Sonia Mainstone-Cotton's Books

Using Christian Contemplative Practice with Children

A Guide to Helping Children Explore Stillness and Meditation in Worship

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Using Christian Contemplative Practice with Children

A Guide to Helping Children Explore Stillness and Meditation in Worship

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

Contemplative practices are increasingly used with children across nurseries and schools and are recognised as ways of improving wellbeing. Yet these are rarely used in churches with children, instead focusing on activity and activeness as a way to ensure that children stay engaged. This book shows the many benefits of instead exploring stillness, mindfulness and other contemplative practices in Christian settings. Looking at how these practices can be rooted in Christian tradition, and full of practical examples of how they can be introduced, this resource offers anyone involved in Christian children's work an alternative way of worship that is essential to the wellbeing of children and adults.

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Page Count

154

Publisher

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1785926632

ISBN 13

9781785926631

Creativity and Wellbeing in the Early Years

Practical Ideas and Activities for Young Children

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Creativity and Wellbeing in the Early Years

Practical Ideas and Activities for Young Children

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

This accessible and practical guide explores how we can enhance and embed creativity in the early years to support children’s wellbeing. The book initially explores the work of Anna Craft, Ken Robinson, and Reggio Emilia to think about creativity with young children, before considering what this means for wellbeing. Five core chapters focus on creative mediums – drawing, sculpting and painting; craft; music; dance and drama; and storytelling and poetry – and offer a range of practical ideas and activities to use and adapt. This book provides: A wide range of activities accompanied by examples of collaborative arts projects with children. Interviews with artists and practitioners who support children’s wellbeing using creative mediums. Recommendations for creative activities using accessible and everyday materials. Case studies showing the positive impact of creativity, from developing children’s cultural understanding to soothing and supporting children with sensory experiences. Suggestions for enthusing children with a love of words, enabling them to express their thoughts and feelings through creative language. Moments for reflection to encourage readers to pause and consider the impact of creativity on their own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of children in their care. With ideas included that every practitioner can use in their setting, this book is an essential tool for early years professionals who want to build their confidence in using creativity in their practice whilst supporting children’s wellbeing.

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Page Count

122

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

100085230X

ISBN 13

9781000852301

Supporting Young Children Through Change and Everyday Transitions

Practical Strategies for Practitioners and Parents

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Supporting Young Children Through Change and Everyday Transitions

Practical Strategies for Practitioners and Parents

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

Explaining the importance of supporting children through change for their wellbeing and social and emotional development, this practical guide gives early years practitioners and parents the tools to help children cope with change and everyday transitions. The book looks at different types of change that children can encounter, such as moving homes, new siblings, starting school, bereavement and divorce, and gives advice on best practice for early years practitioners and parents. With ideas and activities that can easily be implemented, this book is the ultimate handbook for supporting young children through changes big and small.

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Page Count

142

Publisher

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1787751597

ISBN 13

9781787751590

Listening to Young Children in Early Years Settings

A Practical Guide

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Listening to Young Children in Early Years Settings

A Practical Guide

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

It is widely accepted that listening to and involving children in decisions about their care, learning and development can significantly improve the quality of early years provision. This book gives practical guidance on how to do this effectively. Starting with a discussion about why we listen to children and the policies around this, the book explains how we can involve children in decision-making that is appropriate to their age and level of understanding. Packed full of examples and ideas that can be easily applied in practice, it covers how to listen to children's perspectives and involve them in staff recruitment and appraisals, classroom design, assessment processes for social services and EHC plans, and much more.

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Page Count

122

Publisher

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1784508551

ISBN 13

9781784508555

Can I tell you about Bipolar Disorder?

A guide for friends, family and professionals

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Can I tell you about Bipolar Disorder?

A guide for friends, family and professionals

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

If a grownup you love has bipolar disorder, what does that mean? In this friendly guide, 11-year-old Josh tells all about his dad's bipolar, including what mental illness is, and how it can affect patients and their families. The guide explains in child-friendly terms how different types of bipolar affect people's feelings and behaviour. It is a comforting book that prepares young readers for the hard parts of knowing someone with bipolar, while communicating that bipolar is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. Providing an excellent starting point for discussion both at home and in the classroom, it also includes a helpful list of recommended sources for additional support.

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Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1784508543

ISBN 13

9781784508548

Supporting Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs in the Early Years

Practical Solutions and Strategies for Every Setting

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Supporting Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs in the Early Years

Practical Solutions and Strategies for Every Setting

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

This accessible book offers essential guidance and practical ideas for Early Years staff to support children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. It draws upon a wealth of experiences and insights to explore what SEMH is, why children may have SEMH needs, and what this can look like, giving practitioners the confidence they need to understand early signals and signs. Chapters share practical tools, activities and strategies, exploring topics that include: environment routines and transitions sensory experiences feelings and emotions the role of the adult. A range of case studies and resource suggestions are woven throughout, bringing the theory alive with first-hand advice from a variety of professionals, including educational psychologists, play therapists and Forest School specialists. This book is a refreshing and practical guide, and an essential read for all Early Years practitioners looking to cultivate a supportive and compassionate environment.

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Page Count

132

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000398927

ISBN 13

9781000398922

Promoting Emotional Wellbeing in Early Years Staff

A Practical Guide for Looking after Yourself and Your Colleagues

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Promoting Emotional Wellbeing in Early Years Staff

A Practical Guide for Looking after Yourself and Your Colleagues

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

Though children's wellbeing is high on the agenda for policy makers, the welfare of the professionals looking after them is often taken for granted. Sonia Mainstone-Cotton recognises that in order to enhance children's emotional wellbeing, it's vital that early years professionals are stress-free and emotionally well themselves. This is the first guide of its kind, offering succinct and practical guidance, tips and ideas for those working with young children on how to comfortably manage the pressures of their job, improve their work/life balance, and support the wellbeing of their colleagues. Easy to dip in and out of, this guide is an essential item for any early years staff room.

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Page Count

130

Publisher

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1784506567

ISBN 13

9781784506568

Building Positive Relationships in the Early Years

Conversations to Empower Children, Professionals, Families and Communities

By: Jamel Carly Campbell,Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Building Positive Relationships in the Early Years

Conversations to Empower Children, Professionals, Families and Communities

By: Jamel Carly Campbell,Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

In this unique and original book, Jamel Carly Campbell and Sonia Mainstone-Cotton come together to have an open and honest conversation about developing positive and responsive relationships in the early years. The book is divided into three main chapters – building positive relationships with children; with other professionals; and with families and the wider community – and each conversation explores a range of key themes, from building trust and listening to the voice of the child, to diversifying practice and creating a setting that represents the wider community. These discussions encourage the reader to consider the connections we make every day, to rethink and empower their practice, and to place a much higher value on their position as an early years advocate. With reflective questions included to allow the reader to think about their own practice, as well as suggested further reading to explore the themes in more depth, this engaging and accessible book is a must-read for all early years professionals – and, importantly, encourages every practitioner to begin new conversations of their own.

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Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000624404

ISBN 13

9781000624403

Promoting Young Children's Emotional Health and Wellbeing

A Practical Guide for Professionals and Parents

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Promoting Young Children's Emotional Health and Wellbeing

A Practical Guide for Professionals and Parents

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

Positive emotional health in a child's earliest years can be a critical factor in their future development. Offering practical suggestions for games, activities and exercises designed to promote emotional wellbeing in young children, this essential guide showcases a wide range of approaches such as mindfulness and meditation, Forest School and Reggio Emilia to provide a hands-on reference for teachers and parents. Drawing on over 25 years' experience as an early years professional, the author explores topics including playfulness, stillness, sensory play, creativity and staff wellbeing. Each topic references current best practices and international examples, and also includes a comprehensive list of further resources and activities. Providing an informative introduction to both theory and practice, this book demonstrates easy-to-implement ideas for any professional or parent engaging with young children.

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Page Count

170

Publisher

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1784503118

ISBN 13

9781784503116

Wellbeing Explained

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Wellbeing Explained

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

Nurturing children and supporting their wellbeing is vitally important, along with looking after the wellbeing of the staff who support them. Wellbeing Explained highlights the importance of wellbeing and explains key terms associated with wellbeing and mental health needs. Unpicking terms such as holistic development, self-esteem, SEMH, and anxiety, it uses practical examples and case studies to explain what these mean and how we can promote wellbeing through policy and practices. Divided into two parts, the first provides a brief overview of the key terms associated with wellbeing in early childhood alongside examples of what they mean in practice. Part two then shares the principles that underpin promoting good wellbeing, such as prioritising staff wellbeing, adopting a loving pedagogy, keeping the child and family central to provision, and creating an enabling environment explaining the underlying ethos of a child-centred approach. Part of the Key Concepts in Early Childhood Series, this is essential reading for early years practitioners and students that want to know and understand what they can do to support their own wellbeing and the children they work with.

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Page Count

126

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1040121128

ISBN 13

9781040121122

Creativity and Wellbeing in the Early Years

Practical Ideas and Activities for Young Children

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Creativity and Wellbeing in the Early Years

Practical Ideas and Activities for Young Children

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

122

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

100085230X

ISBN 13

9781000852301

Promoting Young Children's Emotional Health and Wellbeing

A Practical Guide for Professionals and Parents

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

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Promoting Young Children's Emotional Health and Wellbeing

A Practical Guide for Professionals and Parents

By: Sonia Mainstone-Cotton

Positive wellbeing in a child's earliest years is known to influence their future development. This clear, informative book offers practical suggestions for those working with children aged 0 - 5, including games and activities designed to promote children's emotional health.

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