DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET ACKNOWLEDGMENTS F irst and foremost, I thank all of the teachers, center directors, education coordinators, home-visitors, parents, and children who participated in this project over the past several years. Without their participation, this project would not have been possible. In addition, I thank my research assistants who helped me collect and analyze data: Wilfredo Benitez, Dakota Cintron, Janet Sarpong, Jevonna Morrison, Diana Nora, Yusra Syed, and Shari Gardner. A special note of gratitude goes out to Yusra for envisioning the book cover. Third, I thank my colleagues who provided advice and suggestions through- out the development process: Debra Sullivan, Ginger Swigart, Laura Justice, Tricia Zucker, Tom Rendon, Brenda Coakley, and Elena Fultz. And I thank Quality Assist for working so diligently to create the online course that accompanies this book. Lastly, I am grateful to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for providing the finan- cial support to develop this project, which enabled my vision to come alive. Research Notes The transcripts in this book are derived from real-life classroom conversations across many early childhood programs in several states. The transcripts have been edited for clarity and ease of reading. The names of all the teachers and children who appear in the book have been changed. xi COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL