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A Mindset for Learning book. Read 20 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. This book is a gem: vivid, fun and thoughtful. It's like si...

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Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand. "Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives." This book is going to change the way you see your life. just

Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I

Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?"

Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own past, understanding through experience the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma and adversity at a young age. In conversation throughout the book, she and Dr. Perry focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It's a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it's one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future-opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.

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What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

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What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Kindle edition by Winfrey, Oprah, Perry, Bruce D.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing.

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self talk handout from A Mindset for Learning (1)

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"What Happened to You?" A Conversation with Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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Reviewed by Rethinking Schools

Review Source: Rethinking Schools
Book Author: Jacqueline Woodson

This powerful, lyrical picture book speaks directly to the children who are its intended readers, describing those familiar moments when a child may be marked as an outsider among their peers because of their home language, or the color of their skin, or the "different" food they bring for lunch. The soft, evocative illustrations introduce us to characters who live these situations alone, before realizing that they can connect across, and because of, the identities and experiences that make them unique. This book could be used to foster meaningful personal connections and anchor discussion about community in younger elementary grades.

Publisher's Synopsis: Jacqueline Woodson is the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone. There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.
There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.

Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael López's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.

(This book is also available in Spanish, as El Día En Que Descubres Quién Eres!)

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The Day You Begin - Social Justice Books

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Reviewed by Rethinking Schools Review Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: This powerful, lyrical picture book speaks directly to the children who are its intended readers, describing those familiar moments when a child may be marked as an outsider among their peers because of their home language, or the color of their skin, or the "different" [...]

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Rain! [Ashman, Linda, Robinson, Christian, Calvo, Carlos] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Rain!

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Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina: 9781536230673 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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The 2020 Jumpstart Read for the Record Selection (2.24 million readers) * An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book * A Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year…

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Teachers can help students in preschool and the early elementary grades use mindfulness to find calm when they feel overwhelmed.

Mindfulness is more than just a buzzword-it's an important well-being practice that has made its way into our schools, and it's likely here to stay. Practicing mindfulness with students supports strengthened emotion regulation, higher cognitive functioning, and better behavior in school, to name just a few benefits.

One of the central practices of mindfulness meditation is mindfulness of breath. This essentially involves focusing on the act of breathing, either through counting breaths, labeling them with words like "breathing in, breathing out," or paying attention to the sensations in the body. There's a reason why you may instinctively tell a child to "take deep breaths" when they are scared or overwhelmed. Slowing down the breath can help to reduce stress, and paying attention to how we breathe helps us to become more aware and focused.

Mindful Breathing Activities for Young Learners

Becoming still and focusing inward on the breath has the potential to aid student learning and well-being. The problem with this practice for those of us who teach young children is the word "still." For many young children, sitting still and paying attention to breathing may seem downright boring. To be effective, it's important to demonstrate to them that mindfulness is a tool, not a punishment. It's possible to bring the benefits of breath practice to our younger learners in ways that honor their innate curiosity and creativity.
Courtesy of Kailyn Fullerton
Belly buddies: When we feel scared or nervous, our breathing is often shallow and quick. Belly breaths help us ensure that air is filling up all the way down to our stomach. Having something tangible is helpful for children to visualize the idea of breath. Making belly buddies is a simple way for this particular type of breathing. Simply give each child a plain rock and invite them to personalize it with decorations.

When each student has their own special belly buddy, they can be invited to lie down with their "buddy" on their stomach and watch it rise up and down as they guide their breath in and out of their belly. This works nicely with some calming music playing as they breathe.

Counting breaths: To create a simple tool to count breaths, children can string beads onto a small pipe cleaner. I usually have them choose five beads to put on, and then we practice sliding one bead each time we count a breath. Breathe in, breathe out, slide. Breathe in, breathe out, slide.
Courtesy of Kailyn Fullerton
Playing with the breath: There are so many chances to invite playfulness into breath exploration. Years ago, I invested in beautiful breathing cards. From Spider-Man breathing to rainbow breathing, they provide suggestions for how to add movement and role-play into a simple breathing exercise. Once my students have explored many different types of breaths, I offer them a chance to create their own.

They always come up with a whole deck of new breathing cards that we can use together in class! You could also sign up to get free resources and ideas for some thematic breathing exercises to include in your students' brain breaks.

Another great way to be playful with the breath is to bring in bubbles and feathers (while being mindful of pandemic protocols). What happens when you blow bubbles with a big, deep breath versus a short, quick breath? What's the best breath to keep a feather in the air? Or to make it travel farther?

Artistic representations of breath: Ask your students, "What does breathing look like?" and invite them to represent their ideas with watercolors, pastels, loose parts, or other intelligent materials. You'll be amazed at the richness that emerges as children have the time to explore their ideas with materials. In my class, we always follow with a reflective conversation afterward for children to be able to share their story of breathing.
Courtesy of Kailyn Fullerton
Glitter jars: Fun to make and more fun to play with, glitter jars are introduced in the warm and friendly book Moody Cow Meditates. When children shake the glitter jar, you can discuss how it represents the busyness of all the thoughts and emotions in your brain. As they breathe slowly, they can watch and feel how both the glitter and their thoughts settle. These jars are a visual reminder of how taking time to focus on breathing can help us to feel calmer in our brains and bodies. The book contains a recipe, but here's another simple one.

Your turn: These joyful mindful breathing practices will not only be fun for your students but also help them to cultivate the benefits of mindfulness. But these practices will be more impactful when your students know that they are meaningful for their teachers. Those same benefits that mindful breathing brings to students are also present for us as educators. For a chance to be more present, reduce stress and burnout, and feel more compassion, it all starts with the breath. There are also some wonderful apps to help you get started on your journey.

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Creative Ways to Teach Breathing Practices to Young Learners

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Teachers can help students in preschool and the early elementary grades use mindfulness to find calm when they feel overwhelmed. Mindfulness is more than just a buzzword-it's an important well-being practice that has made its way into our schools, and it's likely here to stay.

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For children who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), co-regulation is at the heart of teaching-and of discipline. These children need assistance regulating their nervous system before they can learn new coping strategies and understand the consequences of their choices and decisions.

We don't hesitate to teach our students the reading or math skills they need to be successful, and emotional and behavioral skills should be no different. Students with ACEs may come to school having little experience with impulse control and emotional regulation. They may struggle with paying attention. These are executive function skill sets our students need to be academically, socially, and emotionally successful.

The strategies described here are Tier One strategies in a Response to Intervention model for discipline and engagement. Co-regulation is beneficial for all students, and these brain-aligned preventative strategies aid all students in regulating their responses and developing relationships. They can be a part of our procedures, routines, morning meetings, and bell work, easing all transitions throughout the day.

Strategies for Helping Young Students Regulate Their Responses

1. Incorporate rhythm. Our hearts beat in rhythms, we sleep and live in rhythms, and our breath has a cadence that can regulate our nervous systems. When these rhythms are missing, our sensory and motor systems can be compromised.

At the center where I work, we model rocking movements before rest or naptime or during transitions. Children follow the teachers as we sway back and forth to soft music or to the sound of a quiet voice. These rocking exercises help the children quiet down and refocus or prepare for quiet time.

We also bring in rhythm by having the children mimic the pattern set by a leader using paint sticks or drumsticks. We can vary this drumming from soft to loud, slow to fast, and even move our bodies as we drum together.

Children can also listen to the beat of a piece of music and use crayons to draw how they visualize and imagine the beat with colors and shapes of different sizes.

2. Have students take a sensory bath. This is a class favorite. In the mornings, we gather a group of three or four children in one area of the room with their own bath loofahs, a large beach towel, and a tube of lotion. Students can take their loofah and press on their arms and legs, pretending to scrub and clean, or they can choose an adult to give the sensory bath.

I model this activity by pretending to step into a tub. Then we sit down and sing, "We're taking a brain bath, a brain bath, a brain bath, / We're taking a brain bath to help us feel _____," and students choose different words to fill in a sensation or feeling: happy, bubbly, fresh, clean, peaceful, etc. Once we pat the loofah up and down our arms and legs, we pretend to carefully step out of the tub.

One at a time, we wrap each child tightly in the beach towel while rocking back and forth or side to side and continuing to sing. This time we sing about drying off and feeling ready for the day. Students can then opt to get a drop of hand lotion to massage on their hands before leaving the area with three deep breaths as they enter their day of learning.

Addressing the sensory and motor systems of these young children helps them regulate their nervous system so learning can occur.

3. Use a singing bowl. Patterned, repetitive activity that works with our body's rhythms and senses is calming to a child's nervous system. The Tibetan singing bowl is a part of our morning circle time-students listen to the sound the bowl creates and we collectively try to match that sound.

We follow this with three deep breaths and then take turns playing the bowl, matching the sound and increasing our breaths to five or six long inhales and exhales. Sometimes we play the bowl and students close their eyes and listen to the tone until they can't hear it any longer. When this happens, they raise their hands in the air.

Some children may be sensitive to these sounds, so it's important to pay close attention to each child's response and adjust this activity as needed.

4. Walk the lines. Movement and breath calm the nervous system. We've created an adjustable labyrinth of colorful lines, shapes, and mazes with various types of foot work and animal walks that the children follow-walking, hopping, crawling, or skipping as indicated. We model the crab walk along the purple line, for example, and then the students follow. The students love to lead this exercise and often design patterns of movement that we mimic.

This regulation strategy gives us a deep look into students' balance and gross and fine motor skills. We're also able to see their levels of frustration and how they respond to mistakes by redirecting their movements.

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Teaching Self-Regulation in the Early Grades

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For children who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), co-regulation is at the heart of teaching-and of discipline. These children need assistance regulating their nervous system before they can learn new coping strategies and understand the consequences of their choices and decisions.

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Miss Jessica's World - Where Kids Learn New Things

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Boom Chicka Boom | Sing-a-long | Dance Song for kids | Action Song for kids | Miss Jessica's World

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Action Songs, Fingerplays and More - LittleStoryBug

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How to calm a stressed kid? A one-minute video can help, according to Stanford researchers

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A Stanford study shows that taking a few slow, deep breaths significantly reduces children’s physiological arousal in everyday settings.

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From time to time, our favorite little people can find themselves up against big emotions. Whether it's a squabble with a sibling or not being allowed to have a cookie before dinner, frustration and anger can bubble to the surface, and chances are it won't be at the time or place of your choosing.

And while these situations might be unpleasant for you, imagine how difficult it is for someone who doesn't know how to handle them. When tempers begin to flare, breathing exercises are one of the most effective calming strategies for kids who are dealing with difficult emotions.

Anyone who has ever tried it can tell you there's a lot of power in a deep cleansing breath. For kids, deep breathing is a great way to get them to focus on something else in the moment rather than "the thing" (or things) that are making them sad, mad, or frustrated. Moreover, breathing calms children by physically slowing them down. To practice deep breathing, they must stop whatever they are doing to complete the exercise.

Some of the documented benefits of deep breathing include:

Breathing exercises for kids

When it comes to deep breathing exercises for kids, the key is to make these exercises fun and easy to remember when things feel topsy-turvy. The following breathing exercises use imagery that appeals to children, and language they will have no trouble understanding.

Remember that when you introduce these mindful breathing exercises to your kids, be sure to do so outside of an emotionally charged situation. Instead, introduce these breathing exercises during calm moments when your child will be receptive to the information and willing to practice them along with you. Preparing them ahead of time will leave them better equipped to handle situations when they arise - even when you're not around.

Smelling Flowers

Tell your little one to imagine they are smelling a flower, breathing in deeply through the nose and out through the mouth. Smelling flowers is one of the easiest breathing exercises to master, and a good starting point for your child.

The Bunny Breath

Just like a little bunny in the garden, encourage your child to take three quick sniffs in through the nose, and one long exhale out through the mouth.

Blow Out Candle

Have your child blow out the candles on a make-believe birthday cake, drawing a deep breath in through the mouth, and blowing it out strong through the mouth as well.

The Snake Breath

Tell your child to pretend he/she is a snake and hiss, inhaling deeply through the nose and blowing out through the mouth with a soft and low hissing sound.

Blowing Bubbles

Remind your child how softly they need to blow to get a nice big bubble. Encourage them to take a deep breath in and blow it out soft and long.

Smell The Flower And Blow Out The Candle

Have your child pretend that he/she has a flower in one hand and a candle in the other. The first step is smelling the flower, taking a deep breath in through the nose, and filling the lungs with air. Next, have your child exhale and blow out the candle in the other hand.

BumbleBee Breath

Have your child sit comfortably and inhale through their nose, keeping their mouth closed. Next, with their mouth still closed, have them make a humming or buzzing noise (like a bumblebee) as they exhale. Your child can also cup their hands around their ears to amplify the buzzing sound.

Deep Belly Breath

Have your child place one hand on their belly and one hand on their chest. Let them take a deep breath in for four counts and then exhale slowly (through their nose) for four counts. Remind them to pay attention to the rise and fall of their chest and belly as they complete the exercise.

Tumble Dryer

Have your child sit cross-legged and get comfortable. Have them point their index fingers toward each other in front of their mouth. After your child inhales deeply through the nose, have them exhale through their mouth and swirl their fingers around as they do so (like a tumble dryer). The fun part of this is the swishy noise they'll hear as they exhale.

Dragon Fire Breaths

Have your child interlace their fingers under their chin, and as they inhale, have them raise their elbows as high as they can around their neck and face. On the exhale, have them lower their elbows back down.

Hot Air Balloon Breath

For the hot air balloon breath, have your child sit comfortably and cup their hands around their mouth. Have them inhale deeply, and on the exhale (through their mouth), prompt them to expand their hands outward, as if they are blowing up a giant hot air balloon.

Shoulder Roll Breath

Shoulder roll breaths are a great breathing exercise for kids. They have the added benefit of releasing tight muscles and tension. Have your child sit comfortably. As they take a deep breath in, encourage them to roll their shoulders up toward their ears. Have them drop their shoulders back down on the exhale.

If none of the techniques above hold your child's attention, this short, guided breathing exercise with Pipsi from Moshi may be able to help.

Deep breathing exercises can help kids to reset, self-regulate, and respond to stress in a healthier way. But it's important for parents to remember that mindful breathing isn't necessarily intuitive, particularly in moments of frustration. Often when your child is angry, frustrated, or anything but calm, you'll have to remind them to breathe deeply.

When you do so remember the following:

Get down to their level

Getting down to your child's eye level signals to them they have your full attention. When you get down to your child's level, make eye contact, and speak softly. Your message is more likely to be heard and received.

Find a quiet space

If a meltdown happens in the middle of a playground or a birthday party, the stimulation from your child's surroundings won't be conducive to returning them to a state of calm. Do your best to remove your child from the situation. Find a quiet space to talk to your child and do some mindful breathing.

The good thing about these breathing exercises for kids is that they don't cost a thing, and they can be used anywhere at any time. While these breathing techniques are effective for calming your child in anxious moments, they're also effective for getting your child to settle down before bedtime.

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12 Fun and Easy Deep Breathing Exercises For Kids

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The key to deep breathing for kids is to make the exercises fun and easy to remember. These breathing exercises are perfect for all ages.