Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/shelter-from-the-storm-using-the-classroom-to-help-children-cope-with-violence/5010247/
Consider these children: Jimmy, age three, announces at circle time that he saw someone getting stabbed on his street. Marsha, a pert four year old, says that her dad hit her mommy and made her face bleed. Harold, age five, hears gunshots outside his home and is afraid to go to sleep at night.Increasingly, teachers of young children are being faced with difficult situations such as these and must make decisions about the best way to help children who bring such real life experiences into the child care center. Teachers typically have not been trained to make such interventions and feel unsure about how to help children with such overwhelming life events. What is the role of the early childhood professional in helping children who bring these concerns to the classroom? This article will provide information about how children are affected by violence and how the teacher can best support them in the classroom.
This article is based on the lessons learned from the Child Witness to Violence Project and the Family Development Center, outreach and intervention projects at Boston City Hospital that target young children who have witnessed violence in their homes and communities. ...