Resilient Playgrounds

by Beth Doll, Katherine Brehm

Overview

While recess provides children with a time to play and take a break from the school day, research has shown that it is also a necessary and vital part of their social, emotional, and academic development. This book provides tools and strategies for school mental health professionals, teachers, and administrators to evaluate and improve the recess experience in order to ensure that children benefit as much as possible from this important time. Using a data-based problem solving strategy, the author presents methods for assessing playgrounds, identifying features that may negatively impact students and their social interactions, intervening to modify and strengthen these features, and monitoring to guarantee that the interventions have created successful outcomes. An accompanying CD contains forms, examples, PowerPoint presentations, and other resources to support the procedures discussed throughout the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135900984
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/17/2010
Series:	School-Based Practice in Action
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	183
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Dr. Beth Doll is a Professor in the School Psychology Program of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She is Nebraska’s School Psychologist of the Year in 2005, serves on the editorial board of all three major school psychology journals, is an Associate Editor of School Psychology Quarterly, and has served as an officer or president of three state school psychology associations as well as Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Katherine Brehm is a long-time practitioner of school psychology. She is currently a school psychologist with the Ysleta School District in El Paso, Texas, where she provides consultation services in inclusive classrooms to enhance the social-emotional functioning of students with learning and behavior problems. She was also a practicing school psychologist for sixteen years in Colorado, where she was School Psychologist of the Year in 2001, a guest reviewer for a major school psychology journal, and a board member of the school psychology associations in Colorado and Texas.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Resilient Playgrounds. Students' Peer Relationships. School Playground Facilities. Data-based Problem Solving. Playground Interventions. Documenting the Impact of Resilient Playgrounds. Case Examples.

Editorial Reviews

"This book addresses the planning, structure, and efficient guidance for staff and teachers to use to make recess the interactive physical, social, and emotional experience we desire our children to have. Doll gives you the text and the easy-to-print checklists, analysis techniques, and PowerPoint presentations to make it all happen. This is a must have for the school'sleadership team." - Kevin P. Dwyer, Past President, National Associationof School Psychologists, Associate Principal Research Scientist for the American Institutes for Research, USA

"Resilient Playgrounds and its accompanying CD provides classroom teachers, school administrators, and other educators with a wealth of practical suggestions and materials to help make playgrounds physically, socially, and emotionally safe places for all children." - George Bear, Profesor, School of Education, University of Delaware

"In a profound and skillfully written book, Beth Doll asks the imperative question, ‘what is the purpose of recess?’ Employing a data-based problem-solving model, she adroitly addresses the prospect of designing playgrounds to promote an attenuation of conflict, social competencies, and positive peer interactions that endure." - Thomas J. Kehle, Professor and Coordinator, School Psychology Program, University of Connecticut, USA

"This book addresses the planning, structure, and efficient guidance for staff and teachers to use to make recess the interactive physical, social, and emotional experience we desire our children to have. Doll gives you the text and the easy-to-print checklists, analysis techniques, and PowerPoint presentations to make it all happen. This is a must have for the school'sleadership team." - Kevin P. Dwyer, Past President, National Associationof School Psychologists, Associate Principal Research Scientist for the American Institutes for Research, USA

"Resilient Playgrounds and its accompanying CD provides classroom teachers, school administrators, and other educators with a wealth of practical suggestions and materials to help make playgrounds physically, socially, and emotionally safe places for all children." - George Bear, Profesor, School of Education, University of Delaware

"In a profound and skillfully written book, Beth Doll asks the imperative question, ‘what is the purpose of recess?’ Employing a data-based problem-solving model, she adroitly addresses the prospect of designing playgrounds to promote an attenuation of conflict, social competencies, and positive peer interactions that endure." - Thomas J. Kehle, Professor and Coordinator, School Psychology Program, University of Connecticut, USA

"This contemporary book shows how recess can be used constructively to promote children's well-being. The authors suggest that recess, especially playground recess, offers the potential for increasing the social competence of children...Clearly there is enough in this tightly packed book to supply empirically oriented practitioners with many hours of worthwhile thought, activity, and supervision. The entire tried-and-true book is based on a problem-solving approach. This is a concise book that focuses on practical applications. Read this wonderful book if you want to see what playgrounds have to offer in promoting the social competence and warding off of bullying and other aggressive behaviors of children. There is no other book quite like it." - Steven R. Rose, Social Work with Groups

From the Publisher