Facilitating interpersonal Relationships in the Classroom: The Relational Literacy Curriculum / Edition 1

by Diane Salmon, Ruth Ann Freedman

Overview

This volume is a guide to using the Relational Literacy Curriculum with children in grades 2-5. Based on developmental and social constructivist principles, this curriculum presents a conceptual framework and a method for enhancing children's understanding of interpersonal relationships in the classroom. The Relational Literacy Curriculum:
*offers a powerful method for children to reflect on challenging interpersonal episodes and to discern constructive patterns of relating through discussion and role play;
*provides a process that can serve as both a prevention tool and a vehicle for managing immediate conflict;
*gives teachers a strong theoretical framework from which they can make principled decisions, and a flexible format for implementing it that they can adapt to meet the particular social needs of their classroom context; and
*promotes teacher reflection and learning through the use of various observational tools.

This book addresses the question of why it is important to study relationships in the elementary classroom; reviews the research and literature that inform the relational literacy curriculum; lays out the process of the curriculum; explains how the curriculum can be used to address real conflicts within the classroom community; and provides guiding principles for practice. It is a useful resource for classroom teachers, school psychologists, school counselors and social workers, and a valuable text for a range of courses, including classroom management, psycho-social interventions, child development, and early childhood education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805837643
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/01/2001
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Diane Salmon, Ruth Ann Freedman

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. Relationships: Why Study Them in the Elementary Classroom? A Conceptual Framework for the Relational Literacy Curriculum. The Relational Literacy Curriculum Discussion Process: Exploring How It Works. C.J. Fogartaigh, Role Playing in the Relational Literacy Curriculum. Shifting Responsibility Within the Relational Literacy Curriculum: Making Conceptual Connections. Working With Children's Real Conflicts. Making It Your Own: Professional Development and the Relational Literacy Curriculum. Appendices: Timeline. The Discussion Process. The Role Play Process. Reflections and Connections. Real Conflicts.

Editorial Reviews

"Now, in a time when some students resort to using weapons to resolve conflicts, Salmon and Freedman's book is especially meaningful, giving teachers a structure for helping children develop and practice interpersonal skills."
—Childhood Education

"Unique and valuable....pushes forward our thinking about children's relationships and our definitions of literacy."
—Sally M. Oran
Northern Arizona University

From the Publisher