Children's Understanding of Biology and Health [Paperback]

Uses theory and research to examine children's understanding of biology and health.This book presents a unique and fresh examination of children's understanding of biology and health. Each of the contributors views children's understanding in these areas to be to some extent adaptive to their well-being and survival and considers whether young children are capable of basic theorising and understanding of health and illness topics ranging from babies to the elderly. Combining theory and practice this book will appeal to an international audience of advanced undergraduate and post-graduate students and professionals in areas such as education, child welfare, medicine and law.This book presents a unique and fresh examination of children's understanding of biology and health. Each of the contributors views children's understanding in these areas to be to some extent adaptive to their well-being and survival and considers whether young children are capable of basic theorising and understanding of health and illness topics ranging from babies to the elderly. Combining theory and practice this book will appeal to an international audience of advanced undergraduate and post-graduate students and professionals in areas such as education, child welfare, medicine and law.This book provides the first state-of-the-art examination of children's understanding of biology and health. Authors based in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia review and evaluate children's understanding of birth, life and death, their knowledge of contamination and contagion as well as processes related to food, digestion, and pain. The chapters tightly focus on the connection between research and practice in examining the implications for communication about diseases such as HIV and for children's medical and therapeutic decision-making.1. Introduction Michael Siegal and Candida Peterson; Part I. Development of Biological Understanding: 2. Young children's understanding of mind-bodyl3=