By exploring what school readiness means in the context of work with very young children, program leaders can better understand how they can support the lifetime learning of infants and toddlers in their programs. This book, designed for infant-family program leaders, examines the important role that cognitive and social-emotional skills play in preparing children for school. The material is organized into six major sections: (1) "What is School Readiness for Infants and Toddlers?," defining the concepts of school readiness and explaining its linkage to seven critical social-emotional skills; (2) "How Very Young Children Learn," discussing how infant and toddlers construct knowledge in the context of relationships and through everyday routines and experiences; (3) "Early Literacy Skills in Infants and Toddlers," outlining the process by which children develop prereading and language skills; (4) "Early Numeracy Skills in Infants and Toddlers," presenting some ways to help children develop foundational mathematics skills; (5) "Social-Emotional Skills Make the Difference in School Readiness," highlighting the crucial role that social-emotional skills play in school readiness, adjustment, and success; (6) "How Does Culture Affect Development?," exploring the influence of culture on very young childrens development as well as on relationships between staff members and families; and (7) "Critical Connections: Linking Relationships and School Readiness," examining how relationships at all levels of the program (with supervisors, staff, and families) affect children's readiness to learn. The book concludes with recommendations for staff members and for program leaders for supporting school readiness. (Contains a 28-item bibliography and 14 additional resources.) (KB)