This post is written by guest blogger, Maria Collins, vice president of the New York Life Foundation For many, the holiday season can be a wonderful time of year filled with celebrations and family gatherings, time spent reminiscing about all the joy-filled moments that took place over the past year... Read more
A lack of respect and empathy increases the possibility for disputes to occur, challenging a child’s ability to step into the shoes of another person and experience the world through that perspective. At First Book, we recognize educators require support to eliminate educational barriers like these that prevent kids from... Read more
From arts and craft projects that inspire students to own their uniqueness to conversations of diversity and inclusion, several educators have used All Are Welcome to create opportunities for students to celebrate inclusivity within their community. Read more
Developing respect and empathy skills requires time, practice, repetition, interaction, and patience with others. In our toolkit, Promoting Respect & Empathy: A Toolkit for Educators of All Grades, we’ve collected activities, tips, book recommendations, and more from First Book educators across the country, who, like you, support kids in under-resourced... Read more
Kids learn better when they feel safe and supported. At First Book, our focus is on making all kids feel welcome wherever they are. That’s one reason why we created The 2022 – 2023 School Year Calendar Celebrating Culture, Diversity & Inclusion. This free tool was designed to help educators... Read more
For many students, the start of the school year can be stressful – prompting isolation, shyness, and learning obstacles. The most important part of an educator’s job is making students feel welcome. “I’m always looking for opportunities for our kids to experience that their work and their words do have... Read more
We want all students to be happy, healthy, and prepared to reach their highest potential. These aspirations are most often possible when children have environments that provide safety, support, love, and nurturing. Unfortunately, this is far from reality for almost half of the children in the United States – about... Read more
Teaching kids empathy and respect prepares them to create a more caring and compassionate world. In the absence of empathy, differences have the potential to breed conflict – especially during a child’s early years, when they are naturally inclined to think only of themselves and their immediate needs. Members of... Read more
The truth is, we all have unconscious bias. But what is “unconscious bias”? This is what happens when we allow our own attitudes, feelings, stereotypes, or beliefs impact our judgment or understanding of other people. It’s called “unconscious” because it is not something we do deliberately; rather, it is an involuntary... Read more
Today’s blog is a guest post by Erika Duncan, executive and artistic director of HerStory Writers Workshop. Find Brave Journeys/Pasos Valientes on the First Book Marketplace. ************************************************************ “Who has the courage to read this week’s story in English?” Mr. Hogu asks his students, who are not only new to Hempstead... Read more