaget's Theory An Information-Processing View of Adolescent Cognitive Development Consequences of Abstract Thought Sex Differences in Mental Abilities Language Development Learning in School Vocational Development 16. Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence Erikson's Theory: Identity versus Identity Confusion Self-Understanding Moral Development Gender Typing The Family Peer Relations Problems of Development At the Threshold 17. From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood A Period of Unprecedented Exploration Cultural Change and Emerging Adulthood Development in Emerging Adulthood Risk and Resilience in Emerging Adulthood