Many petites really struggle with making mistakes. Often times it is a fear that they will get in trouble, or embarrassment that they didn’t get it right the first time, or perhaps they just don’t like to be wrong. Whatever the reason may be many kids struggle with making mistakes and how that makes them feel doubt or shame.
As a teacher and a mom of two young girls teaching about making mistakes is a priority, how we react to making those mistakes can determine quite a bit. Making mistakes helps to build stamina as well as provides learning opportunities. However, if your petites are too concerned about making mistakes that they don’t take risks, or adventure or an opportunity for new learning then that is when problems can arise.
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time reading Stickley Makes a Mistake: A Frog’s Guide to Trying Again by Brenda S. Miles and illustrated by Steve Mack (Magination Press); this book will be hitting shelves next month on August 16th. This book is all about a young frog named Stickley. He, like most petites doesn’t like to make mistakes, he strives for perfection and when he doesn’t attain it, well he doesn’t want to try again. As a teacher this was something that was all too familiar with little ones who struggle and make mistakes. This book is filled with encouragement and support.
Nobody’s perfect and good things can happen – even when you make mistakes!
Stickley Makes Mistakes offers subtle ways to support children as they naturally make mistakes. We love that the suggestions are to ask for help, feel proud for trying, practicing, how mistakes can sometimes be happy surprises and huge successes and that nobody is perfect. This is incredibly important for our young girls.
This book was published by the American Psychological Association and offers a parents, caregivers and teachers guide in the back of the book. I love this approach, because the book is fantastic and with the incredibly helpful tips in the back the learning can be extended beyond the pages of Stickley.
I think that Stickley Makes Mistakes is a important book, one that should be in every single kindergarten classroom; because making mistakes and navigating challenging situations and problem solving skills are so incredibly important. This book is a perfect read for preschool through third grade. The tips in the back are ones all lower elementary teachers and parents should read and learn more about.
Thank you to Magination press for this wonderful book and use of the images for this post. I received this book from Magination Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts about Stickley Makes a Mistake are my own. Magination Press, publishes many books to support the social and emotional well being of petites check out their website to learn more about these titles.
Miss Moon, is a completely whimsical story filled with incredibly thoughtful advice that is beneficial for not only canines (ours approves) as well as petites and even adults. We are given a brief introduction to Miss Wilhelmina Moon on the first page where we learn that she set off with her French bulldog, petunia and her monkey, Mitford to become a governess to sixty-seven dogs. During her time as a dog governess she imparted her wisdom and sage advice to these pooches and in this collection you the reader will learn her 20 ‘most important lessons for lessons for raising happy, healthy, well-mannered pooches – and people”.
Teachers and parents often times Jan Brett books are part of the Scholastic catalog, even if they are not in the little fliers that come home with the petites the titles can be found online. 
The Petite Stag 