When Young Children Need Help Understanding & Addressing Emotional Behavorial & Developmental Challenges

Almost anyone who works with 3- to 6-year-olds knows what it feels like to spend time with youngsters who are particularly puzzling or hard to help. When Young Children Need Help examines how early childhood educators can make sense of what is going on for such children and then use that understanding to help promote growth and mastery. Written for child care center staff, family child care providers, preschool teachers, and pre-service teachers, this book can be useful to any adult who wants to learn more about reaching the most troubling children in his or her care.

When Young Children Need Help provides a framework for understanding a range of emotional, behavioral, and developmental challenges. It explores a process through which early childhood teachers and providers can translate their growing understanding of a childand#8217;s difficulties into sensible goals for intervention. The author lays out practical strategies that help kids connect and communicate with ease, focus their attention, manage their bodies and their feelings, engage in constructive problem-solving, and experience themselves as successful friends and learners. The book suggests approaches for collaborating with parents and other caregivers and emphasizes that even when a child needs outside services and supports, what goes on in school or care remains central to making progress.

andmdash; Lesley Koplow - December 5, 2014

Deborah Hirschlandand#8217;s new book, When Young Children Need Help, vividly illustrates the complexities faced by teachers who strive to meet the needs of children with many challenging and and#147;hard to pin downand#8221; behaviors. Brought to life through actual classroom scenarios, the reader is drawn into examples of the many and varied struggles experienced through the powerful scenes Hirschland paints. Thankfully, however, the author does not leave the reader hanging. Rich with practical strategies, all supported by a comprehensive array of research from the field, Hirschland guides the practitioner through a bounty of helpful responses and interventions. Readers are provided with a generous amount of resources and foundational principles as well as handy maxims, such as and#147;connect before you correctand#8221;, designed to keep them on track to use best practices in their work with young children. Utilizing this eminently readable book as a faithful resource in weekly teacher meetings, or in oneand#8217;s own individual library, would be a wise strategy to support healthy child development in our preschool classrooms. Purchase the book for the school, place it on the most accessible shelf and take it down to refer to regularly!

andmdash;Sally Reed, Center for Parents and Teachers, Inc. - January 2, 2015

Beautifully written and a delight to read, this invaluable new book will help early childhood educators everywhere to rediscover the strengths in struggling children, their parents, and themselves, and to learn new problem-solving processes that will become their own.

andmdash;Joshua Sparrow, co-author of Touchpoints - January 6, 2015

A much-needed resource for teachers who are looking for guidance in their struggle to help difficult children in the early childhood classroom. When Young Children Need Help goes beyond star charts to help staff really look at kids in need, and to build bridges between understanding and intervention that are strong enough to support their development, learning, and emotional well-being.and#151;Lesley Koplow, LCSW, Director of the Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street; Editor, Unsmiling Faces: How Preschools Can Heal

Deborah Hirschlandand#8217;s new book, When Young Children Need Help, vividly illustrates the complexities faced by teachers who strive to meet the needs of children with challenging or and#147;hard to pin downand#8221; behaviors. Rich with practical strategies, and brought to life with actual classroom scenarios, it guides the practitioner through a bounty of helpful responses and interventions. Utilizing this wonderfully readable book as a faithful resource would be a wise choice to support healthy child development in our preschool classrooms.and#151;Sally Quinn Reed, Executive Director of the Center for Parents and Teachers, Inc.

Almost anyone who works with three- to six-year-olds knows what it feels like to spend time with children who are particularly puzzling or challenging. This story-based book takes a close look at how early childhood professionals can make sense of what is going on with these hard-to-help children and provides a framework and practical strategies without leaning heavily on the medical and mental health diagnosis that often do little to help teachers understand how to be compassionate and effective forces for change in young children's lives.