3 New Books to Check Out

By Sam Piha

A number of colleagues have recently released books that we think are very valuable to the afterschool field. We discuss them below.

Raising Kids: Your Essential Guide to Everyday Parenting

While this book is targeting parents, we believe that it is also valuable for afterschool leaders. We have been working with co-author Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW for many years. She has provided in-person workshops on managing behavior for afterschool staff, has led online webinars and has contributed to several LIAS Blogs.

Publisher's Synopsis: “In Raising Kids, family therapist and parent educator Sheri Glucoft Wong and Silicon Valley private school head Olaf Jorgenson team up to deliver a down-to-earth guide to parenting that is as encouraging as it is illuminating. With its easy-to-grasp language and tools, Raising Kids is there for you, from managing family routines, screen time, and homework, to supporting friendships, self-esteem, and resilience. You'll find out how being "on your spot" leads to fewer conflicts and replaces threats, nagging, and punishment with clear, effective messages that make sense to your kids.”  

To learn more and order Raising Kids: Your Essential Guide to Everyday Parenting, click here.

“The authors successfully blend their experience with anecdotes and practical lessons on how to raise resilient children while maintaining one’s perspective—or sanity, in some cases—leaving the reader hopeful rather than powerless in striking balance and setting limits. As an educator, I plan to disseminate the lessons learned from the book. As a parent, I will rethink and re-shape some of the misconceptions and fears that I brought to parenting my two children. Raising Kids is an essential read for parents who want to parent with purpose, integrity, and equanimity.” — Percy L. Abram, PhD, head of school at The Bush School (WA) 

Heartset Education: A Way of Living and Learning

Stu Semigran

Author Stu Semigran is an important partner of Temescal Associates and The How Kids Learn Foundation. Stu, founder of EduCare Foundation, has led several online webinars and contributed to many LIAS Blogs.

Amazon’s Synopsis: “For our children to be active learners, they not only need a new growth mindset… they also need a growth heartset. Stu Semigran provides a new way to educate our children in Heartset® Education: A Way of Living and Learning. In this book, you will:

• Discover How to Listen from Your Heart
• Get Tools to Turn Challenges into Learning Opportunities
• Learn How to Resolve Conflict from a Different Perspective
• Gain Knowledge to Build a Sense of Connection with Your Children
• Realize the Magnitude of the Power of Choice as a Personal Responsibility”

To learn more and order Heartset Education: A Way of Living and Learning, click here.

“Heartset Education brings to light the need for educating every child with greater love and understanding. It should be at the core for all our schools!” — Michael Funk, Director, Expanded Learning Division for the California Department of Education 

“Heartset Education is a MUST for bringing the best out of both educators and parents!”— Gloria Halley, Region 2 Lead for Learning Support, Expanded Learning Service, Office of Education, Butte County (CA)

The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field

Georgia Hall, NIOST

We have been working with co-author Georgia Hall for many years and her latest release, The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field, provides a window into the lives of youth workers and experiences that led to their work with young people. It beautifully illustrates the importance of building positive relationships with youth, and details the practices and strategies successfully employed by youth workers. While this book will be immeasurably valuable to researchers, funders, and policymakers, it is also an important resource for program leaders to promote reflection and discussion among youth worker staff as part of staff development.

Publisher’s Synopsis: “Youth work is a sacred opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of children and youth. Through research and personal essay narrative, The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation shines a light on the intricate connections between research and practice, touching upon both the vulnerability and triumph of youth development work. The passionate voices of youth workers in this volume lead to the inescapable conclusion that programs and policies for youth must be informed by these same voices and the values they express.”

To learn more and order The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field, click here.

Practice Q&A: Responding to the Special Needs of Youth

By Sam Piha

Being a youth worker is a very difficult job. They face a variety of challenges and dilemmas, as they work with a diverse group of young people. We collected a number of questions from youth workers and promised to engage experts and field leaders for their answers. Below are some of the questions we received and the answers that we sought out from field leaders, content experts and innovative practitioners. If you want to submit your own question, click here.

This blog is part 3 of our Q&A series. To read part 1, click here or part 2, click here. Stay tuned as we continue to explore questions from youth workers. (Note: we know that there are many answers to any question. Below, we offer some well-thought-out answers that we received. Because schools and agencies may have specific policies, we recommend that youth workers share their questions with their immediate supervisor. At the bottom we provide a brief bio about the respondents.)

Q: When an elementary student has different feelings about who they are sexually, how can we as a staff go about addressing the issue in a positive manner without being offensive toward the student? - Youth Worker, San Joaquin County, CA
A: “Most importantly, don’t intrude on the student if they do not want to talk about it.  If they do want to talk about it, best strategy is to listen and then reflect positively about all the different ways people feel about who they are sexually. If you’ve observed their different feelings yourself but they haven’t expressed them, still take the opportunity, if available, to offer the same reflections with a number of students together, not connecting it directly to that specific student but as a learning moment for all students.”

- Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D.

Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D.
Source: City Arts & Lectures

Q: Regarding sexuality, how should you respond to a child (elementary school) "coming out" to you directly. What is appropriate and what should be avoided? - Youth Worker, Kanawha County, WV
A: “If a student is sharing with you their sexual identity or attractions, it typically means that they trust you. What is appropriate is to first listen and also ensure confidentiality. Second, explore what support or help that student would like from you (e.g., helping them talk to their parents). Third, make sure the student is feeling safe and has not met up with any negativity. And most importantly, mirror back to them positive regard. What to avoid:  negatively judging them for their feelings; offering support you’re not really able to provide.”

- Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D.

Q: I am new in a program but I do have one kid who is really bossy. I am still unsure how to manage that kind of behavior since she even wants to tell me what to do in each activity. I only spent a day with that group because I was new and then the school shut down but I am still thinking about that kind of behavior and how to manage it. She is only 7 years old. - Youth Worker, Imperial County, CA
A: "So, kids' behavior always makes sense, if only we knew the rest of the story.  This kid, and others like her, have a need behind their drive to control things.  Sometimes it's because they are anxious about the unknown and if they take charge, then they can control the narrative which makes them feel less anxious.  Another example would be kids who have trouble following direction or instructions (lots of kids with learning glitches have this issue) so they get "bossy" because they if are the deciders about how something is going to be, they don't have to be able to "follow" a set of instructions which is actually hard for them.  This happens a lot when kids want to control the game and the rules when they are playing with peers---it's easier to lead on their own terms than to understand when someone else describes how it's supposed to work.  And yet another example would be a kid who is given too much authority at home and is used to that role, thinks it's expected of them, so that's how she operates outside of home too.

The best approach to handling this is to have compassion for the child (as annoying and disruptive as their behavior might seem) and recognize that there is actually a vulnerability or confusion that kid is having that is prompting the "bossy" or controlling behavior.  Rather than challenging the child or pushing back on the behavior, thank the child for his or her intentions to be helpful and clarify "how it works' (i.e, that actually YOU are going to be directing things. For example, "Thanks for your ideas and help, but I have a plan in mind and I'll be the one leading the activities today.  If you have some ideas you'd like to share with me, you can let me know about them at the end of the day and I'll be glad to consider them for another time." Meanwhile, keep an eye on that child to see if he or she is struggling in the role of "follower" or even "equal" because it's either difficult for them to process the rule or because they don't have the social skills to manage until they feel on top.  Help them learn."

- Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW

Berkeley, Ca

Q: I have a student (elementary school) who is always doing some type of motion out of the ordinary and makes noises. He himself doesn't catch what he's doing, the rest of my group notices and from time to time gets frustrated. How do I deal or go about this situation? - Youth Worker, San Joanquin County, CA 
A: "This sounds like a child with some neuro-physiological issues. Perhaps this student has tics, which can be single repetitive motions or "marching tics" which are a series of various "out-of-the-ordinary" movements. There are also vocal tics (throat clearing, yelping, sniffing, etc) which may explain the noises. It's sad for the child when other kids respond with frustration or alienation since more often than not, these behaviors are involuntary. That's why the student himself isn't aware of them.

Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW

I would share your observations with the adult(s) in this child's life by simply describing the motions and sounds you have seen, as well as describing that the child doesn't seem aware of them and that you are concerned because other children are having a negative response to behavior they don't understand. Ask the adult if they are aware of it as well. If they are, perhaps you can discuss ways to manage the situation that won't embarrass the kid with the tics (or whatever the issue might be)---for example "Sometimes his body or voice expresses itself in ways he didn't mean it to, and he is so used to that happening that he doesn't notice. His family has learned to work around the motions and sounds and we're going to learn to do that too." You can see it as an opportunity to support acceptance of differences with kindness and generosity. If the student's grown-ups weren't aware, you may be giving them info they didn't have and can let them know it would be helpful if they checked in with the pediatrician to understand what might be going on so you can work with them to better support the child in the social setting of your program."

- Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW

Berkeley, Ca

Sam Piha, MSW
Temescal Associates

A: I agree with Sheri's answer above, with one additional thought: parents can be very touchy when learning of information about their child that they may view as "negative". These are very delicate conversations. It is best if you only share your observations and maybe concerns, while avoiding any medical terms or diagnosis.

-Sam Piha, MSW

Temescal Associates

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MORE ABOUT…
Dr. Diane Ehrensaft is a developmental and clinical psychologist, Director of Mental Health at the Child and Adolescent Gender Center and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco. She has been a frequent contributor to our LIAS blog and the How Kids Learn conference. You can review her blog responses here and view a video presentation here.

Sheri Glucoft Wong is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and family therapist. She’s known nationally for her parenting workshops and consultations with school leaders. In addition to her clinical practice, she has led workshops and seminars for childcare centers, medical centers, and private industry for over 30 years. 


Coronavirus and Afterschool

By Sam Piha

We began tracking the spread of the Coronavirus several weeks ago. After seeing discussions in educational literature we grew increasingly concerned about the implications for afterschool. We had an exchange with national afterschool advocates, and decided that we would wait for schools, districts and public health officials to share their thoughts. We chose to follow their lead because it is imperative that we all speak with consistency.

Nobody really knows how much the Coronavirus will spread in the U.S. Below are some thoughts and resources that may be useful for afterschool providers. Please note that new information and resources are appearing daily.

Source: Exploring The New Coronavirus: A Comic Just For Kids

Know the Facts & Follow Developments: It is important that everyone understands the real facts about COVID-19, and not be influenced by rumors on the internet. It is also important that program staff are knowledgeable about prevention strategies which can be employed in the program. We recommend the following resources:

• Centers for Disease Control
• Your local (City, County, State) Public Health Department and School District websites
• Facts, Resources, Tips and Templates 

Coordination: For school-based afterschool programs, it is important to coordinate with schools and school districts on plans for responding to COVID-19. We recommend that program leaders are involved in these plans by meeting with principals and following developments on district websites. This includes any plans for school closures. Program leaders should also be aware of any efforts of the janitorial staff regarding cleaning and disinfecting the program space, especially those areas that are more likely to spread the virus.

For community-based afterschool programs, it is important for organizational leaders to ensure that staff are properly trained and informed, that the space is being cleaned properly, and they are in contact and coordinating with local health departments.

Source: Exploring The New Coronavirus: A Comic Just For Kids

How to Talk With Kids: It is best when programs have a regularly scheduled “Check-in Circle” where participants can bring up things on their minds, such as a fear of the COVID-19 virus. If programs do not have a regular check-in, they can call a “circle meeting” to discuss.

First, it is important that the adult staff know the facts. It is good to answer any questions truthfully, while communicating reassurances that adults are doing everything to keep children safe. We suggest that adult staff need not to offer detailed information that goes beyond young people’s questions- especially for young children. Second, empower participants with strategies to prevent infection, like staying home when ill and washing hands frequently. It may be helpful to demonstrate effective hand washing (20 seconds or 2 verses of “Happy Birthday”) and include hand washing as part of the program, especially before snacks.

“Youth workers should bring up that there is currently a heightened awareness of the importance of good hygiene to support everyone's health. For example: ‘It's flu season, and cold season anyway, plus a new virus going around which has prompted health officials and doctors to ask people in communities to do better about keeping themselves and everyone else healthy.  Your school and this program are each a community and we're making that effort here too.’ Then teach hygiene. Beyond that, my sense is that youth workers should only talk further about it in response to questions or concerns that kids raise. 

In the case of older youth, you can offer more content about the contribution that individuals in a community can make to the benefit of all. Research has shown that adolescents are more motivated to incorporate personal prevention efforts if it is framed as an example of other ways community members support each other. -Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW

Here is one useful resource- How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus. You may also find this comic book format useful.

NPR, Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

Stigma/Bullying Reduction: It is important that afterschool staff take measures to ensure that youth do not stigmatize or bully other youth. COVID-19 is not a “Chinese” virus.

“I request your careful attention to recent challenges that have been reported in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19). There has been an increasing number of news reports regarding stereotyping, harassment, and bullying directed at persons perceived to be of Chinese American or, more generally, Asian descent.”- Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Kenneth L. Marcus

Communication With Parents: It is normal for parents to be concerned about the health of their children. Reassure parents that afterschool staff are well-informed and working closely with their host school. Similar to afterschool staff, it is important that parents have the right facts about the COVID-19 virus and that they and their child stay home if they feel ill. (For school-based afterschool programs, check with your school to see if they already have “communication with parents” literature.)

In communicating with parents, afterschool staff could say something like: “The coronavirus and issues surrounding it is in the news and on the minds of many; we are leaving it to parents and classroom teachers to address it in detail; as a community, our afterschool programs will take on the relevant health/hygiene aspects of the issue in an effort to raise  students' awareness and provide training about staying healthy; youth workers are being informed and trained to respond to any questions or issues that the kids bring up; we will, of course, notify parents of any issues that arise that affect the health or social-emotional well-being of your individual child or the group.”-Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW

For more information on this topic, we recommend this resource- What Parents Need to Know About Coronavirus.

Afterschool Program Finances: Many afterschool programs receive payments based on average daily attendance. If attendance is down or schools are closed, how will this affect afterschool programs? Will they have to permanently shut down? Will staff have to be laid off? Ask funders (state, federal, city, or philanthropic) if there are provisions for this. For instance, in California, the Department of Education has a process by which programs can apply for Attendance Relief funding. Additionally, it is important that afterschool staff do not come to work if they feel ill. This works best if the provider organization provides staff with sick time benefits, which may have financial implications.


"I do think it reminds us that we should all stay home when sick, adults, kids etc – and that requires support financially; paid sick days for staff and paid sick days for parents/guardians to care for sick kids." – Jodi Grant, Afterschool Alliance

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Sheri Glucoft Wong, LCSW is a family therapist, parent educator and consultant. In addition to her clinical practice, she has led workshops and seminars for public and private schools and childcare centers, medical centers, and private industry for over 30 years.