By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris
Welcome to the -ber months: September, October, November, and December! Most people celebrate the start of a new year in January. Not me. I graduated from library school more than 15 years ago, but the start of the school year is still the start of my personal new year.
For a lot of young kids, it’s the same! September brings new routines, new classes, new teachers, and new classmates. It can be the big transition into kindergarten or a move into a new preschool classroom.
Below, find videos and books to help ensure a smooth start to the new school year.
Watch these videos
Changes, big and small, can cause big feelings (for kids and grownups!). Get some tips on handling and processing those feelings.
Kids use play to learn, integrate what they’ve been feeling and experiencing, and bond with friends or caregivers. Times of transition are a perfect time to get down and play with your kids and see how they are processing the changes.
Some kids act out when they have big feelings, but others keep things inside. You can help kids feel all their feelings like Jenny does for Ruthie in this video. Helping kids describe how emotions feel in their body is a great way to guide them in processing them.
When things get hard, try these ten co-regulating strategies.
Share these books
Even though school has already started, it can take weeks for routines to develop. Until the routines feel safe, kids can be worried or nervous. Here are some great books about big feelings, new classes, and making friends.
- Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series features books on worries, jealousy, fibs, not fitting in, and more.
- Daisy the Daydreamer has ADHD and sometimes has a hard time in class. But she and her teacher work together to find the best way for her to learn.
- Gibberish is the story of a boy who has just moved to America and doesn’t know English, until someone reaches out across the language barrier. Your child might have classmates who aren’t fluent in English, and this is a great book to share with them about how to become friends.
- Penelope Rex loves school, but her classmates don’t love how she likes to eat them. Your child or their classmate may not be a T. rex, but this is a great story to share with kids who might like to take a little chomp when feeling big feelings.
- School’s First Day of School is a story about starting a new school—from the point of view of the school building! Is the school the only one with jitters?
- Your Name Is a Song celebrates the beauty of names from around the world and the importance of honoring them for teachers and children.
- The Day You Begin shows different children worried about a new school for different reasons. We all feel like an outsider sometimes, and we can be brave and try something new anyway.
Here’s to a successful and healthy school year!
About Shelley
Shelley is a children’s librarian with a passion for early literacy, serving and celebrating the disability community, and exploring technology. She can often be found practicing storytime songs with her black lab, Bingo.