There are no faster or firmer friendships than those formed between people who love the same book.
Welcome to the Inspired Minds ECE Book Club…. where book lovers get to share their passion with other book lovers! Each month we will review a different book related to early learning and child care.
Join me on the 4th Sunday of each month, at 11:00am, MST, for a relaxing way to start the day; with a tea/coffee and a book chat on geeky and informative ECE books! Don’t leave me talking to myself! Join the chat, have a laugh and learn some cool things about early learning and development! We will get together on Zoom!
Contact Tina for the zoom link for the LIVE Book chat! tina@inspiredmindsecc.ca
Books are not available for purchase through Inspired Minds ECC.
January 2021
Richard Louv exposes the connection between direct exposure to nature and it’s impact on child development in this thought provoking book, Last Child in the Woods. He offers the studies and research that support his concept of ‘nature deficit disorder’ and provides how we can ensure that the children in our care thrive in the outdoor world. The practical solution and simple ways to heal this lost connection with nature is easy for any early childhood provider to implement.
- What natural places do you have access to in your community?
- How many local flora and fauna can you identify?
- How can you create more natural, direct, hands-on experiences for your children? you? your family?
- What is your opinion of the attachment theory used in relation to children and nature?
- What obstacles do you experience with trying to provide direct experiences with nature? Cultural? Institutional? Structural? Personal? Fear?
- How can you overcome these obstacles?
- How do you plan to rediscover your own sense of joy, excitement and wonder with nature?
- What books do you read with children about nature? What local books do you have about nature?
- How can you build on children’s natural curiosity about the outdoors? What loose parts can you add? What risks are you willing children to take? What type of supervision are you comfortable with?
- What environmental community groups can you connect with in your community? How can you increase your relationship with these groups from one-offs to regular connections?
LIVE Book Chat ended
February 2021
Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators delivers exactly what it says – practical strategies for educators to support children who have experienced trauma. This book really gets to the roots of how we as educators, need to adopt reflective practices to understand the impact trauma has on young children’s brains, behaviours, learning and development. Educators will get some great tips and tricks and strategies that will improve their teaching practices and really become attuned to the children’s needs.
- How familiar are you with trauma informed practices? ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) studies?
- What are your next steps to becoming more trauma informed? What resources are available in your community to support this?
- Does your workplace currently support a TIP culture? If so, how?
- What methods have you used to try to keep children in their zone of optimal arousal?
- How do you attune to children’s needs and feelings? What strategies do you think will work?
- Do you tend to follow a child into dysregulation or lead the child back into regulation? How?
- How do you support and implement a strength based perspective? How has this helped change the image of the child for you?
- Can you identify the triggers of the children in your care? Somatic symptoms? reaction behaviours (Fight, Flight or Freeze)?
- How do you ensure you self-reflect and bring a sense of calm to the child before you approach them during a difficult experience?
- How do you promote sensory literacy in your program? Emotional literacy?
- How do you engage in self-care? How often?
- What was your biggest take-away from this book? What will you share with others? What are your next steps?
- How do you plan to communicate with families to be more trauma informed? What questions may you ask parents during this pandemic to see how it’s impacted their family and their child.
LIVE Book Chat Ended
March 2021
Play Today is all about exploring the creativity that happens through imaginative play experiences and how it’s more than just having fun; but how it contributes to children’s development. The intentional educator will get tips and tricks of how to support creative expression through play and transform their environment onto rich and rewarding spaces for children.
- What does creative play look like to you?
- Recall a time that the children in your program re-created life experiences through dramatic play. What were the roles? Actions? Events? Conversations? Feelings? Who were they imitating? What variations of the play experience did they express?
- How do you set the stage for purposeful play experiences? How do you ensure this is child-led and child initiated?
- What open-ended materials do you provide in your dramatic play space? How has this impacted children’s play in this space?
- How do you facilitate creative expression of feelings through creative art experiences?
- How have you needed to adapt your space and materials in your creative play spaces due to the pandemic?
- What life-size and real world objects do you include in your dramatic play space?
- How do you support gender inclusivity and cultural inclusivity in your dramatic play space?
- How can you enhance your prop boxes for creative play?
- What are your beliefs on open-ended creative art play experiences for young children? What do you know about the benefits and the science behind providing open-ended art experiences for children? How can you learn more?
- Identify some unique features of your creative arts play space.
- How can you ensure you are not interjecting in children’s creative play experiences and become a facilitator or co-player?
Sunday, March 28, 2021
11:00AM, MST
April 2021
Daniel Siegel does it again in this amazing book, No-Drama Discipline, as he identifies the link between a child’s neurological development and how we, as educators, react to this behaviour. Redefining the ‘d’ word to change our perspectives and approaches towards children’s behaviour, Siegel outlines how to build connection and redirect children’s emotions to promote an opportunity to grow – for the child and you! Educators can relate to his stories and examples and find many strategies that will help them in the classroom and inspire happiness and strengthen resilience in everyone.
Sunday, April 25, 2021
11:00AM, MST
May 2021
Mona Delahooke in, Beyond Behaviors, encourages us, the educators, to look beyond the surface of the iceberg and really dive deep to understand what’s simmering under the surface. This book offers tools and strategies that we can use to reduce behavioral challenges, promote resiliency and establish secure and trusting relationships with the children in our care. Through understanding the neuroscience behind these behaviours, we are better equipped to understand and support the child in the way they need.
Sunday, May 23, 2021
11:00AM, MST
June 2021
The Reggio Emilie approach in childcare care is world renown. The Hundred Languages of Children, is a glimpse of this system as it documents the innovative approach to support children’s well-being and foster their intellectual development. As we explore this approach, the author shares with us the three most important central themes of the work in Reggio in detail: teaching and learning through relationships; the hundred languages of children; and integrating documentation into the process of observing, reflecting and communicating.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
11:00AM, MST
July 2021
This book is for the educator (and of course, for the children). Florence Williams in the book, The Nature Fix, uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation and strengthen our relationships. In a constantly changing and fast paced modern lives, it’s more important then ever to connect with nature…so we can offer our best to the children in our care!
Sunday, July 25, 2021
11:00AM, MST
August 2021
Adventures is Risky Play is what Rusty Keeler is all about! Rusty offers his readers new insight and action as they relate to children’s play…and the risks associated with play. We will take a look at ourselves and our perspectives of risk. Allowing children to navigate their own risk is an essential life skill that educators need to accommodate for, support and celebrate in play.
Sunday, August 22, 2021
11:00AM, MST
September 2021
Ellen Galinsky prepares us for the 21st century child in her book, Mind in the Making. Galinsky outlines the seven critical areas that children nee the most: (1) focus and self control; (2) perspective taking; (3) communicating; (4) making connections; (5) critical thinking; (6) taking on challenges; and (7) self-directed, engaged learning. These skills are ingrained in the children naturally, but need to be fostered by positive role models and supportive adults.
Sunday, September 26, 2021
11:00AM, MST
October 2021
Teacher Tom astonishes us again in his second book, Teacher Tom’s Second Book. He shares with us his experiences with young children and the relationships that develop between young children, learning and the adults and community around them. He is a strong advocate for the rights of children and play, where children are heard, seen and have their own voice.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
11:00AM, MST
November 2021
Self care is as individualized as each of us – it’s not a one strategy fits all. This books takes a look at the unique needs of each of us and how we can tap into the essential practice of self-care. This book not only addresses self care at an individual level but also at a institutional level, that creates a system that embraces the importance of self care. This guide offers strategies that will take a cultural responsive look at self care and what works for each community and each individual.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
11:00AM, MST
December 2021
Brandi Heather, in her book Return to Play, asks the question ‘Can play be the answer to some of our most significant and complex social challenges of the 21st century?’ Journey back to your own childhood and be reminded of all that happened when you experienced play. She identifies that play is the driving force behind innovation and productivity, and the foundation of moving from diversity to belonging. Discover how to bring happiness and joy into our everyday lives as we explore play.
Sunday, TBA, 2021
11:00AM, MST