PREFACE<br > I n the preface to the third edition of A Child s World， we described the<br > way this hook continues to devclop~just as do Vicky and Jason， the typ-<br > ical children you will come to know well through these pages. In some<br >ways， this fourth edition of this book is much like the earlier editions~iust<br >as children of any age continue to display many of the same characteristics<br >they were born with. Yet there are some important differences. In addition to<br >keeping up with the newest research in a rapidly expanding discipline， we<br >have sharpened our focus in several areas.<br >Our Aims for This Edition<br >Our ultimate goal for this edition remains the same: to make the study uf<br >child development come alive for those of you with a professional interest in<br >children， for those of you who have an intellectual curiosity about the way<br >we all develop from conception through adolescence， and， of course， for those<br >of you who will be rearing children or have already raised your families.<br > One way we work toward this goal is by telling stories about "Vicky" and<br >"Jason --incidents from the lives of real children (most of whom are children<br >the authors know welll which illustrate important principles in child devel-<br >opment. Another way is by otfering many specific examples instead of vague<br >or abstract generalities. A third way is by continuing to present the most<br >important theories and research findings in the field， always with a special<br >emphasis on how they can be used. We know that you want to know how<br >