…and don’t we all need to breathe a little right now?
This beautiful book by Dr. Melissa Munro Boyd is fully named:
B Is For Breathe
The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings”
Dr. Melissa Munro Boyd is a Clinical Psychologist and United States Army officer who works with behavioral health disorders and patients with PTSD.
As a clinician, the autor integrates various calming strategies into this inviting picture book, which includes pictures of children of various races and cultures.
From taking a nature walk to creating a vision board, and from reading a good book to practicing yoga, this book introduces 26 coping skills for children to try when they are feeling upset.
During remote learning, I found my second graders showing many uneasy feelings, including frustration, isolation and anxiety. I read this book aloud to my class (virtually) to present them with a variety of calming options for when they felt unsettled.
Students said:
I want to try making a glitter jar because I really miss the calming corner in our classroom”
We have done that muscle relaxing thing in gym!”
Sometimes when I’m upset, I crawl under my covers with a flashlight and read a book.”
A great choice for all elementary school classrooms, this book opens up the conversation of what we can do when we feel upset. In the era of COVID-19 and with many changes coming to the beginning of the school year, get your hands on this book!