Thanks to Jessi from the Chippewa Falls Public Library for this blog post!
Have you heard about the
Pyramid Model? The Pyramid Model provides a visual way to
think about intentionally supporting the mental health needs of young children
as a matter of public health. Children who grow up in supportive, nurturing
environments are more likely to be on track developmentally in other areas, be
socially aware and competent, and do well in school.
In the same way that
many libraries have been
focusing on building awareness of early literacy, public health and early
childhood agencies in Wisconsin have been focusing on building awareness of and
providing training on the importance of supporting mental health from birth
onwards, both to parents and caregivers and to other agencies that work with
young children. Like …libraries!
Not surprisingly, supporting early literacy and
social-emotional wellness can go hand in hand.
Reading together already supports parent/child bonding, but parents can
take things a step further by highlighting emotions in what they are
reading. Stories are a great tool for
helping children recognize, understand and manage their own emotions.
With support from the
Children’s Legacy Luncheon Fund of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, MORE
system libraries now have available to their patrons kits to help facilitate
that social-emotional learning. The kits
are called Power Packs and live at the Chippewa Falls Public Library. They come in a clear children’s backpack
which contains 2-3 books, a toy/game/hands-on activity, a parent resource guide
and feelings magnet sets that patrons may keep!
Available
themes include: Everybody Needs a Friend, I’ve Got the Power (problem solving
and making good choices), I Was So Mad! , I Can Do It! , I’m Not Scared!, My
Many Moods , I Feel Good!, Growing Up is Hard Work and Sometimes I’m Sad.
Labels: child development, collection development, early childhood, kits, social and emotional development