In a world where children are beset by violence and stress, Lesley Koplow provides educators with clear, level-headed advice on how to construct therapeutic learning environments for all children. This is a book about integrating preventive mental health practice into public schools (preschool through grade 5). Koplow, a psychotherapist, discusses the mandate for violence prevention and offers an intervention framework for teachers, administrators, and school-based clinicians who want to improve the emotional climate in their school.

This important and timely volume:

• Helps educators read the signs of distress or problematic social/emotional development as they are likely to manifest themselves in the school setting.
• Introduces a practice model that calls for strengthened teacher-child connections.
• Addresses, in separate chapters, the roles of the teacher, principal, and school-based clinician, providing guidance and effective strategies for each.
• Demonstrates that interventions can be done effectively by existing school personnel.
• Describes a project to facilitate teacher gathering of psycho-social history that can be used to inform constructive curricular practice.
• Poses compelling questions for policymakers, including concerns about the effect that the current focus on standards and test scores is having on the emotional tone of schools.
• Includes a chapter addressing what we’ve learned from the recent tragic events of September 11th in New York City.