Description

Laura Saunders

Pacific Edge Publishing

104 pp, downloadable pdf

Level: Adult

Summary

How do you explain the death of a child, to a child? How do you help children work through their grief? How do you explain what it means to die?

Canada has been called a death-denying culture. We tend to choose not to talk to our children and students about death, to protect them from any fear or sadness. Not only do we avoid discussing death in our classrooms, we don’t talk about it at all. If teachers talked with students about death as a normal part of life, death would become a normal part of life. We could answer their questions and address their concerns. We could take advantage of teachable moments and incorporate life and death into our general curriculum. We could be proactive, and not be afraid.

Comment

This book provides teachers with options for discussing the topic of death and dying with their students in creative and positive ways. Teachers need guidance and confidence to take on such a challenging subject. This book helps teachers feel more comfortable when approached with the topic and feel assured in their responses to questions that may arise. The hope is that teachers will read this book and feel empowered to tackle discussions about death in the classroom. For a subject that can’t be avoided, it is better to be prepared.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 – Why Do Teachers Have a Role?
Chapter 2 – What Children Know About Death
Chapter 3 – Helping Children Understand Death
Chapter 4 – Common Misconceptions
Chapter 5 – Children and Grief
Chapter 6 – Helping Children Grieve
Chapter 7 – Multicultural Awareness
Chapter 8 – Tough Questions
Chapter 9 – When A Pet Dies
Chapter 10 – When A Loved One Dies
Chapter 11 – When A Child Dies
Chapter 12 – When A Teacher Dies
Chapter 13 – Children with Terminal Illness
Chapter 14 – Children and the Military
Chapter 15 – Coping with Tragedy
Chapter 16 – Helping Parents
Chapter 17 – Helping Yourself
Chapter 18 – Teachable Moments
Chapter 19 – Artistic Expression
Conclusion
Resources for Teachers and Parents
Bibliography