Reading Through the Coronavirus
My last post was about teachers feeling but I want to address the kids too.
Of course, our kids are sad. They want to be back in school, they want to be with their friends, and they are sick of their parents being their teachers (well most of them anyways).
I want to acknowledge that this is a lot for kids. It is a scary time. This is all students hear on the tv, adults discussing, and their world has been turned upside down. Kids can’t see their grandparents, hug loved ones, or play with their friends. School was supposed to be a safe space and now its considered dangerous. While we know social distancing is what is safest right now, we cant deny that this is going to create trauma and cause uncertainty for many children.
If you know me personally, you know I have a love for working with ‘tough’ behaviors. I thought that’s where I would end up and spent a lot of time working in therapeutic programs. When I did that I found a love for finding the perfect picture book.
So how does this connect? Well I wanted to put together a list of books that may help children through such an uncertain time. This list can be useful for parents and teachers alike. Whether you send read aloud links, read them aloud live, record videos for your kids, or send a link to parents, I hope these books help your students find peace.
I really love the “A Kids Book About” series. These are no nonsense books that I honestly wish existed when I was a kid. A Kids Book About Covid-19 is a free resource that is available to anyone with an email download. It comes in a variety of forms for printing or reading online. I find that the simplicity and kid friendly format helps students understand more about the Coronavirus while not scaring them or causing anxiety. Speaking of anxiety, I also would like to suggest the book A Kids Book About Anxiety. I got this book before this all started, and I had a specific student in mind. I could tell she had anxiety, her Mom (who worked in the field) knew she had anxiety, but the student herself was struggling as it was too much to process. As someone who discovered that her anxiety later on in life, I wish this book existed when I was a kid. I felt so understood and heard, and I think students will too. There is no denying that anxiety may be forming or appearing throughout and after this stressful time for kids. This book is perfect for helping kids understand what is going on. (If you decide to buy any books for here use the code ‘ROOM210’ for $5 off!
The next book I wanted to share is Rainbows in Windows. This is another free download available to everyone. My district actually shared this with all families! It is a book that teaches kids that while of course things are rough right now we are in fact all in this together. It also shares how and why we can put a rainbow in our window.
Another free book is Coronavirus A Book for Children this book I would suggest for upper elementary and middle school students! It provides much more information for kids but still in a fun way that is not overwhelming towards anxiety to read. It is a great teaching resource for kids (or adults) who want to know and understand the information but not be scared away.
Finally, in my research I found a few more books you may want to check out. I haven’t got to order and read all of these yet, but using my judgment they seemed like a good resource to share and I wanted to share them here with you as well. Full disclosure, these are attached through an Amazon affiliate link. So if you choose to buy one from my link, I may make a small commission.
Have you found any books that I didn’t? Have you used these with your kids? Do you want my recipe for the amazing quesadilla recipe that I made for lunch today (had to keep it light)? Leave me a comment below!
