Share a Resource Sunday - Savvy School Counselor

Today, I want to share a book with you that’s written for children ages 3-8. From A to Z with Energy! is a book that encourages kids to move, play, and learn using energy and the alphabet. It is written by Connie Bergstein Dow. Children in Pre-K through 2nd grade are the target audience.

If you happen to be wondering how this book ties into school counseling, the author gives an excellent explanation in the back of the book in her Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers. Here, she discusses the social-emotional benefits of movement. If you think about it, we use energy and movement many times to help our students who need to calm down or release their anger in a safe way. This A to Z book gives several examples of what children can do to stay active and to keep moving. The guide explains that “Activities like taking turns, solving problems in a group or individually, delaying gratification, and listening to and following instructions can help foster social-emotional development.” It goes on to say that these concepts help children become familiar with personal space, emotional self-awareness and self-expression, empathy, and kindness. Learning about and understanding these concepts is really important in the early grades.

The guide also reminds us that children express themselves in many different ways, and some children are more comfortable when they can express themselves physically. The author suggests children respond to the story by making some of the physical movements as the book is being read aloud. I can see this idea being really fun for the kids when they get to Jam and Jive with the letter J or when they can Hop with the letter H!

From A to Z with Energy! is complete with colorful and diverse illustrations including children with disabilities. The alphabet format is sure to be a hit with young students. They can even try and guess what movement may come next as they go through the alphabet, especially near the end of the book.

Stick around! You can follow Savvy School Counselor with free email updates. You can also follow my TpT Store to keep up with my latest products and freebies. Additionally, I do giveaways through My Facebook Page with my new products. Be sure to like Savvy School Counselor on Facebook and click to receive notifications so you don’t miss them!

Follow @svyschcounselor