Hi Kathleen,
Here is a list of picture books about inclusion in general with a whole variety of topics, so they are all somehow related to developing empathy, but from a lot of different angles. And they are for a variety of age groups between 2 - 10. And some are better at diverse visual representation than others...
All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome, by Kathy Hoopmann
All In The Woodland Early, by Jane Yolen
All Kinds of Strong, by Sharon Reiss Baker
Always Room for One More, by Sorche Nic Leodhas
Arnie and His School Tools, by Jennifer Veenendall
Big and Little are Best Friends, by Michael Garland
Bubble Gum Brain: Ready, Get Mindset...Grow! by Julia Cook
But Names Will Never Hurt Me, by Bernard Waber
Coat of Many Colors, by Dolly Parton
Come With Me, by Holly M. McGhee
Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
Don't Call Me Special, by Pat Thomas
Don't Laugh At Me, by Steve Seskin
Do Unto Otters, by Laurie Keller
Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson
Feathers and Fools, by Mem Fox
Grandfather and I, by Helen E. Buckley
Grandmother and I, by Helen E. Buckley
Growing Peace, by Richard Sobol
Hannah's Way, by Linda Glaser
Have You Filled A Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud
Hello World! By Manya Stojic
Horrible Bear, by Ame Dyckman
I Can Be Anything!, by Diane Dillon
If You Plant A Seed, by Kadir Nelson
I'll Wait Mr. Panda, by Steve Antony
I'm in Love With A Big Blue Frog, song by PPM
I See Things Differently, by Pat Thomas
Inside Asperger's Looking Out, by Kathy Hoopmann
It's Okay to Make Mistakes, by Todd Parr
Listen to the Wind, by Greg Mortenson
Little Blue Truck, by Alice Schertle
Last Stop On Market Street, by Matt De La Pena
My Friend Isabelle, by Eliza Woloson
My Mouth Is A Volcano, by Julia Cook
No Two Alike, by Keith Baker
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink, by Jane Yolen
Otis and the Scarecrow, by Loren Long
Quick as a Cricket, by Audrey Wood
Red and Yellow's Noisy Night, by Josh Zelig
Rock What Ya Got, by Samantha Berger
Safe in a Storm, by Stephen R. Swinburne
Say Hello!, by Linda Davick
Say Hello! By Rachel Isadora
Stand In My Shoes, by Bob Sornson
The Color of Things, by Vivienne Shalom
The Colors of us, by Karen Katz
The Crayon Box That Talked, by Shane DeRolf
The Empty Pot, by Demi
The Invisible Boy, by Patrice Barton
The Kindness Quilt, by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
The King With Six Friends, by Jay Williams
The Mitten String, by Jennifer Rosner
The Name of the Tree, by Celia Barker Lottridge
The Nice Book, by David Ezra Stein
The Only One Club, by Jane Naliboff
The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson
The Peace Book, by Todd Parr
The Rooster Prince of Breslov, by Ann Redisch Stampler
The Shady Tree, by Demi
The Shema In the Mezuza, Listening to Each Other, by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
The Way I Feel, by Jana Cain
The World Turns Round and Round, by Nicki Weiss
Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts
We All Sing With the Same Voice, by J. Philip Miller
We Can Get Along: A Child's Book of Choices, by Lauren Murphy Payne
Welcome, by Barroux
We're All Special, by Arlene Maguire
We're All Wonders, by R. J. Palacio
What Do You Do With A Problem? By Kobi Yamada
What's The Difference, by Doyin Richards
Whose Garden Is It? By Mary Ann Hoberman
Why Does Izzie Cover Her Ears, by Jennifer Veenendall
Personal Space Camp, by Julia Cook
What Does It Mean to Be Kind? by Rana DiOrio
Yaffa and Fatima, by Fawzia Gilani-Williams
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Joanie Calem
Music and Inclusion Specialist
Sing Along
Columbus, OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2021 02:35 PM
From: Kathleen Raymond
Subject: Challenging Behavior in 3 year old
Hi Joanie,
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I am do glad to see that I am not the only parent to go through this. I do wonder too if he is bored or if he isn't getting enough activity and movement through the day. He is in an older classroom of 3-5 year olds so I wonder if they reduced how much the students move in the classroom because they are older. He moved up from a Beginnings classroom where he had none of these issues which of course leads me to think it is the environment.
I have contacted a counselor that the school uses to have him observed by an impartial party to see if they can find a common trigger or reason for his behavior.
Thank you so much for the book recommendation! I will look it up. The more information I have the better! Do you have any recommendations for picture books I can read with my son about empathy, kindness, friendship, love, etc to start the conversation with him on taking care of our friends and family?
Kate
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Kathleen Raymond
Woodbine MD
Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2021 10:11 AM
From: Joanie Calem
Subject: Challenging Behavior in 3 year old
Hi Kathleen,
I can totally empathize! It was my son's similar behavior 23 years ago that set me off learning about sensory processing disorder (at that time it was called sensory integration dysfunction) and expanding my teaching role from just teaching kids music to teaching teachers about sensory processing disorder.
I agree with a lot of the other responses that you received that the school doesn't sound like a great fit for your son - both for their policy of sending him to the director's office and then home, but also the expectation that he will work independently, probably on his own mat, for a certain amount of time that might be proscribed by their classroom/age expectation. (Ironically my son also attended a Montessori school and it didn't work for him because he was/is a very active kinesthetic learner and needed more leeway in terms of learning styles and paces.) I personally love the Montessori approach, but like anything else it doesn't work for everyone and it is also implemented in different ways by different teachers and schools, so there is never a one-size-fits-all reality.
As someone else said, your son may well be bored, looking for contact with other kids and interactive learning, need to move etc
I would definitely see if you can also explore the areas of sensory processing that he may need support with. The scenario that you are describing is one that could fit into a few sensory areas, and can easily be supported and redirected by a teacher who has some understanding of sensory processing differences and strategies to help kids learn how to be part of a community setting while also learning about themselves and their own behavior.
Generally Occupational Therapists are the people that you would go to for a full blown assessment, and you could speak to your pediatrician about a referral. But I would do some reading first on your own to see if anything of what I am saying even rings true for you and your son. A great book to start with, I think the book that broke this area open for teachers, is called The Out of Sync Child. Real easy read and really helped me back when my guy was 3. Also feel free to contact me if you would like to just talk it through with someone!
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Joanie Calem
Music and Inclusion Specialist
Sing Along
Columbus, OH
Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2021 02:07 PM
From: Kathleen Raymond
Subject: Challenging Behavior in 3 year old
Hello!
I am hoping to find some professional advice as well as any others who have been through a similar situation.
My son is currently attending a primary classroom of 3-5 year olds in a Montessori school. He has been displaying some challenging behavior at school by randomly walking up to his classmates and hitting or kicking them. His teacher reported that this usually occurs when he isn't focused on his work and is wandering the room. He has been sent the office many times for this behavior. I also see hitting and throwing at home but usually of the frustrational variety, not normally random. I have sat down with both his teacher and the head of the school to talk about his behavior and what we can all do to help stop it and turn it more positive, providing suggestions of what works at home, what he likes and is interested in.
Today, he had been working on his assigned work when he walked over to another classmate and scratched him with a push pin (the friend was working on push pin art). He was then sent to the office and the head of the school called me to take him home. She has asked that he remain at home until Monday.
I am feeling very disappointed, ashamed and saddened by the situation. If any of you have any advice, ideas, suggestions of something we can try both here at home and at school, I would be very open to hearing it.
Thank you for your time.
Kate
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Kathleen Raymond
Woodbine MD
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