Teacher's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges

Download Teacher's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416627154
Total Pages : 162 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Teacher's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges by : Jessica Sprick

Download or read book Teacher's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges written by Jessica Sprick and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Students can succeed in school—but they must be in school to do so. Addressing absenteeism is as important as addressing problematic behavior and academic difficulties in the classroom. To address the pervasive issue of chronic absenteeism—that is, missing 10 percent of school days for any reason—educators must begin to move away from a model of reliance on reactive and punitive approaches and toward one that is preventive and positive, and that uses proven principles of behavioral change. Teacher’s Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges, by nationally known educators Jessica Sprick and Tricia Berg, provides teachers with the information and resources they need to build a strong classroom-based initiative to improve the attendance of all students, creating a classroom culture of attendance with easy-to-implement strategies. Sprick and Berg provide concrete and practical strategies for teachers to implement in their own classrooms to address chronic absence and improve the attendance of all students, including: A framework for implementation Sample lesson plans Examples and reproducibles for reinforcement systems Talking points for use with students and families Real-world examples of successful classroom-based approaches Handouts for parents on establishing routines, dealing with technology and more When teachers apply the easy-to-implement and minimally invasive presented, they will see significant improvements in student attendance. This book is a copublication of ASCD and Ancora Publishing.

School Leader's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges

Download School Leader's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416626840
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis School Leader's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges by : Jessica Sprick

Download or read book School Leader's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges written by Jessica Sprick and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2018-10-08 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For students to be successful in school, they first have to be in school." With that simple statement, Jessica Sprick and Randy Sprick launch a compelling case for prioritizing student attendance. This comprehensive guide provides school and district-level administrators and teams with the background information, strategies, and tools needed to implement a multitiered approach to improving attendance and preventing chronic absence. The authors use the results of their work in schools throughout the United States to dispel the myth that educators have little control over student attendance and provide success stories from elementary and secondary schools that have reversed longstanding patterns of absenteeism. Citing extensive research, Sprick and Sprick share details about the shocking prevalence of chronic absence in U.S. schools and its effects on students, teachers, families, and the school community. They explain how to replace punitive approaches to absenteeism with effective methods that begin with universal supports and continue through Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for students with more persistent problems. Specifically, they explain how to Build an effective school team to address absenteeism . Create systems to collect accurate data and set priorities. Develop an attendance initiative that generates student enthusiasm as well as staff, parent, and community support. Design and implement strategies that are tailored to specific schoolwide concerns and demographics that reach all students. Equipped with the information and tools presented in this book, educators can ensure wise use of staff and other resources—and create a culture of attendance that is the foundation of successful schools. This book is a copublication of ASCD and Ancora Publishing.

Getting Your Child Back to School

Download Getting Your Child Back to School PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197547508
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (975 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Getting Your Child Back to School by : Christopher A. Kearney

Download or read book Getting Your Child Back to School written by Christopher A. Kearney and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-02-23 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of accessible and scientifically proven strategies for parents struggling with school attendance problems in children of all ages. School attendance problems are a common and worrisome challenge faced by many parents. Even in milder forms, poor school attendance can increase the risk of social, behavioral, and academic problems in childhood and adolescence, and even into adulthood. Unfortunately, parents often have trouble understanding their children's school attendance issues and are uncertain about how to help. Getting Your Child Back to School is intended for parents grappling with school attendance problems at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Covering a wide variety of attendance problems and special circumstances, the book offers practical, step-by-step strategies parents can use themselves, including asking the right questions, evaluating the severity of the problem, and knowing whom to consult. Parents will learn to change a child's negative thoughts around school, establish a clear and predictable morning routine, and set up a system of rewards for going to school. New to this edition is material on very severe and chronic cases, including discussion of educational alternatives; mindfulness approaches and parent involvement strategies; teletherapy and other options for young people who have been out of school for an extended period; and more extensive guidance on working with school officials. Easy to read and filled with concrete strategies, this book was the first of its kind dedicated to educating and arming parents with the tools they need to resolve their children's absenteeism; this new edition continues to offer the best available scientifically-proven guidance for parents determined to get their kids back to school.

An Essential Guide to Improving Attendance in your School

Download An Essential Guide to Improving Attendance in your School PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134661878
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (346 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis An Essential Guide to Improving Attendance in your School by : Ken Reid

Download or read book An Essential Guide to Improving Attendance in your School written by Ken Reid and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-07 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this engaging book Professor Ken Reid focuses on the needs of school professionals and leaders, providing them with workable, achievable solutions to radically reducing their truancy rates. As well as discussing the importance of regular attendance and the importance of sound leadership, Professor Reid provides: A highly effective whole school strategy for use in both primary and secondary schools Checklists on good practice Early intervention strategies Advice on using attendance panels Guidance on effective monitoring schemes Supporting throughout with case-studies, sample letters, reports, attendance calendars and action plans, this book will be an essential staff-room resource for head teachers, deputy head teachers, teachers and any educational professional eager to raise standards for all.

Absent from School

Download Absent from School PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harvard Education Press
ISBN 13 : 1682532798
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (825 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Absent from School by : Michael A. Gottfried

Download or read book Absent from School written by Michael A. Gottfried and published by Harvard Education Press. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Absent from School, Gottfried and Hutt offer a comprehensive and timely resource for educators and policy makers seeking to understand the scope, impact, and causes of chronic student absenteeism. The editors present a series of studies by leading researchers from a variety of disciplines that address which students are missing school and why, what roles schools themselves play in contributing to or offsetting patterns of absenteeism, and ways to assess student attendance for purposes of school accountability. The contributors examine school-based initiatives that focus on a range of issues, including transportation, student health, discipline policies, and protections for immigrant students, as well as interventions intended to improve student attendance. Only in the past two or three years has chronic absenteeism become the focus of attention among policy makers, civil rights advocates, and educators. Absent from School provides the first critical, systematic look at research that can inform and guide those who are working to ensure that every child is in school and learning every day.

Managing School Absenteeism at Multiple Tiers

Download Managing School Absenteeism at Multiple Tiers PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199985308
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Managing School Absenteeism at Multiple Tiers by : Christopher A. Kearney

Download or read book Managing School Absenteeism at Multiple Tiers written by Christopher A. Kearney and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-28 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School absenteeism is a pervasive and difficult problem faced by mental health and school-based professionals. Even in mild forms, school absenteeism has been shown to be a significant risk factor for social, behavioral, and academic problems in middle childhood and adolescence, as well as psychiatric, economic, and occupational difficulties in adulthood. Problematic absenteeism has been examined for decades by professionals of many different disciplines, leading to a considerably fractured literature. Managing School Absenteeism at Multiple Tiers provides an integrative strategy for preventing, assessing, and addressing cases of youth with school absenteeism at multiple levels of severity and complexity. Dr. Christopher Kearney presents a multi-tiered framework based on prevention (Tier 1), early intervention for emerging cases (Tier 2), and more extensive intervention and systemic strategies for severe cases (Tier 3). Each tier is based on empirically supported strategies from the literature, and emphasis is placed on specific, implementable recommendations. This approach is based on a Response to Intervention model that has emerged as a powerful guide to prevention, assessment, and treatment of social and academic problems in schools. Response to Intervention is based upon tenets that parallel developments in the school absenteeism literature: (1) a proactive focus on early identification of learning and behavior problems and immediate, effective intervention, (2) universal, targeted, and intensive interventions, (3) frequent progress monitoring, (4) functional behavioral assessment, (5) empirically supported treatment procedures and protocols to reduce obstacles to academic achievement (including absenteeism), and (6) a team-based approach for implementation. This user-friendly, practical guide will be useful to mental health professionals, school administrators, guidance counselors, social workers and psychologists, as well as others who address kids with problematic absenteeism such as pediatricians and probation officers.

Tackling Truancy in Schools

Download Tackling Truancy in Schools PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134628145
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (346 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tackling Truancy in Schools by : Ken Reid

Download or read book Tackling Truancy in Schools written by Ken Reid and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-09-02 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

A School Leader's Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents

Download A School Leader's Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317332059
Total Pages : 64 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (173 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A School Leader's Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents by : Todd Whitaker

Download or read book A School Leader's Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents written by Todd Whitaker and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-10-23 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new supplement to the bestselling Dealing with Difficult Parents, 2nd Edition is designed to help you with the specific challenges you face as a school leader when dealing with parents. The main book, Dealing with Difficult Parents, 2nd Edition, shows how your teachers and other educators can communicate with parents more effectively. With this new supplement, you’ll learn how you, as a leader, can--and must--support and coach teachers along the way. Topics covered include how to... Make sure your teachers understand the families they’re dealing with; Help your teachers communicate effectively with parents by being positive and proactive, so problems don’t escalate to the main office; Establish expectations for dealing with parents, so teachers understand how to be appropriate even when a parent is not; Ensure your teachers feel supported by you when they’re dealing with difficult parents; and Help teachers become more confident and empowered in challenging situations. With these practical books, you’ll be able to get parents on your side so they can become a positive force in your school’s success.

Absenteeism and Truancy

Download Absenteeism and Truancy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781599090566
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (95 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Absenteeism and Truancy by : William R. Jenson

Download or read book Absenteeism and Truancy written by William R. Jenson and published by . This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities

Download Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Corwin Press
ISBN 13 : 1452271720
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (522 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities by : Ruth S. Johnson

Download or read book Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities written by Ruth S. Johnson and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ruth Johnson and Robin Avelar La Salle provide a comprehensive overview of how to use data to provoke questions that lead to the kind of quality education that all students deserve. This book should be required reading in every school district." —Gary Anderson, Professor New York University, NY "Equity warriors everywhere will find this useful resource packed with effective strategies, user-friendly processes, and helpful tools." —Jennifer Frentress, Director of Teaching and Learning Forest Grove School District, OR Uncover buried data to close the achievement gap! Standardized test scores and other outcome-based data are useful tools, but they also paint an incomplete picture that papers over the cracks in our education system. Peel away the layers, however, and you discover hidden factors that contribute to the achievement gap and chronic low school performance. Ruth S. Johnson and Robin Avelar La Salle dramatically illustrate how data from nontraditional sources—disciplinary policies, teacher attendance, special education referrals, and more—can be used to uncover and eliminate systemic inequities. This solution-focused guide: Helps you identify sources of data and questions to ask Examines disparities in graduation rates, special education placement, and the achievement of English learners Includes data exercises to help you analyze your school or district as you read Data Strategies to Uncover and Eliminate Hidden Inequities arms you with the tactics you need to challenge the status quo and take decisive action.

Helping School Refusing Children and Their Parents

Download Helping School Refusing Children and Their Parents PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190662050
Total Pages : 193 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Helping School Refusing Children and Their Parents by : Christopher A. Kearney

Download or read book Helping School Refusing Children and Their Parents written by Christopher A. Kearney and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children who miss substantial amounts of school pose one of the most vexing problems for school officials. In many cases, school personnel must assess these students and successfully help them to return to the academic setting. This can be difficult considering most school-based professionals are pressed for time and do not have access to proper resources. The information in this book can help school officials combat absenteeism and reduce overall dropout rates. Designed for guidance counselors, teachers, principals and deans, school psychologists, school-based social workers, and other school professionals, this book outlines various strategies for helping children get back to school with less distress that can easily be implemented in schools. The book describes four clinical interventions that can be used to effectively address moderate cases of absenteeism, as well as instructions for adapting these procedures for use within the school system. A chapter on assessment describes several methods for identifying school refusal behavior, including time-limited techniques for school officials who have little opportunity to conduct detailed evaluations. Worksheets for facilitating assessment are included and can easily be photocopied from the book. Other chapters provide advice for working collaboratively with parents, preventing relapse, and tackling special issues such as children with anxiety, children who take medication, and children who are victims of bullying. Topics such as poverty, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, violence, and school safety are also addressed.

Ethics for Journalists

Download Ethics for Journalists PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 9780415242974
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (429 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ethics for Journalists by : Richard Keeble

Download or read book Ethics for Journalists written by Richard Keeble and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethics for Journalists tackles many of the issues which journalists face in their everyday lives - from the media's supposed obsession with sex, sleaze and sensationalism, to issues of regulation and censorship. Its accessible style and question and answer approach highlights the relevance of ethical issues for everyone involved in journalism, both trainees and professionals, whether working in print, broadcast or new media. Ethics for Journalists provides a comprehensive overview of ethical dilemmas and features interviews with a number of journalists. Presenting a range of imaginative strategies for improving media standards and supported by a thorough bibliography and a wide ranging list of websites.

Stop Leading, Start Building!

Download Stop Leading, Start Building! PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416629866
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Stop Leading, Start Building! by : Robyn R. Jackson

Download or read book Stop Leading, Start Building! written by Robyn R. Jackson and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2021-02-16 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You are a school administrator—a principal or maybe a district leader. You're doing everything "right"—poring over data, trying new strategies, launching annual initiatives, bringing in outside trainers. So why do the outcomes you seek still seem so far away? The problem isn't you; it's that you were trained in school leadership, and school leadership just isn’t up to the challenge. Each year, Robyn R. Jackson helps thousands of administrators stop wasting time and energy on flawed leadership approaches that succeed only with the right staff, students, parents, budget, and boss. As they have discovered, it's possible to transform your school with the people and resources you already have. The secret? Stop leading and start building! In this book, you'll learn to use Jackson's breakthrough Buildership Model™ to escape the "school improvement hamster wheel" and finally create the school your students and teachers deserve. The work involves a handful of simple shifts in how you approach . . . • Purpose: Instead of chasing tiny gains or the "next new thing" every year, you'll establish and use an ambitious vision, mission, and set of core values to galvanize your staff, keep everyone focused, and create true accountability for achieving your goals. • People: You’ll discover new ways to help every teacher grow one level in one domain in one year or less and, ultimately, develop high levels of both will and skill. • Pathway: Instead of trying to tackle every problem at once, you'll identify the biggest obstacle standing in your way right now and figure out exactly how to remove it once and for all. • Plan: You'll learn a new process for solution implementation that is iterative, cyclical, and capable of powering both short-term wins and ongoing transformation, year over year. When you stop leading and start building, you let go of the idea that you need to work harder to make your school "work better." You no longer settle for incremental improvement when what you really want is dramatic change and better learning outcomes for all. It's time to make the shift from leadership to buildership. Get ready to turn your school into a success story.

School Climate Change

Download School Climate Change PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416619550
Total Pages : 62 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis School Climate Change by : Peter DeWitt,Sean Slade

Download or read book School Climate Change written by Peter DeWitt,Sean Slade and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2014-09-08 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Students and educators today face obstacles to student achievement, well-being, and success that are above and beyond traditional instructional and assessment concerns. From low school morale to bullying to shootings, school climate has become a national and global concern. Research overwhelmingly indicates that a positive school climate promotes cooperative learning, group cohesion, respect, and mutual trust—all of which have in turn been shown to improve the learning environment. In short, a positive school climate is directly related to improved academic achievement at all levels of schooling. In this ASCD Arias book, Peter DeWitt and Sean Slade explain the most important aspects of school climate and how we can make positive changes in our schools. Readers will learn * How to engage students and school stakeholders. * How to empower staff and students and foster autonomy so people take ownership of their ideas and the learning process. * How to promote inclusivity and equity throughout the school. * How to create a welcoming, cooperative, and safe school environment that nurtures students’ social-emotional needs.

The Respectful School

Download The Respectful School PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416612130
Total Pages : 146 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Respectful School by : Stephen Wessler

Download or read book The Respectful School written by Stephen Wessler and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2010-06-21 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Not a school day goes by without some student facing teasing or slurs in the hallways, classrooms, or playgrounds. Left unchecked, such harassment can escalate and create an oppressive school climate where stress and fear overpower learning. In The Respectful School, Stephen L. Wessler and contributing author William Preble vividly describe how words can hurt--both emotionally and physically--and how words can heal. Drawing on his experience as a former state prosecutor overseeing hate crime enforcement and as current director of the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence, Wessler discusses what educators can do to create a truly respectful environment that promotes positive interactions among staff and students. He relates the experiences of young victims and the hopeful stories of programs that have reduced harassment, showing how educators can both protect and enlighten students through coordinated efforts such as: * Learning effective intervention skills, * Modeling civility, * Developing student peer leader programs, * Working with student victims and their parents, * Creating comprehensive antiharassment polices, * Confronting perpetrators and their crimes, and * Responding to the effects of terrorist acts and related prejudice. Throughout the book, Wessler and Preble urge us to remember that we need to nurture the courage and compassion of young people to create supportive learning communities. Only then can students and educators join in speaking out for a respectful school, where tolerance and civility overcome the language of hate. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.

Committing to the Culture

Download Committing to the Culture PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416627871
Total Pages : 131 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Committing to the Culture by : Steve Gruenert

Download or read book Committing to the Culture written by Steve Gruenert and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2019-06-24 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In their follow-up to School Culture Recharged and the best-selling School Culture Rewired, Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker go deep into the roots of culture change and explore how school leaders can positively shift their cultures in a sustainable way. Drawing from the authors' extensive experience and research, Committing to the Culture - Unpacks questions around the nature of culture, including the importance of vision and climate and how the tension between the past and the future can keep a culture stagnant. - Explains how toxic cultures come about, why they can be so resistant to lasting change, and how not to change those cultures. - Describes how to build a positive culture based on trust, collaboration, and commitment rather than fear, competition, and compliance. - Offers advice to help leaders ensure that positive change endures, withstanding fads, toxic mindsets, and other threats. The authors provide real-world scenarios to illustrate how their ideas and approaches work in practice. Leaders will gain profound insight into how to create meaningful change, with the goal not just to "transform" their school but also to get all members of the school community to commit to culture change—and make sure that change sticks.

The School Wobblies

Download The School Wobblies PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781922644930
Total Pages : 42 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (449 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The School Wobblies by : Chris Wever

Download or read book The School Wobblies written by Chris Wever and published by . This book was released on 2022-03-27 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anxiety about going to school is a common problem for children and teenagers. It is part of a young child's normal developmental anxieties but becomes more abnormal as the child gets older. Anxiety based school refusal in older children and teenagers is a serious problem that needs to be treated promptly. It affects about 5% of children and teenagers. The longer it is allowed to go on, the harder it is to return the child to school. Missing out on school not only means the child misses out on education but also on other skills such as mixing with peers and developing more independence. There are a variety of factors associated with school refusal: the child may be anxious by temperament or there may have been traumatic events at school or worrying problems at home. An illness that has kept the child away from school can also be a trigger. Commonly, it is a combination of these things that starts the anxiety and school refusal. The main principle underlying good treatment is to teach the child or teenager that the anxiety will settle with time and it is very unlikely that anything bad will happen, despite the child feeling it almost certainly will. Such a program usually involves gradual desensitisation. The child is taken closer and closer to school and, at each stage, uses learned relaxation skills to reduce anxiety. When the anxiety subsides, the next stage can be attempted. Learning how to settle anxiety is a very important skill in many life situations. Some parents think it could be cruel to let their child experience any anxiety, but it is important to keep the child in the anxiety-provoking situation until anxiety subsides and the child can take credit for overcoming it. If the child always flees when anxious, it will be much harder for that child to learn to control anxiety and problems might get worse. Any anxiety problem deserves to be taken seriously, but it is often a mistake to think we have to be solemn just because something is serious. Inappropriate solemnity empowers the problem not the person. This book uses not so solemn cartoons to illustrate every idea. The cartoons use a wobbly cartoon couple to represent the thoughts and beliefs that drive school related anxiety. The Wobblies' methods are revealed so the child can learn to fight them and eventually banish them. With a serious problem like school avoidance, it's always a good idea to get expert assistance. You can do that by asking counsellors at the school or your family doctor for advice. You can also contact your community health centre or local association for mental health.