Book review: All Kids Can Thrive, A Holistic Education Resource for a Successful and Conscious Classroom, by Sheena L. Smith

Summary

This book is the result. All Kids Can Thrive is filled with valuable information for anyone that works with children or has children with or without disabilities. Educators and parents will discover a wide variety of approaches, tools, and strategies to wholly empower each child to strive for balance within their own mind, body, and spirit.

Some of the takeaways for educators include:

The essential pieces of the puzzle for raising consciousness within your classroom, school, and community environment by teaching the whole child

How to prevent burnout and overwhelm despite current circumstances—turn chaos to calm!

How the body and brain (mind) are intricately linked on all levels physically and psychologically including emotions, decision-making processes, and wellness

Understand why daily, regular movement is not only essential but critically important

What the brain does under stress and how students can easily build new neural pathway

What potential exists through the science of neuroplasticity

How your intuition is one of your best assets when working with children

Evidence-based interventions that embrace the whole child to lower stress, build resilience, empower students to develop self-regulation skills

The basics of the Polyvagal theory and how understanding it can benefit your students

The secrets to building strong, positive relationships and connections

Proven methods to assist your students in becoming more “life ready” when they graduate

By applying the tools found in All Kids Can Thrive educators will be inspired and feel grateful knowing that you made a difference by enriching your students’ lives simply by allowing them to be themselves—and by being the best version of yourself.

Author Sheena Smith has been a special education assistant for over 20 years and has raised four children, including two children with special needs—one has Spina bifida and the other has Down syndrome. She knows the challenges children face daily both at home and within the educational system.

Review (originally published on Reader's Favorite)

All Kids Can Thrive, A Holistic Education Resource for a Successful and Conscious Classroom, by Sheena L. Smith is a comprehensive guide. The titles of the various chapters give us a taste of what is to come: teach, honor, respect, inspire, value, elevate and evolve through hope. To which you can add "Judge not! Meet the needs of all students, whatever they are” What else is there to add? Teaching holistically is a need. We do not teach objects but diverse human beings with so many different requirements, skills, issues, and emotions. The author’s introduction underlining her 40-year career but also her personal life (when she gave birth to a lovely girl who had to undergo surgery less than one hour after birth) sets the tone. Then we start reading and the book does keep its promises!

All Kids Can Thrive by Sheena L. Smith is a must-read guide for teachers, teachers-to-be, and of course parents (who are teachers whether they want it or not). I could not agree more with one quote: “Love is all that matters”. How many times have I noticed that being loved and understood was what drove my students? The author’s messages are clear, logical and can only touch us and make us want to be better teachers, improve our ways and pay attention to all types of differences. She always bases everything she says on research and useful quotes. She is engaging while being perfectly efficient. This book is a treasure to keep and gift. Thank you so much!