Virtual Home Learning Resources: The Kindness Library
Mid-August marks the beginning of the school year for students across the country. This year will be different, of course, with so many students facing a version of school that looks unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. For some that will be in-person learning in a classroom with social distancing guidelines, while for others it will be a hybrid model of live and virtual instruction, and for others it could be a full remote or home school situation. No matter what shape school takes on for your child this year, The Nora Project’s Kindness Library is a resource that will help you provide them with opportunities to learn about a variety of topics that will facilitate the development of their social and emotional skills.
The Nora Project has assembled The Kindness Library: a curated list of picture books, novels, nonfiction texts, and a variety of other resources that address topics such as disability awareness, friendship, empathy, emotional regulation, and more. Many of the picture books listed also include links to videos of the book being read aloud, and many others include lesson plans that can be used to engage children in deeper conversations and reflection on the themes in the story.
If you are a teacher, we recommend that you use the Kindness Library as a source for quality books to supplement your curriculum in a variety of ways. Whether you’re looking for a book to teach a reading or writing skill, or you want a book to support a discussion about a particular social/emotional learning topic, you’ll find the right book in the Kindness Library. The provided lesson plans make it easy to incorporate a quick social/emotional learning lesson into your regular routine. Additionally, you can use the library as a source for book recommendations for your students.
If you are a parent, the Kindness Library can provide you with a guide for what to buy or borrow for your child’s personal library or your family reading time. Many of the books in the Kindness Library are representative of individuals with disabilities, which will assist you with diversifying your child’s personal library and introducing disability as a natural and expected part of human diversity. If you are homeschooling your child this year or simply wish to supplement their social/emotional learning instruction, the provided lesson plans for many of the Kindness Library books are accessible for seasoned teachers and new home school teachers as well!
We’d love to hear how you’re using the Kindness Library in your classroom, be it at school or at home! Let us know in the comments.