Parents and teachers are urged to join a new book club that will provide children with free access to online books and activities to improve their wellbeing as World Mental Health Day (10 October) draws near.
The ‘Shelf Care’ book club, developed by the award-winning parenting website KiddyCharts (https://www.kiddycharts.com), provides free PDF novels, activity sheets, and audiobooks with the possibility to win printed volumes each month. It is quick and simple to access the club because it is entirely online. Each book has been chosen with an emphasis on mental health to promote children’s wellbeing.
According to a report released last week by the Education Select Committee (https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmeduc/970/summary.html), the number of kids who miss school frequently has more than doubled since the epidemic, with mental health and anxiety being listed as a major contributing factor. A recent study published by the University of Cambridge found that children who start reading for pleasure at a young age have better mental health as teenagers (https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/reading-for-pleasure-early-in-childhood-linked-to-better-cognitive-performance-and-mental-wellbeing). KiddyCharts’ mission is to help kids better understand their emotions by utilizing reading to lay a solid foundation for healthy mental health behaviors.
The KiddyCharts Shelf Care Book Club, which was established earlier this year, has a burgeoning membership and has already shared books by authors including the Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and Carys Bexington. The book for October is “Once Upon a Witches Broom” by Beatrice Blue, a heartwarming tale of friendship and self-belief (https://www.kiddycharts.com/printables/perfectionism-in-children-simple-worksheets/).
Helen Neale, the founder of KiddyCharts and a counsellor and parenting specialist, collaborated closely with Quarto Kids, the publisher, to choose books that will aid youngsters in better understanding their environment and managing their emotions. Every Shelf Care book offers an uplifting mental health message, covering everything from comprehending loss to enhancing empathy and self-esteem.
said Helen Neale:
We urge parents and educators worldwide to join our free Shelf Care Book Club as World Mental Health Day draws near. Reading is a fantastic approach to improve wellness, and literacy-active children are known to have improved long-term mental health. By making our books available to schools and families at no cost, we seek to inspire children to read for pleasure and provide a secure environment in which they may express their feelings.
Sign up for the Shelf Care Book Club at https://www.kiddycharts.com/free-kids-book-club/. Teachers and parents are urged to do so. visit https://www.kiddycharts.com/printables/perfectionism-in-children-simple-worksheets/ to access the free worksheets for this month.
Visit www.kiddycharts.com to learn more about the amazing selection of free printables, activities, resources, and giveaways that KiddyCharts has to offer.
Kiddycharts.com, which FeedSpot ranked as one of the top 3 UK parenting websites, is the only UK blog that is a registered social enterprise, with the majority of profits going to the charity Reverence for Life.
ENDS