Through these easy-to-implement, high-interest activities, children learn new and effective skills and behaviors for getting along with others and managing their own emotions.Social-emotional skills are fundamental to success in life, and children should be consistently helped to develop them.This rich and ready resource is packed with everything you need to bring these important skills to life with your group of kids. It's full of stimulating, enjoyable experiences that you can grasp at a glance and use immediately.Activities help children to: work collaboratively and considerately with others learn important aspects of communicating - listening, speaking, writing, and reading value and respect individual differences manage difficult emotions learn refusal and resistance skills activate positive esteem and self-awareness develop a sense of belonging

Learn from the Engagement Masters Education is a battle for attention. Whether you are a teacher trying to reach a classroom full of students or a parent trying to prepare your child for the world to come, getting our audience to just listen can be a real challenge. When students have access to personalized entertainment sitting in their pockets, anything that doesn't jump out and grab their attention right away is easily drowned out. But there is a place where even today all those modern distractions melt away--Disneyland. When you're there, you're not only in a different world, you're in Walt Disney's world. Whether you are Peter Pan flying over London in Fantasyland or a rebel fighter struggling against the First Order in Galaxy's Edge, you are 100% engaged. Sights, sounds and even smells ensure that your brain is locked into the experience. If we can bring those techniques into our teaching, we can create engaging experiences for our students, grab their attention, and boost their learning. You'll improve your teaching and create a place students want to visit. In this book we'll learn from the world's greatest engagement masters--the Disney Imagineers. Through narrative visits to attractions throughout Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, you'll experience a visit to the park as we share memories and see how the Imagineers make it all work. We'll be guided by Imagineering icon Marty Sklar's Mickey's 10 Commandments of Theme Park Design as we turn our classrooms into the most engaging places on Earth!

This exciting first-of-its-kind book helps after-school staff members support literacy development while staying faithful to the unique mission of being something other than "more school." The authors explain the role of after-school programs in literacy development and define aspects of literacy development. The book contains 72 fun and engaging activities for all levels of school-age readers

This volume focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL) from a variety of perspectives. The goal of the volume is to offer a clear framing of SEL in relation to other related out-of-school time concepts and initiatives. SEL has gained popularity as a concept in recent years and there remains confusion as well as great interest in the meaning and implementation of SEL in OST. Policymakers, researchers, and practitioners are pursuing work related to SEL in OST and this volume offers an opportunity to share that work by: - Defining and explaining SEL in a variety of out of school contexts and highlighting opportunities for integration and alignment with other fields (e.g., formal education) - Clarifying the language and framework confusion and honoring the field's foundation in thinking about social and emotional development through high quality youth development practice - Sharing information about current trends and new developments and how that work is shaping the field across the developmental continuum - Making the research to practice connection by including in each chapter foundational research on the topic, evidence of effective efforts, and practical implications - Offering recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers related to SEL in OST settings

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

For children and youth, summertime presents a unique break from the traditional structure, resources, and support systems that exist during the school year. For some students, this time involves opportunities to engage in fun and enriching activities and programs, while others face additional challenges as they lose a variety of supports, including healthy meals, medical care, supervision, and structured programs that enhance development. Children that are limited by their social, economic, or physical environments during the summer months are at higher risk for worse academic, health, social and emotional, and safety outcomes. In contrast, structured summertime activities and programs support basic developmental needs and positive outcomes for children and youth who can access and afford these programs. These discrepancies in summertime experiences exacerbate pre-existing academic inequities. While further research is needed regarding the impact of summertime on developmental domains outside of the academic setting, extensive literature exists regarding the impact of summertime on academic development trajectories. However, this knowledge is not sufficiently applied to policy and practice, and it is important to address these inequalities. Shaping Summertime Experiences examines the impact of summertime experiences on the developmental trajectories of school-age children and youth across four areas of well-being, including academic learning, social and emotional development, physical and mental health, and health-promoting and safety behaviors. It also reviews the state of science and available literature regarding the impact of summertime experiences. In addition, this report provides recommendations to improve the experiences of children over the summertime regarding planning, access and equity, and opportunities for further research and data collection.

The authors draw upon scientific studies, theories, site visits, nd their own extensive experiences to describe approaches to social and emotional learning for all levels.

This volume focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL) from a variety of perspectives. The goal of the volume is to offer a clear framing of SEL in relation to other related out-of-school time concepts and initiatives. SEL has gained popularity as a concept in recent years and there remains confusion as well as great interest in the meaning and implementation of SEL in OST. Policymakers, researchers, and practitioners are pursuing work related to SEL in OST and this volume offers an opportunity to share that work by: • Defining and explaining SEL in a variety of out of school contexts and highlighting opportunities for integration and alignment with other fields (e.g., formal education) • Clarifying the language and framework confusion and honoring the field’s foundation in thinking about social and emotional development through high quality youth development practice • Sharing information about current trends and new developments and how that work is shaping the field across the developmental continuum • Making the research to practice connection by including in each chapter foundational research on the topic, evidence of effective efforts, and practical implications • Offering recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers related to SEL in OST settings ENDORSEMENTS "The social and emotional development of our nation's youth is a common, essential concern of those working in school and out of school. This volume will be the catalyst for long overdue conversation, collaboration, and synergy. It is essential reading for practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in both contexts who are concerned with preparing children for the tests of life, and not a life of tests." ~ Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Co-director, Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools and After School Settings "Having spent all of my adult life working with, and advocating for, high-quality youth programming, I understand the critical role out-of-school-time (OST) programs play in the social and emotional development of young people. As the Executive Director of the New York State Network for Youth Success, I am thrilled to see such a comprehensive view of current best practices and research on social-emotional learning (SEL) in OST programs. It is exciting and encouraging to see so much documented progress with SEL in OST condensed into one comprehensive book that furthers understanding of both research-informed practices and systems building around policy. This book, edited by two leading researchers in the field, Elizabeth Devaney and Deborah Moroney, should be required reading for any practitioners, policy makers, and educators in the field. Both the editors' and contributors' emphasis on making SEL an "intentional practice" is the exact conversation we all should be having right now." ~ Kelly Malone Sturgis, Executive Director, New York State Network for Youth Success "Social Emotional Learning and Out-Of-School-Time: Foundations and Futures is an extremely important and timely publication. The scope and depth of this work makes it a must read for any serious out-of-school-time or K-12 educator. In 2014 California identified social emotional learning as the most promising bridge to bring coherence between expanded learning programs and the school day. (A Vision for Expanded Learning in California – Strategic Plan 2014-2016) I have found this to be the exact case. All across California, school day and out-of-school-time professionals are having deep and authentic conversations about youth centered collaborative efforts. We also know that providing social emotional development opportunities is a corner stone for any high quality out-of-school-time program. I plan to share this publication widely with K-12 educators, policy makers, parents and so many others." ~ Michael Funk, Director, Expanded Learning Division, California Department of Education Book reviews: Journal of Youth Development: Book Review—Social and Emotional Learning in Out-of-School-Time: Foundations and Futures Youth Today: Outstanding Insights About SEL in OST in Major Book

Mo Romero is a zombie who loves nothing more than growing, cooking, and eating vegetables. Tomatoes? Tantalizing. Peppers? Pure perfection! The problem? Mo's parents insist that their niño eat only zombie cuisine, like arm--panadas and finger foods. They tell Mo over and over that zombies don't eat veggies. But Mo can't imagine a lifetime of just eating zombie food and giving up his veggies. As he questions his own zombie identity, Mo tries his best to convince his parents to give peas a chance. Super duo Megan and Jorge Lacera make their picture--book debut with this sweet story about family, self--discovery, and the power of acceptance. It's a delectable tale that zombie and nonzombie fans alike will devour.

The burgeoning multidisciplinary field of social and emotional learning (SEL) now has a comprehensive and definitive handbook covering all aspects of research, practice, and policy. The prominent editors and contributors describe state-of-the-art intervention and prevention programs designed to build students' skills for managing emotions, showing concern for others, making responsible decisions, and forming positive relationships. Conceptual and scientific underpinnings of SEL are explored and its relationship to children's and adolescents' academic success and mental health examined. Issues in implementing and assessing SEL programs in diverse educational settings are analyzed in depth, including the roles of school- and district-level leadership, teacher training, and school-family partnerships.