Exploring Lifespan Development (2nd Edition)
Laura E. Berkis a distinguished professor of psychology at Illinois State University, where she has taught human development to both undergraduate and graduate students for more than three decades. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in child development and educational psychology from the University of Chicago.  She has been a visiting scholar at Cornell University, UCLA, Stanford University, and the University of South Australia.     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, includingChild Development, Developmental Psychology, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Development and Psychopathology,andEarly Childhood Research Quarterly.Her empirical studies have attracted the attention of the general public, leading to contributions toPsychology TodayandScientific American. She has also been featured on National Public Radio’sMorning Editionand inParentsMagazine,Wondertime,andReader’s Digest.     Berk has served as a research editor forYoung Childrenand a consulting editor forEarly Childhood Research Quarterly.Currently, she is an associate editor for theJournal ofCognitive 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 forThe Many Faces of Psychological Researchin the Twenty-First Century(Society for the Teaching of Psychology); the article on social development forThe Child: An Encyclopedic Companion; the article on Vygotsky for theEncyclopedia of Cognitive Science; and the chapter on storytelling as a teaching strategy forVoices of Experience: Memorable Talks from the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology(Association for Psychological Science).     Berk’s books includePrivate Speech: From Social Interaction to Self-Regulation;Scaffolding Children’s Learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education; Landscapes ofDevelopment: An Anthology of Readings;andA Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool:Presenting the Evidence.In addition toExploring Lifespan Development,she is author of the best-selling textsChild DevelopmentandInfants, Children, and Adolescents,andDevelopment Through the Lifespanpublished by Allyn and Bacon. Her book for parents and teachers isAwakening 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 one-to-one 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.