Resources

Please use these resources to learn more about the Connect! Program and/or to engage with your child(ren) on a daily basis. These are some of our favorite resources that have been fundamental in our research, learning and curriculum creation.

Quotes from Linda Lantieri, Founder of Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

 “When social and emotional skills are taught and mastered, they help children succeed, not only in school, but in all avenues of life. Numerous studies have found that young people who possess these social and emotional skills are in fact happier, more confident, more capable as students, family members, friends and workers and at the same time, they are far less prone to drug or alcohol abuse, depression or violence.” Building Emotional Intelligence (18)

“This new focus on teaching children contemplative practices moves some of the key elements of emotional intelligence into a deeper dimension. Self- awareness takes on a new depth of inner exploration; managing emotions becomes self-discipline; empathy becomes a basis for altruism, caring and compassion. …Far from being marginal or irrelevant, attention to building our children’s emotional intelligence and inner lives will help us foster the compassion, insight, and commitment to ourselves and each other that will be necessary to tackle the deep emotional, social, political, and spiritual dilemmas of our time. (140)

Resources for Parents

Below is a list of books we read to the children at Connect! organized by themes. They are worth rereading at home! Some of the books fall under several themes, so they may be listed a few times. Happy reading!

Exploring Kindness

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein

Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg

Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat by Patricia Reilly Giff

Building Resiliency

All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan

A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood

Right Now I Am Fine by Daniela Owen

You Matter by Christian Robinson

When Sophia Gets Angry by Molly Bang

Strengthening Attention and Self Awareness

Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery

Now by Antoinette Portis

Say Something by Peggy Moss

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

Maybe by Kobi Yamanda

The Lemonade Hurricane by Licia Morelli

Only One You by Linda Krantz

Bear By Himself by Geoffrey Hayes

Time of Wonder by Robert McClosky

Mountain Dance by Thomas Locker

Water Dance by Thomas Locker

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Helen Berger

Tiny Perfect Things by M.H. Clark

When Sophie Thinks She Can’t by Molly Bang

Maddi’s Frdge by Lois Brandt

Navigating Emotions

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

Right Now I Am Fine by Daniela Owen

The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo

Sometimes I’m Bombaloo by Rachel Vail

When Sophia Gets Angry by Molly Bang

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen

Back to School For Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Koala Lu by Mem Fox

On Monday When it Rained by Cherryl Kachenmeister

Fruits and Veggies Making Faces by Angela Y. Russ-Ayon

Fiona Flamingo by Rachael Urrutia Chu

When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt by Molly Bang

Horrible Bear by Ame Dyckman

The Color Monster by Anna Llenas

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoet

Jamaica Tag-Along by Juanita Havill

Learning About and From One Another

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

Fritz and the Beautiful Horses  by Jan Brett

People by Peter Spier

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

Maddi’s Frdge by Lois Brandt

Healthy Kids by Maya Ajmera, Victoria Dunning & Cynthia Pon

Compassion for Self and Others

Alice the Fairy by David Shannon

When Sophia Thinks She Can’t by Molly Bang

The Secret of Water by Masaru Emoto

Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg

Franklin’s Valentines by Paulette Bourgeois & Brenda Clark

Silver Linings by Fiona Woodcock

Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise by Diane Stanley

The Little Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Seed of Compassion by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat by Patricia Reilly Giff

We Are All in This Together

Big Sister, Little Sister by Charlotte Zolotow

Amos and Boris by William Steig

What Do People Do All Day? By Richard Scary

Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein

Jamaica Tag-Along by Juanita Havill

You Matter by Christian Robinson

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

Little Beaver and the Echo by Amy MacDonald

I Am Human by Susan Verde

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Building a Better World

Outside In by Deborah Underwood

A Handful of Quiet by Thich Nhat Hahn

Tiny Perfect Things by M.H. Clark

I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoet

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow

I Am Enough by Grace Beyer

Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer

Once Upon Another Time by Charles Ghigna + Matt Forrest Esenwine

What’s Up, What’s Down by Lola M Schaefer

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

Other Books Pertaining to the Above Themes

The Cat Who Wore a Pot on Her Head by Jan Slepian and Ann Seidler

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco

The Wonderful Happens by Cynthia Rylant

Right Now, I Am Brave by Dr. Daniela Owen

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers

The Blue Scarf by Mohamed Danawi

A Friend is Someone Who… by Marilee Joy Mayfield

Building Emotional Vocabulary

At Connect! we will be introducing some words to describe emotions that go beyond “good” and “bad”.  A broader, more specific emotional vocabulary helps students identify what is happening inside and take better control of their actions. It is easier to manage emotions when a child has words to accurately describe inside feelings.

At home, you can talk about these words, make faces “illustrating” these feeling words, talk about how some of the words are similar, and encourage the use of these words from your family members. Have fun with the words so they can be readily available when your children need/want to communicate their feelings.

Joyful

Caring

Lonely

Frustrated

Worried

Excited

Content

Loving

Friendly

Gloomy

Scared

Pleased

Empathetic

Miserable

Impatient

Annoyed

Nervous

Proud

Mischievous

Goofy

Serious

Cheerful

Fearful

Thrilled

Disappointed

Bashful

Glad

Uneasy

Angry

Ashamed

Relieved

Amused

Surprised

Upset

Afraid

Patient

Confused

Terrified

Calm

Restless

Embarrassed

Cranky

Confident

Insecure

Timid

Grouchy

Comforted

Alarmed

Anxious

Grateful

Irritated

Barbara taught us the following song by The Alternate Routes. You can search YouTube and find many different recordings of the song. 

Nothing More by the Alternate Routes

To be humble, to be kind,

It is the giving of the peace in your mind.

To a stranger, to a friend….

To give in such a way that has no end.

We are love,

We are one,

We are how we treat each other when the day is done.

We are peace,

We are war,

We are how we treat each other and nothing more.

To be bold, to be brave;

It is the thinking that the heart can still be saved.

And the darkness can come quick;

The Danger’s in the Anger and the hanging on to it.

We are love,

We are one,

We are how we treat each other when the day is done.

We are peace,

We are war,

We are how we treat each other and nothing more.

Tell me what it is that you see

A world that’s full of endless possibilities?

Heroes don’t look like they used to, they look like you do.

Ooo ooo ooo

We are love,

We are one,

We are how we treat each other when the day is done.

We are peace,

We are war,

We are how we treat each other and nothing more.

We are how we treat each other and nothing more.

We are how we treat each other.