1st Edition
Cultivating Resilience in Early Childhood A Practical Guide to Support the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young Children
Written to support the use of the Thought Bubbles picture books, this guidebook has been created to help teachers and practitioners initiate ‘nurturing conversations’ and cultivate resilience in young children.
Early identification of mental health and wellbeing needs by those who spend the most time with the children is key to offering the support vulnerable children need. This series takes a proactive approach to mental health support, creating a culture of trust and resilience long before crisis point is reached. Based on the author’s extensive research and wealth of experience, this guidebook will help start the conversation, showing the reader what to do and say early on in a child’s life, to help influence the way that they experience the world in the future.
This book:
- Offers practical, low-cost actions that can be easily adapted to suit different environments and contexts.
- Explores key topics such as effective listening, communication, relationships and environments.
- Is designed to facilitate the effective use of the four Thought Bubbles picture books, supporting the practitioner to elicit nurturing conversations.
Designed to be used in a range of childcare settings, this book is an essential resource for all those who care for and educate young children.
Preface Acknowledgements Introduction A Child in Mind Chapter 1 Changing the ‘At Risk’ Trajectory Chapter 2 A New Measure of Risk and Competency Chapter 3 The Provision of Physical and Mental Space Chapter 4 A Participatory Pedagogy Chapter 5 A Listening Pedagogy Chapter 6 Nurturing Environments Chapter 7 Nurturing Relationships Chapter 8 Nurturing Conversations Chapter 9 A Change in the Balance of Power Chapter 10 Practical Actions Glossary Bibliography
Biography
Louise Jackson is a teacher, trainer and author who draws on her direct experience of working with children in schools to develop educational materials that are designed to promote participation, relationships and conversation. She has worked on ‘closing the gap’ projects with national charities, local authorities, schools, children’s centres and training organisations to address educational disadvantage, finding new ways to build capacity and resilience across early childhood services and local communities.
Privileged to have worked alongside many inspirational teachers, practitioners and volunteers in educational settings where vulnerable children are thriving, Louise seeks to capture in her research and writing what it is that makes the difference for young children. Working in collaboration with illustrator Katie Waller, she has created a series of books and practical tools which will help local communities, parents, practitioners and teachers understand the valuable role they can all play in cultivating resilience in early childhood.
