This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Esme! This month we are giving away a set of mental health books valued at up to $315. One lucky winner will select one of these eight curated book sets:
- Mental Health Board Book Collection
- Mental Health Preschool and PreK Collection
- Mental Health Kindergarten, First/Second Grade Collection
- Mental Health Third/Fourth/Fifth Grade Collection
- Mental Health Middle School and Teens Collection
- Mental Health Educator Resources, Elementary
- Mental Health Educator Resources, Secondary
- Mental Health Early Childhood English-Spanish Bilingual Collection
To Enter: Leave a comment below sharing how you support mental health in kids.
For additional entries, leave a separate comment below for each of the following tasks you complete:
Each comment counts as a separate entry. Entries must be received by midnight, May 20, 2022.
The winner will be contacted via email on or around May 31, 2022, and will need to respond within 72 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Winner must be US resident, 18 years of age or older.
We welcome your comments and suggestions. Share your comments, stories, and ideas below, or contact us. All comments will be approved before posting, and are subject to our comment and privacy policies.
© 2022 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. The view expressed in this post represent the opinion of the author and not necessarily Free Spirit Publishing.
I work with parents to give them the tools to support Social-emotional learning and health.
I teach elementary students social – emotional skills & coping tools to help with anger and aggression.
Our agency has trained all of our staff in Trauma Informed Care, PBIS, and Mandt to support our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in social emotional well being. Our preschool classroom use the Second Step SEL curriculum to teach the SEL skills that children need to be effective in self regulation and expressing emotions.
I work at a preschool and support mental health by giving one-on-one time to students when possible, being an active listener, and teaching young children how to communicate their emotions effectively to one another.
I would love to continue to work with my son and the children I work with to support mental health at home and in my community!
Followed on Pinterest.
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Liked on Facebook.
I love that FSB helps to disseminate resources that help to normalize and destigmatize mental health and help to provide us all with a child-friendly vocabulary that can be used to identify difficult emotions and enable children to talk about how they are feeling inside. As a child of the ’80s, that vocabulary wasn’t available to me when I was growing up, and not having words for what I was feeling inside was terrifying. I am grateful that I can help my children and students label the scary stuff to make it less scary.
I support student and staff mental health as a program administrator in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education by making sure we are building relationships with each and every family member who comes through our program.
I work with preschoolers and I spend a lot of time teaching my students how to identify and label their feelings and how to work through them.
I am a preschool teacher and I support mental health in children by implementing “Second Step” which support social emotional development. I encourage children to express their feelings by engaging in activities with them that promote conversation. I encourage them to use self-talk to remind themself to take a minute when they are having strong feeling about a situation. I set up group activities that reenforce sharing, communication, and expression of feelings.
I would like to be remembered when my students hear the words “Happy Learning and Teaching!”
Do we get to know the winner?
I’d love resources to teach my students vital life skills to help them cope with the challenges of every day life and know that it pays to be kind.
I am part of our community Mental Health Heroes program and have worked in special Education for the district for 24 years had have volunteered to go with students that had to be taken to hospital, to help the family.
As an elementary school counselor, I regularly support students’ mental health needs by building support networks, validating feelings, and collaborating on helpful coping strategies.
As an Elementary School Counselor, I use books every time I conduct a lesson. With my VPK classes, I am helping them identify emotions, cope with big feelings, and use kindness and polite manners with others. Children identify with literary characters and suggest actions that demonstrate positive values. I. LOVE. BOOKS. FOR COUNSELING!
Knowledge is power! We are downsizing to a K-6 school and can now concentrate on the elementary students more. I love the book selections and can easily integrate them into my weekly lessons with the students.
I really like to focus on the self love and positive self talk with my students.
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I work with k thru 6th during school year and 3 yrs to 5 yrs in summer. Mental health needs to be addressed at all ages and teaching coping skills at early ages will help our children learn to care for their mental health now and in the future
Following on Pinterest! 🙂
Following on Twitter! 🙂
Liked on Facebook 🙂
I follow on Pinterest already 🙂
I like and follow on Facebook already 🙂
I am an Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant working with infants through preschoolers and their teachers and families to show the importance of taking care of mental health even at a young age.
I am a school counselor at an elementary school and I use books a lot to support me in my practice. I love books because they help educate and expand the perspective around mental health
We all face challenging children and behaviors. I would love the opportunity to gain knowledge and be able to better assistance a child who is struggling. I feel I do pretty well but there is always ways to grow.
My center supports mental health in children one of three ways: We acknowledge how a child is feeling and provide them with age appropriate avenues to express feelings. We provide them with several avenues to express and cope/understand feelings. We also provide resources for the child and family on emotions, how to avoid situations that bring out certain emotions, and activities a provider or child can use to defuse a situation or change how they express an emotion. For parents, we provide outside resources they can contact if they are feeling overwhelmed or ask for assistance.
I support students with therapy writing time in school, as well as a chance to discuss meaningful concerns.
Following on pinterest (@Laurie_Ann)
Liked on facebook (@Laurie_Ann)
following on twitter (@settergirl27)
I support mental health in kids as a pediatric counselor working with children with anxiety, depression, trauma, and developmental delays. We together find ways to understand big emotions, validate feelings, cope with difficult emotions, and find ways to make helthy choices or use support systems!
This year, I have created a comprehensive K-6 School Counseling program around the 5 SEL Competencies. It has been a great way to support students in many areas of mental health and social-emotional development. It has also been exhausting, fun, time-consuming, and validating.
Hi! I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor for tots, kids, teens, and parents and I’m also a Registered Play Therapist. I’ve worked in schools, hospitals, clinics, and group private practices. Due to COVID-19, I opened a new play therapy office that allows social distancing with no unexpected encounters with others. There are no waiting rooms, no empty hallways, no strangers, no public restrooms, and no check-in/check-out desks, and no other counselors and clients to encounter. Just me! The front door opens right into the play therapy space so the kids transition quite easily, knowing they have stepped into a place that is created just for them. They feel safe and in charge and are inspired to get busy. “Don’t worry mom! I got this!” The families love this model. The parents relax in the attached den which is reached by walking through the play therapy space or, if the child is older, parents hang out in the coffee shop next door. Very family and kiddo friendly! 🙂
I’m interested
I am a PreK teacher. I have discovered over the years that once I consider mental health, then I can reach children. Most kids who are discipline issues or who are not learning can thrive once their mental health is addressed.
Entry #4 – Follow on Twitter
Entry #3 – Follow on Instagram
Entry #2: Liked on Facebook
Hello! I teach 5th grade in a low-socioeconomic area. I support my students’ mental health in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, explicit SEL and growth mindset lessons, fostering restorative disciple and PBIS initiatives in the classroom, connecting families with local mental health resources as well as other basic needs resources, providing positive feedback and edification, choosing selections for read aloud and reading coursework that model good mental health practices. Most importantly, I love them unconditionally.
I support students in a low-income school by teaching them foundational skills for reading and social-emotional skills. It is a Middle School and 95% of the students are non-white and 100% are on free and reduced lunches. Students reading skills have improved I grade every two months!
I am a Life Skills Teacher and I give my students space to express themselves and I listen with respect and let them know they are valuable, and I care about them and their feelings.
As a teacher in early headstart for toddlers I support by using deep breathing, acknowledging child’s feelings and providing techniques to cope their strong emotions through books, songs
As an all outdoors preK/K program, we offer our students many opportunities to practice emotion regulation everyday! Being outdoors means we don’t have to rush in to silence tears when big feelings arise. Because classmates have plenty of areas to choose for quiet play or alone time to regulate, we can focus on each student’s ability & efforts to self sooth & self regulate; temper tantrums loose they power to stop all play, and we can quietly be there to give a hug, a high five or just time alone to defuse🥰
I’ve spent more time these past two years focusing on emotion regulation and coping skills with students. We have lots of discussions on what is within and outside of our control and how to help ourselves feel better and better able to manage difficult situations.
As a school counselor I provide students with a circle of support (peers and adults who can support and encourage them), help them learn to identify their feelings, help them become problem-solvers (advocates), help them be kind and empathetic, and teach them calming strategies that they can utilize independently when they feel that they need them.
I give kids a safe space to share and I listen with respect and total commitment to them.
We help students learn practices of mindfulness and recognizing how their emotions feel in their bodies.
Third entry- facebook
I am seeing a major need for this in my School.
Followed on pinterest (second entry)
I am a school counselor, and have a private practice supporting students, parents and teachers with regards supporting students and their mental health.
I oversee our high school’s Behavioral Health Team and connect students to our Tier II and Tier III supports.
I share mental health resources with the entire student body
I stress the importance of SEL and positive mental health at our school
This is a wonderful collection of mental health books you are raffling off! Mental health needs to be normalized.
Following on pintrest
Liked on facebook
I support young children by teaching breathing techniques and yoga.
Liked on facebook(Alana Boissonneault)
I try to help students mental health by trying to teach them coping skills, creative ways of expression, not stigmatizing mental health issues. Would love to add some additional resources to our toolbox!
We address the mental health of students daily and throughout the class session. This is done via helping them identify, work through and come up with solutions that honor feelings and needs of students. We also work with parents and teach them strategies to help both themselves and our students at home.
Liked on Facebook
I am in a small school district so I am the only middle school counselor. This set of books would be a great resource for me!
I am a school psychologist. I wish I did more to support Mental Health for kids and parents. I like to do whole class groups to talk about understanding and managing emotions and healthy relationships. That’s it where I use the books. Books validate what kids experience. Sometimes you can watch a student nodding or breathing a sigh of relief because they realize they are not the only one who has felt that way, reacted that way or been hurt in that way…
As a special education teacher we are always supporting mental health by trying to help students see that we are there for them and are on their side. Students often come to school needing to know that there are adults who care about them and their needs. We often teach strategies to help students recognize their emotions and be able to cope with different situations that my arise.
I work with Head Start Program as a Health/Disability Coordinator, keep teachers engaged in mental health observations and working with preschoolers on social emotional and interacting with peers and sharing and caring. I would love the resources for our head start teachers to implement resources and books into their daily lesson plans for our little ones and parent engagement with social emotional at home. Would love these mental health resources/books for our program.
I am a school counselor from a smaller district. In my district there are a wide range of needs from my students. On a daily basis, I have to triage responsive services for either tier 1 to tier 3 support services. With this said, smaller districts have a harder time obtaining resources. I would use the resources to help the needs of my students in small group, whole group, and individual settings. The resources you have are fabulous, and I know will make a big difference to my students. Thank you for giving us a chance to get your fabulous resources in this giveaway.
I support kid’s mental health as the Behavioral/Mental Health Liaison for our school district. I work directly with students one on one for counseling, work with parents and share resources and make referrals, support teachers and school staff, and educate school staff on mental health issues. Mental Health resources are vital to my work. Thanks!
I am a school social worker at a Title 1 rural Middle school and we do groups on various mental health issues for our students such as anxiety, mindfulness, grief, peer conflict, and many more. we even created a mindfulness room to help students to take a break from their stressors and worries and learn self-care practices.
I provide counseling services of individual counseling, crisis counseling, small counseling groups, and facilitate classroom counseling lessons to support students mental health.
I want to help make sure that my library has resources for counselors, psychologists, and teachers (present and future), as well as caregivers.
I am a Bilingual school social worker I am a walking resource, add more to my library. Thanks.
I am a clinical social worker for a large high school and an elementary school. I serve students with emerging and existing mental illness. I teach students to identify their triggers and ways to reduce or eliminate them.
I am a mental health provider moving to an elementary school position. These books would be a wonderful resource for the students.
liked on facebook
I am a tutor and I collect books for kids to read for various places such as homeless shelters and schools. I live with mental illness and try to support others who do, too.
I’m a School Counselor supporting students with special needs one-to-one, in small groups, and weekly whole-class lessons.
I am a Child and Youth Counsellor that supports students in the educational setting. Supporting our students mental health is even more critical now than ever. Helping them to understand that we all have Mental Health and to understand and support Mental Illness.
I support children’s mental health by providing check in’s and education regarding mental health issues that impact students at various ages as well as sharing the same information with parents.
As a school psychologist I assess students in regards to social / emotional / behavioral functioning and also provide some direct services to students with social / emotional needs. For my entire elementary building I facilitate our SEL (social emotional learning) action team and also during the month of May am sharing out weekly videos for all students to learn about the importance of mental wellness.
With so many parents/caregivers struggling to meet their families basic needs, they sometimes don’t have much left over when they’re done working, providing food, and providing housing. Incorporating SEL and targeted programs to monitor the mental health of students is more important than ever!
I teach reading intervention to middle school students. Being a struggling reader in middle school can hurt students’ self-confidence. I support their mental health by sharing stories of successful public figures who also struggle with reading.
Professional Learning Facilitator here, I focus on adult learning for those in education: mental health, social and emotional learning and diversity, equity and inclusion. Literature/bibliotherapy is a great tool to support so many audiences.
following on pinterest ( @marina21810 )
followed on twitter ( @MMMyers94 )
liked and followed on facebook (Marina Martha Myers)
I try to support student’s mental health by being mental health first aid certified and trauma informed through trainings I can take. I have taken college courses relating to adolescent psychology and child development as well as taking trainings specific to supporting mental health and social emotional learning in kids. I try to take a holistic approach to mental health and work for an organization which supports that and wants to help encourage stronger minds, bodies and spirits. I personally utilize a lot of SEL components in my lesson plans, give children a space to have their feelings be heard (even the tough ones), and cultivate a culture of belonging and confidence. Our school family culture is very important, as is building relationships with our students.
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I use bibliotherapy in my classroom guidance lessons to help all students learn how to cope/seek help, in addition to helping students one-on-one or in a small group setting when needed.
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I support my student’s mental health by incorporating brain breaks into my teaching.
I help support students mental health by teaching them coping skills.
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Liked on Facebook
We support early childhood mental health by helping children learn how to regulate their emotions, name them, and begin working on conflict resolution skills and problem solving skills. We also work on building supportive relationships with teachers and peers.
I have used music and book therapy to ameliorate pain and depression.
I think that given the additional stress of the pandemic on families and workers, we are seeing more challenging behaviors from sensitive children. They need to find more ways to self-regulate with breathing exercises, yoga and other tools. We have concentrated more of our professional development in using helpful instructional materials. You offer a wealth of books on various topics within a child’s real experience. If they can understand and recognize their feelings, that’s wonderful, but even better if they can learn and practice creative problem solving strategies to cope with adversity in a heart felt way.
I support students’ mental health by being the Director of a Head Start/tuition based prek program. The staff here work with families and specialists to make sure that children are supported and get the interventions they need before moving to kindergarten. The needs seem to be greater than ever before.
I am 3-6th grade counselor. I love to use your books to help my students socially and emotionally.
@jenceyco following on twitter
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I love Free Spirit Publishing! The book “How and Why to Get Students Talking” helped take a class of higher schoolers who did not like to talk to opening them up and sharing life struggles. It was great!! Thanks Free Spirit Publishing!!
CONTENT WARNING: self-harm, suicide
In high school, students walk down the hallways and enter/exit classes alone and into their own thoughts so many times as others walk and joke with friends. Standing outside my classroom door, I like to greet these loners and try to meet their gaze so they know someone knows that they exist. If I can get to say “How are you?” or “Have a good day!” I do. I was one of those kids. One of my daughters and granddaughter was one of these kids. They were also “cutters” and had the suicidal depression that sometimes goes with it. “No one” saw them being bullied.
@asunaSao is following on Pinterest
Parent of two gradeschoolers; I find that find that all mental health strategies are needed for kids, family, friends and parents!!!
@CLHarrisWriter following on Twitter
As a Family Services Supervisor in a Head Start program I feel strongly that parent education is important. The parents often do not know how to handle or express their emotions in a healthy way and first I have to teach them before I can teach the children. The home/school connection is so important. Parents have to know child development, milestones and how to best teach their child. Mental Health is as important as physical health and cognitive health. I will use these books as a resource to help parents help their children.
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I want to say thank you so much for this chance. I work as a teacher and work with Pre-K to 8th grade and this year I have seen so much mental health struggles in my students. As a SEL teacher I am always teaching students about self care and their circles of control and how they can benefit their mental health.
I am a Mental Health Counselor for my district’s Office of Student Conduct and Support. I provide mental health support for students who exhibit severe behavioral issues and students who are put up for long term suspension and/or expulsion.
I let them know that their comments and feelings are valued as well as accepted.
I would really appreciate winning one of these sets. It helps when you have resources within your reach, for immediate consideration. We have many cases this year with everything going on with Covid still present today in school setting. It would be a blessing for my classroom 🙏.
I’m a School Counselor
I feel like having a school with great mental health support would make school climate, academics, and community and relationships thrive. Knowing ways to manage and cope with mental health struggles is the very basis of being a productive student, teacher, or administrator. #mentalhealthmatters
I am a special education teacher for grades 6-12. I work with students who have trauma, mental illness and skill deficits in the areas of executive functioning, I help them to learn strategies to cope with their emotions and behaviors.
I follow on Facebook.
We have incorporated the Second Step program into our preschool classrooms. Children have been responding well to the activities and stories.
Our PreK teachers use a couple different SEL curriculum resources to support children’s mental health. School counselors are also a valuable resource for this. And we have an excellent behavioral interventionist who offers strategies and support when needed.
I support TK-6 grade students as a school psychologist by consulting with parents and teachers, providing individual and group counseling, and administering social/emotional screeners and assessments when needed.
Mental Health is practiced daily in our Head Start classrooms.
I am a mental health coordinator for head start. Social and emotional health is as important to my agencies and my teachers as educational learning. Our goal is to make kids feel safe and secure. The only way to do this is by focusing on mental health.
I follow you on Twitter.
I follow you on Facebook.
I teach a Social Emotional class and would love to incorporate your resource into my lessons.
Liked you on Facebook!
I have been a school counselor for 31 years. I support my students every day.
I am an elementary school counseling and I help support my student’s mental health through weekly classroom lessons and individual counseling.
I am a public librarian and wish to share these books with parents and children in my neighborhood.
Following on pinterest.
Liked and shared on Facebook!
I support my students mental health by being there for them each and everyday as a Teacher.
Any of these would be helpful in my role as a HS SPED Social Studies Teacher
I support mental health in children through my career as an elementary school counselor. I teach classroom lessons, facilitate small groups, and support individual students as needed in social, emotional and academic areas of growth.
I support students mental health as a school counselor by providing a safe space for students to cope with big emotions. I teach mindfulness and coping skills, along with self care, to my whole school PreK-2nd Grade!
I am a special education teacher with an emphasis in SEL learning. I provide social skills instruction to small and large groups. Mental health feels like 100 % of my job at this time. Students need mental health support to regulate more now than ever. I meet the students where they are to help build their lagging skills and work through all of their big emotions.
The program has adopted several of social emotional books, to help benefit our program.
I teach K-5 students in a SPED resource setting. SEL is a daily component of their learning while expanding students’ ability to identify emotions and then to regulate them.
I am following Free Spirit Publishing on Pinterest!
As a special education teacher, I do a lot of coaching students to vaule their mental health as much as anything else. Encouraging them with their lessons and helping them build confidence in who they are and their abilities. The sky is the limit for all the students that I come across. I would love to start an SEL program of some sort and help both teachers and students with restoreative justice.
I have followed Free Spirit Publishing on Facebook!
I am a school social worker, and I support mental health in kids by making it okay to talk about mental health, advocating for mental health services for students, and being a safe person for students to confide in about their own struggles.
I would love your site and resources.
Thank you for the wonderful information
We have an advisory period every day that we work on SEL skills and have discussions about what’s going on. I do the same in all of my classes. I am constantly checking on kids and making sure they are getting what they need. We have a great support network on campus and resources for those that need it, students and adults alike.
As a elementary school counselor – my whole job is supporting my 600 students mental well being. Creating a culture where students are accepted (even on the hard days) and that we see them through a trauma focused lens. However, the students mental health is of great importance to me – so is my staff’s mental health. The pandemic has a taken a toll on them and I constantly try to bring resources and a listening/compassionate ear for them as well.
Being a high school English teacher, I see the lack of SEL skills in the teen population daily – and the pandemic only exacerbated it. Finding creative ways to teach trauma informed, culturally responsive life skills is imperative but definitely challenging. I would LOVE the secondary set of book collection to add to my professional library and to enhance my SEL lessons.
I am a middle school and high school learning support teacher. I think every teacher right now needs to have some knowledge of students mental health. So that the students know they have a support system with their teachers. These strategies can be incorporated into any class.
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I strive to support students in their mental health as an elementary school counselor by teaching SEL curriculum to classes K-5, providing small group counseling to students, and working one on one with students who need additional support. I also collaborate with teachers and parents to support students mental health.
I support mental health by being aware of children’s emotions, stressors, backgrounds, etc. and ensuring that my setting is a safe and positive place for them.
As the school librarian, I try to create a safe, welcoming environment to meet the needs of my students. I want to continue to grow the collection in terms of diverse books, including ones that address SEL topics for both teachers and students to use.
As an early childhood counselor, I support student’s mental health by teaching them about feelings, and self-regulation. I use whole class, small group and individual time to teach social skills, empathy, and self-awareness that they use to help themselves be more successful. I also advocate for my student’s mental health with staff and parents.
As a first year teacher at a low-income school, I have realized how important mental health is for my students. Many of my students do not have the resources available for mental and are at a crucial age when they are going through puberty/changes and have so many questions and concerns. Having the resources for them would mean everything to me because I want to help these students in every way that I can.
Since I work with toddlers who often have limited verbal skills, I try to honor them by listening closely when they talk. I also try to watch their non-verbal signals, especially of stress and upset. I also use simple signs with them.
I support mental health with students and educators in the Early childhood field. Head Start/Early Head Start and state PRE- K
For the past three years I have helped students build protective factors to past, and in preparation for future, trauma by providing biweekly “Toolbox Lessons” where students learn about and practice: neuroscience, mindfulness practices, emotional regulation, asking for help, resilience, etc.
I have over 100 students for gifted education K-12. I am the only gifted teacher in our district. I provide social and emotional learning throughout their entire time in our classes. We begin with letting students know about all of the emotions, our triggers, and how they are okay. We learn about intense feelings and how to cope with everyday life. In all grades we attempt to see how we feel in real-world situations, role-play, and expand our coping skills as we progress. Another way I work on social and emotional skills is to help students learn grit and perseverance through powering through tough problems, work, and situations. I stress to never give up when it is tough.
I support student mental health by showing & explaining how I self-regulate when the moment calls for it.
I, with my team, intentionally create a sense of belonging and safety. Children need to feel safe in their safe and know that the community members support who they are, their feelings and whole beings. I encourage all members to think about how we can help each other in positive ways, invoking a caring and inclusive environment. All feelings are valid and we keep a close watch and support each child and family. Open communication, care and validation. . . . As a team we educate ourselves on symptoms of and support for mental health problems.
As an art teacher, I am supporting SEL with my students in every project they create. I try to have them focus on who they are and how to include this in their projects. I am also fortunate to teach an SEL class every day for 30 minutes with a group of 6th graders.
I teach mental health to middle school aged students, as a component of my ongoing health curriculum.
These are some of the books we use in our program. The appreciate the bilingual books.
I am a school counselor who provides whole class, small group and individual lessons to my elementary kids.
I support students’ mental health as a school counselor by helping them understand they have a support network of trusted adults and others to go to when they need help. I also help them learn strategies to cope with big emotions, like mindfulness.