Books for Pre-K/TK

Delilah Can't Decide

Delilah Can't Decide helps children who struggle with decision-making anxiety by modeling the self-regulation skills needed to cope with worry and move forward. When Delilah's family splits up and takes two different hiking trails, she must decide which path to follow. The choice feels impossibly difficult, until she pauses to breathe and move her body, which helps her let go of her stress. Written by a therapist and mom, this lyrical and engaging story includes creative activities to get kids moving using the social and emotional learning (SEL) skills of breathing and gentle movement. It's a perfect addition to any home, classroom, or therapy office bookshelf.

There's Research for That

Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools

Written by leaders in the field of neurodiversity-affirming education, Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools empowers educators to help neurodivergent students thrive. It offers an accessible introduction to the history, context, science, and culture around neurodiversity and neurodivergence. Additionally, it contains concrete strategies for building school and classroom environments that support neurodivergent students.Chapters include tables and sidebars to help readers retain and reference important information. This book also provides real-world flavor in the form of vignettes of neurodivergent students and how educators support them. These features allow readers to contextualize what they've learned and feel confident as they implement change.

Positive, Proactive, Prosocial Behavior Management

Positive, Proactive, Prosocial Behavior Management gives K-5 teachers tools to build relationships with students, manage behaviors, and help students develop appropriate social-emotional skills. It offers a solution for teachers who struggle to meet educational goals because disruptive behaviors take up their time and attention.The first half of this book presents background information and research on prosocial skills and student behavior. It empowers readers to identify when behavior change is appropriate and when other considerations, such as culture and neurodiversity, may be relevant. The second half is a how-to manual that offers easy, effective ideas for reducing problematic student behaviors and building prosocial skills.

The Empathetic Classroom

The Empathetic Classroom goes beyond typical books on teacher well-being, focusing on holistic mindsets and strategies that support mental health in K-12 teachers and their students alike. Written by a teacher-turned-therapist, this approachable book uniquely offers a mental health perspective on classroom teaching. Maria Munro-Schuster shares tools for focusing on mental health in everyday practiceTeachers will benefit from sound advice on maintaining boundaries, confronting intrusive thoughts, responding to trauma, incorporating play into classrooms, and many other methods of remaining connected to themselves and their students. The conversational tone and relatable stories make this an easy, entertaining read.