Child development is a holistic process multiply determined by complex interactions of individual and environmental properties. It is becoming increasingly obvious that child development cannot be understood by common data analysis procedures, where data are aggregated over individuals into some group-level forms, fragmented studies of relationships between a few variables torn out of the context of the whole, and studies that are either cross-sectional or conceptualize development as a quantitative change. This collection of empirical studies aims at understanding child development in early primary school by applying a consistently systemic, person-oriented developmental approach. An immensely complex web of developmental relationships between cognitive and non-cognitive processes in educational settings is emerging in the synthesis of the empirical contributions to this book.

Contents:
Aaro Toomela: Systemic Person-Oriented Approach to Child Development: Introduction to the Study - Kristina Seepter: Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Influences of Peers, Teacher's Knowledge and Parental Expectations on Pupils' Achievement: Impact on Low-, Average- and High-Ability Pupils - Krista Uibu/Eve Kikas/Kristiina Tropp: Teaching Practices, Their Dynamics, Associations with Self-Reported Knowledge and Students' Language Achievement - Piret Soodla/Eve Kikas: Teachers' Judgement of Students' Reading Difficulties and Factors Related to Its Accuracy - Mairi Männamaa/Eve Kikas: Cognitive Profiles and their Stability in Different Academic Performance Groups for Math and Language - Margit Tago/Aivar Ots: Pupils Who Speak a 'Wrong Language': Bilingual Children's Academic Achievement in Submersion Education - Anu Palu/Eve Kikas: The Types of the Most Widespread Errors in Solving Arithmetic Word Problems and Their Persistence in Time - Eve Kikas: Motivational Orientations, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Their Bias, and Achievement - Aivar Ots: Why Do Some Children Enjoy Attending Unpleasant Schools? - Grete Arro: Children's Self-Reflection and Personality and Their Relationships with Cognitive Ability and Academic Success - Eva-Maria Kangro: Role of Reflection-Ability in Children's Self-Regulation - Marja-Liisa Mailend: The Role of Academic Achievement and Physical Attractiveness in Students' Social Preference and Rejection - Aaro Toomela: Systemic Person-Oriented Study of Child Development in Primary School: Methodological and Substantial Issues.

The Editor: Aaro Toomela is Professor of Neuropsychology at Tallinn University (Estonia). His research interests cover all the main fields of psychology - cognitive, developmental, cultural, social, personality, biological, evolutionary, and applied - as well as philosophy, history and methodology of psychology. He has authored scientific papers in all these fields. He is a member of the editorial boards of several journals (including European Journal of School Psychology and Culture and Psychology).