As teachers and students head back to school, there has been a groundswell of inquiries about the “best” materials to help our schools create more trauma-informed educators. The trauma sensitive schools movement is still young, so in previous years I had a hard time answering that question, as no one had written most of these books yet. luckily, we have them now! below, you will find my 5 favorites. there are more that I find useful, but these are the titles that I keep close and refer to often.
let’s count down, jay leno style:
five
the trauma-informed schoolby jim sporleder and heather forbes, lcsw. This comprehensive practical guide is one of the first to specifically address a trauma-informed school structure. having read it before even seeing paper tigers i was captivated by mr. sporleder’s clarity on the “how to’s” step by step, along with mrs. Forbes’ insightful understanding of his mental health expertise.
You are reading: Trauma informed teaching books
four
lost at school by dr. rossgreene. dr Greene says he is not specifically trauma informed. however, at the core of his book, and his collaboration & amp; proactive solutions model (cps): it is found the understanding that behavior equals communication. “Children will do well if they can,” he says. this is the crux of the paradigm shift that educators and indeed all adults must embrace if we want truly trauma-informed educators. Packed with examples illustrating the principles of the CPS model, this book provides a practical application for teachers struggling to help students with lagging behavioral skills.
three
See Also: 2 Ways to Read the Halo Books in Order | 30 Halo Books
building trauma sensitive schoolsby jen alexander. If you’re looking for the comprehensive guide to trauma-informed schools, you’ve found it! no other resource available is as comprehensive in explaining both the need to understand the impact of trauma on child development and strategies for building a trauma-sensitive school. em. Jen has carefully compiled the ultimate reference book for all of us.
two
trauma teacher’s guide by dr. Melissa Sadin and Nathan Levy. This guide is the fastest way to learn about the impact of early childhood trauma. explains what teachers can do to help their students through the eyes of dr. Sadin’s son, Theo. I literally read the entire book in one plane ride, nodding my head the entire time.
quick release on two fabulous trauma-informed educators
Books #2 & Number 3 on this list is written by my colleagues in the ATN Trauma Sensitive Schools Program: Melissa Sadin and Jen Alexander. Both authors have raised children affected by trauma and are incredible educators in their own right, but they took totally opposite approaches to their books. Jen’s book is comprehensive, with an index and bibliography that will point you to any and all resources trauma-informed educators may need. Melissa, on the other hand, gives you a quick dive into the “what” and “why” of what children with trauma wish their teachers knew. I am delighted to meet these two brilliant authors and their books!
and now, number one!
reach out and teach hurting children by dr. Susana Craig This book has been around longer than the five. is the only resource I could find over a decade ago that clearly explained early trauma and attachment challenges to teachers, and offered practical implementation strategies. dr Craig is clearly a teacher who teaches teachers. I bought multiple copies of this book to give to my daughter’s teachers and take it with me to iep meetings and other times when I have advocated for children affected by trauma. dr Craig has since written two other great books on this subject, but her wisdom and passion for helping teachers understand their traumatized students is very clear in this first one. an absolute must read.
See Also: 20 Puzzle Books for Kids – StudiousGuy
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nb: The links above take you to amazon, but that’s just one option. we encourage you to support your independent bookseller or shop where you feel most comfortable.
See Also: Old Books On-line, The Words of an eBay Bookseller