Whole Child, Whole Life

10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive
Whole Child, Whole Life
April 2023 | 296 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781071884447
Available from January 0001
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ISBN: 9781071884423
Available from January 0001

Description

10 proven practices to help children thrive

In a world that seems to grow more unpredictable and challenging by the day, how can we increase learning and joy for children while offering them much-needed support?

Uncertainty and disruption have created a youth mental health crisis that requires all hands on deck. This urgently needed guidebook offers comprehensive and scientifically-grounded methods you can use to support young people’s well-being, no matter what obstacles they face. Written by an expert with decades of experience in education, youth development, and social work, this timely and timeless resource includes:

  • 10 practices that can prevent and address mental health challenges and enable young people to thrive
  • Strategies for taking care of kids while also taking care of yourself
  • Information on the most pressing issues youth face, from nurturing healthy relationships to building community and belonging
  • Key takeaways and reflection questions for individual use and group discussion as well as “Try Now” sections with tips and tools that can be used immediately

Providing essential information, practical advice, stories, and time-tested strategies to help kids live and learn, Whole Child, Whole Life is required reading for anyone who is working with, caring for, or raising young people.

Contents

List of Tables and Figures

List of Tables and Figures

Preface

Preface

Introduction

Introduction

About the Illustrations

About the Illustrations

Part 1: Whole Child Portrait

Part 1: Whole Child Portrait

Ch 1: Demographics and Determinants

  • Profile Parts
  • From Profiles to Portraits

Ch 2: Age and Stage

  • A Pandemic Pause
  • Growing Up Fast and Slow
  • Developmental Protective Factors
  • Developmental Growth Charts
  • Developmental Milestones

Ch 3: Brain and Body

  • It's All Connected
  • Charting Kids' Health Profiles

Ch 4: People and Places

  • Kids in Context
  • Mapping the Spaces Where Kids Spend Time
  • Understanding and Using Maps of People and Places

"Whole Child" Interview Template

"Whole Child" Interview Template

Part 2: 10 Whole Life Practices

  • The Art and Science of Helping Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive

Ch 6: Meet Basic Needs

  • Essentials
  • When Kids Need Essentials
  • Safety
  • Belonging
  • Purpose
  • More Than Maslow
  • Rights Worth Fighting For
  • Meeting Basic Needs in Times of Crisis

Ch 7: Prioritize Mental Health

  • Responding to Mental Health Challenges
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Emotional Wound Care
  • Mental Health Habits and Emotional Hygiene
  • Prioritize and Practice

Ch 8: Invest in Personal Interests

  • You Can Only Be What You Can See
  • Invest in the Individual
  • Pursuits of Passion and Purpose

Ch 9: Nurture Healthy Relationships

  • Webs of Social Support
  • Built to Last
  • How to Nurture Healthy Relationships
  • Nurture and Nudge

Ch 10: Build Community and Belonging

  • Different Kinds of Community
  • Climate, Culture, and Community Building
  • Building Belonging
  • Belonging Across the Long and Wide of Life

Ch 11: Embrace Identities and Cultures

  • Embracing Community and Culture
  • Identity Development

Ch 12: Attend to the Past and Present

  • Kid Specialists
  • Making Rounds
  • Young People Should Hold Their Own Histories

Ch 13: Act With a 100-Year Mindset

  • Living Longer Than Ever
  • Forecasting Possible Futures

Ch 14: Be a Force for Good

  • Civic Engagement and Sociopolitical Youth Development

Ch 15: Seek Awe and Wonder

  • Spiritual Development
  • The ABCs of Spiritual Development
  • Nurturing Kids’ Spirit and Spark
  • Wholeness Comes From an Integrated Core
  • Conclusion

A Fern That Grows in Lava Fields

  • Optimal Conditions for Well-Being and Well-Becoming
  • Aiming for Wholeness
  • Cultivating the Garden
  • Back of Book Sketchnote

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

About the Illustrator

About the Illustrator

Glossary

Glossary

Endnotes

Endnotes

Index

Index

Description

10 proven practices to help children thrive

In a world that seems to grow more unpredictable and challenging by the day, how can we increase learning and joy for children while offering them much-needed support?

Uncertainty and disruption have created a youth mental health crisis that requires all hands on deck. This urgently needed guidebook offers comprehensive and scientifically-grounded methods you can use to support young people’s well-being, no matter what obstacles they face. Written by an expert with decades of experience in education, youth development, and social work, this timely and timeless resource includes:

  • 10 practices that can prevent and address mental health challenges and enable young people to thrive
  • Strategies for taking care of kids while also taking care of yourself
  • Information on the most pressing issues youth face, from nurturing healthy relationships to building community and belonging
  • Key takeaways and reflection questions for individual use and group discussion as well as “Try Now” sections with tips and tools that can be used immediately

Providing essential information, practical advice, stories, and time-tested strategies to help kids live and learn, Whole Child, Whole Life is required reading for anyone who is working with, caring for, or raising young people.

Contents

List of Tables and Figures

List of Tables and Figures

Preface

Preface

Introduction

Introduction

About the Illustrations

About the Illustrations

Part 1: Whole Child Portrait

Part 1: Whole Child Portrait

Ch 1: Demographics and Determinants

  • Profile Parts
  • From Profiles to Portraits

Ch 2: Age and Stage

  • A Pandemic Pause
  • Growing Up Fast and Slow
  • Developmental Protective Factors
  • Developmental Growth Charts
  • Developmental Milestones

Ch 3: Brain and Body

  • It's All Connected
  • Charting Kids' Health Profiles

Ch 4: People and Places

  • Kids in Context
  • Mapping the Spaces Where Kids Spend Time
  • Understanding and Using Maps of People and Places

"Whole Child" Interview Template

"Whole Child" Interview Template

Part 2: 10 Whole Life Practices

  • The Art and Science of Helping Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive

Ch 6: Meet Basic Needs

  • Essentials
  • When Kids Need Essentials
  • Safety
  • Belonging
  • Purpose
  • More Than Maslow
  • Rights Worth Fighting For
  • Meeting Basic Needs in Times of Crisis

Ch 7: Prioritize Mental Health

  • Responding to Mental Health Challenges
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Emotional Wound Care
  • Mental Health Habits and Emotional Hygiene
  • Prioritize and Practice

Ch 8: Invest in Personal Interests

  • You Can Only Be What You Can See
  • Invest in the Individual
  • Pursuits of Passion and Purpose

Ch 9: Nurture Healthy Relationships

  • Webs of Social Support
  • Built to Last
  • How to Nurture Healthy Relationships
  • Nurture and Nudge

Ch 10: Build Community and Belonging

  • Different Kinds of Community
  • Climate, Culture, and Community Building
  • Building Belonging
  • Belonging Across the Long and Wide of Life

Ch 11: Embrace Identities and Cultures

  • Embracing Community and Culture
  • Identity Development

Ch 12: Attend to the Past and Present

  • Kid Specialists
  • Making Rounds
  • Young People Should Hold Their Own Histories

Ch 13: Act With a 100-Year Mindset

  • Living Longer Than Ever
  • Forecasting Possible Futures

Ch 14: Be a Force for Good

  • Civic Engagement and Sociopolitical Youth Development

Ch 15: Seek Awe and Wonder

  • Spiritual Development
  • The ABCs of Spiritual Development
  • Nurturing Kids’ Spirit and Spark
  • Wholeness Comes From an Integrated Core
  • Conclusion

A Fern That Grows in Lava Fields

  • Optimal Conditions for Well-Being and Well-Becoming
  • Aiming for Wholeness
  • Cultivating the Garden
  • Back of Book Sketchnote

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

About the Illustrator

About the Illustrator

Glossary

Glossary

Endnotes

Endnotes

Index

Index

SAGE Publishing Logo

Whole Child, Whole Life

10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive


April 2023 | 296 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781071884423 $40.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781071884447 $37.00

10 proven practices to help children thrive

In a world that seems to grow more unpredictable and challenging by the day, how can we increase learning and joy for children while offering them much-needed support?

Uncertainty and disruption have created a youth mental health crisis that requires all hands on deck. This urgently needed guidebook offers comprehensive and scientifically-grounded methods you can use to support young people’s well-being, no matter what obstacles they face. Written by an expert with decades of experience in education, youth development, and social work, this timely and timeless resource includes:

  • 10 practices that can prevent and address mental health challenges and enable young people to thrive
  • Strategies for taking care of kids while also taking care of yourself
  • Information on the most pressing issues youth face, from nurturing healthy relationships to building community and belonging
  • Key takeaways and reflection questions for individual use and group discussion as well as “Try Now” sections with tips and tools that can be used immediately

Providing essential information, practical advice, stories, and time-tested strategies to help kids live and learn, Whole Child, Whole Life is required reading for anyone who is working with, caring for, or raising young people.


Table Of Contents:

  • List of Tables and Figures
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • About the Illustrations
  • Part 1: Whole Child Portrait
  • Ch 1: Demographics and Determinants
  • Profile Parts
  • From Profiles to Portraits
  • Ch 2: Age and Stage
  • A Pandemic Pause
  • Growing Up Fast and Slow
  • Developmental Protective Factors
  • Developmental Growth Charts
  • Developmental Milestones
  • Ch 3: Brain and Body
  • It's All Connected
  • Charting Kids' Health Profiles
  • Ch 4: People and Places
  • Kids in Context
  • Mapping the Spaces Where Kids Spend Time
  • Understanding and Using Maps of People and Places
  • "Whole Child" Interview Template
  • Part 2: 10 Whole Life Practices
  • The Art and Science of Helping Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive
  • Ch 6: Meet Basic Needs
  • Essentials
  • When Kids Need Essentials
  • Safety
  • Belonging
  • Purpose
  • More Than Maslow
  • Rights Worth Fighting For
  • Meeting Basic Needs in Times of Crisis
  • Ch 7: Prioritize Mental Health
  • Responding to Mental Health Challenges
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Emotional Wound Care
  • Mental Health Habits and Emotional Hygiene
  • Prioritize and Practice
  • Ch 8: Invest in Personal Interests
  • You Can Only Be What You Can See
  • Invest in the Individual
  • Pursuits of Passion and Purpose
  • Ch 9: Nurture Healthy Relationships
  • Webs of Social Support
  • Built to Last
  • How to Nurture Healthy Relationships
  • Nurture and Nudge
  • Ch 10: Build Community and Belonging
  • Different Kinds of Community
  • Climate, Culture, and Community Building
  • Building Belonging
  • Belonging Across the Long and Wide of Life
  • Ch 11: Embrace Identities and Cultures
  • Embracing Community and Culture
  • Identity Development
  • Ch 12: Attend to the Past and Present
  • Kid Specialists
  • Making Rounds
  • Young People Should Hold Their Own Histories
  • Ch 13: Act With a 100-Year Mindset
  • Living Longer Than Ever
  • Forecasting Possible Futures
  • Ch 14: Be a Force for Good
  • Civic Engagement and Sociopolitical Youth Development
  • Ch 15: Seek Awe and Wonder
  • Spiritual Development
  • The ABCs of Spiritual Development
  • Nurturing Kids’ Spirit and Spark
  • Wholeness Comes From an Integrated Core
  • Conclusion
  • A Fern That Grows in Lava Fields
  • Optimal Conditions for Well-Being and Well-Becoming
  • Aiming for Wholeness
  • Cultivating the Garden
  • Back of Book Sketchnote
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • About the Illustrator
  • Glossary
  • Endnotes
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

“Are you someone who is raising or educating children and youth? If so, open this book. The words, charts, and drawings on these pages wonderfully capture the complexity about what we know works to support kids in today’s world and helpfully convey how we grownups might try to do better—for them.”
Gregg Behr, Co-author, "When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids"; Executive Director, The Grable Foundation, Co-author, "When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids"; Executive Director, The Grable Foundation
"Momentum for expanding social, emotional, mental, and physical health and development has grown to an all-time high across the country. No one can argue that this is one of the most critical fields in public education. Whole Child, Whole Life is an excellent ‘go-to’ resource for school districts that are committed to creating and sustaining social emotional learning programs as part of their strategic plans on behalf of the students who are learning and growing in their communities."
Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, AASA, Former Executive Director, AASA
"In Whole Child, Whole Life, Stephanie Krauss has created a blueprint and set of strategies for what adults (parents, teachers, coaches, neighbors, etc.) can do to help children thrive in a rapidly changing world. This book is chockful of insights, practices, and everyday strategies that support the needs of children, from basic survival needs to nurturing their relationships, sense of belonging, and spiritual development. There are practical ideas here that will help any adult support the growth and flourishing of children, youth, and our communities."
Mark Greenberg, Emeritus Professor, Penn State University; Founding Director, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center; Board Chair, CREATE, Emeritus Professor, Penn State University; Founding Director, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center; Board Chair, CREATE
"Stephanie Krauss demonstrates her grasp of the youth mental health crisis we face today and provides the guidance we need to cope with it. This compelling new book is for everyone who cares about young people—not just professionals—and I am so grateful she has contributed to our understanding with such focus and compassion."
Chuck Ingoglia, President and CEO, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, President and CEO, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
"If you care for kids in any capacity, pick up this book right now. It's innovative, humane, solution-oriented, and both powerful and incredibly practical."
Anya Kamenetz, Author, "The Stolen Year", Author, "The Stolen Year"

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