iii About the Author Celia A. Decker is a former professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She taught courses in early childhood education, child development, and family relations. Dr. Decker was coordinator of graduate studies in early childhood education. Before her position at Northwestern State University, she taught college courses at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M at Commerce) and at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Dr. Decker also taught public school kindergarten in Kansas City, Kansas. In addition to writing this text, Dr. Decker coauthors Parents and Their Children with Verdene Ryder. Dr. Decker has also published other books, numerous chapters in books, and articles. She presents papers at national and state annual meetings of professional associations, such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Southern Early Childhood Association, Association for Childhood Education Inter- national, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, and the Society for Research in Child Development. She does extensive consultant work for Head Start, Even Start, and local school systems. During her years of teaching, Dr. Decker was named to Who’s Who in Child Development Professionals, Who’s Who in Personalities of the South, Who’s Who in American Women, and the World’s Who’s Who in Education. In 1994, she was selected as the Outstanding Professor at Northwestern State University.