By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian
Welcome to the -ber months: September, October, November, and December! Most people celebrate the start of a new year in January. Not me. I graduated more than ten years ago, but the start of the school year is still the start of my personal new year.
For a lot of young kids, it’s the same! September brings new routines, new classes, new teachers, and new classmates. It can be the big transition into kindergarten or a move into a new preschool classroom.
Below, find videos and books to help ensure a smooth start to the new school year.
Watch these videos
Big changes (or even small ones!) can cause big feelings. This book is great to share to validate fears, worries, and anxiety, and can help to sit with and move through those feelings.
Miss Jenny has a video on how to make transitions easier. These can be used to move from one activity to another or to prepare for something new.
Kids use play to learn, to integrate what they’ve been feeling and experiencing, and to bond with friends or caregivers. Times of transition are a perfect time to get down and play with your kids and see how they are processing the changes.
Share these books
Even though school has already started, it can take weeks for routines to develop. Until the routines feel safe, kids can be worried or nervous. Miss Jenny has some favorite books about big feelings, new classes, and making friends.
- Gibberish is the story of a boy who just moved to America and doesn’t know English, until someone reaches out across the language barriers. Your child might have classmates who aren’t fluent in English, and this is a great book to share with them about how to become friends.
- Penelope Rex loves school, but her classmates don’t love how she likes to eat them. Your child or their classmate may not be a T-Rex, but this is a great story to share with kids who might like to take a little chomp when feeling big feelings.
- School’s First Day of School is a story about starting a new school—from the point of view of the school building! Is the school the only one with jitters?
- Be Kind is a great book about what it means to be a good friend or classmate, and Be Strong is about many kinds of strength, including emotional and physical.
- Your Name Is a Song celebrates the beauty of names from around the world and the importance for teachers and children to honor them.
- The Day You Begin shows different children worried about a new school for different reasons. We all feel like an outsider sometimes, and we can be brave and try something new anyway.
Here’s to a successful and healthy school year!
About Shelley
Shelley is a children’s librarian with a passion for early literacy, serving and celebrating the disability community, and exploring technology. She can often be found practicing storytime songs with her black lab, Bingo.