Essentials Of Lifespan Development - 2026 Release

Expanded Research and Statistics. Across all chapters, the Canadian 2026 Release incorporates updated research, data, and Canadian statistics, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also highlights Indigenous research and the experiences of marginalized populations.

Enriched Coverage. The 2026 Release offers enriched coverage of existing topics where further research findings have become available.

AI Reader. Encourage discovery and boost understanding with AI Reader. Designed to facilitate active reading, AI Reader within McGraw Hill Connect provides students with AI tools to enhance their comprehension, retention, and critical thinking. Students can use AI Reader within the Connect eBook and/or SmartBook to highlight words or sections to see different explanations, create quiz-questions for self-study, copy helpful explanations to their notes, and follow citations to find the original context of the AI-generated explanation.

Evergreen™. Content and technology are ever-changing, and it is important that you can keep your course up to date with the latest content and assessments. That’s why we want to deliver the most current and relevant content for your course, hassle-free. McGraw Hill uses an Evergreen delivery model, which is a product delivery model and experience that provides customers with the most relevant and updated content, tools, and accessibility. Engage students and freshen up assignments with up-to-date coverage of select topics and new questions, all without having to switch editions or build a new course.

Essential Coverage. Santrock offers essential coverage that can be covered in one semester. There are 13 chapters, which are organized chronologically and cover all periods of the human life span, from prenatal through late adulthood and death.? 

Canadian Focused. Essentials of Lifespan Development offers robust Canadian content with a strong focus on issues that are important to Canadians. In addition to Canadian research and statistics, Santrock also includes Indigenous content, an emphasis on diversity, and examples from across Canada.

Quest: Journey through the Life Span. Available in Connect, this experiential learning game provides students with opportunities to apply content from their human development curriculum to real-life scenarios. Students play unique characters of various ages who make decisions by applying key concepts and theories for each age as they negotiate events in an array of authentic environments. Additionally, students are exposed to different cultures and the intersections of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes by analyzing real-world behaviours and environments. Also assignable in Connect are auto-graded, follow-up questions to reach a higher level of critical thinking.?

Milestones Video Module. Available in Connect, the McGraw Hill Milestones video series is a powerful tool that allows students to experience life as it unfolds, from infancy to adolescence and beyond. This groundbreaking, longitudinal video series tracks the development of real children as they progress through the early stages of physical, social, and emotional development in their first few weeks, months, and years of life. The Milestones video series also includes videos and interviews with adolescents and adults to reflect development through the entire?lifespan.? 

McGraw Hill Connect®. Predictive, Personal and Powered by AI. McGraw Hill Connect is an award-winning digital teaching and learning platform designed to empower students and streamline course management for instructors. With cutting-edge adaptive technology and AI-driven tools, Connect delivers personalized learning experiences that help students achieve their full potential. For instructors, Connect provides comprehensive reporting, actionable data, and valuable insights designed to amplify teaching. 

SmartBook®. Within Connect, students have access to SmartBook, McGraw Hill’s adaptive learning and reading resource. SmartBook creates a safe space for learning and confidence building, as students receive immediate and meaningful feedback to help guide their study. By prompting students with questions and assessing individual answers, SmartBook learns what a student knows and identifies which topics they need to practice, giving each student a personalized learning experience and path to success. 

ReadAnywhere® App. Read or study when it’s convenient with McGraw Hill’s free ReadAnywhere app. Available for iOS and Android smartphones or tablets, the ReadAnywhere App gives users access to McGraw Hill tools including the eBook and SmartBook or Adaptive Learning Assignments in McGraw Hill Connect. Students can take notes, highlight, and complete assignments offline—all their work will sync when connected to Wi-Fi. Students log in with their Connect username and password to start learning—anytime, anywhere!