Wellbeing and Literacy: resources inspired by the Book of Hopes

We've partnered with Place2Be and Bloomsbury to create resources that are specially designed to help you support wellbeing and literacy as children navigate their way at school in the context of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally launched following the first lockdown, the resources have been revised and updated for ongoing relevance as schools continue to adapt and respond to the impact of the pandemic.

Underpinned by research

Our research shows that reading for pleasure improves mental wellbeing, with more than half (59%) of children saying reading in lockdown made them feel better and half (50%) saying it inspired them to dream about the future. Read the full report here.

These resources were built around Place2Be's four themes to support community recovery

• Self-efficacy
• Hope
• Gratitude
• Connectedness

Additionally, the resources on the theme of hope have been fully reviewed by educational psychologists at Place2Be to ensure that they support and promote mental wellbeing in children.

The resources are also connected to Levers 1, 2 and 5 of the Recovery Curriculum (Barry Carpenter, 2020) set to help schools to support the return of your children, giving them space and time to readjust, find their voices, and settle in to the school environment after absences and prolonged disruption.

The resources

We have linked each activity to a story, illustration or poem from The Book of Hopes: Words and Pictures to Comfort, Inspire and Entertain Children, published by Bloomsbury. The resources include:

• Differentiated materials for Key Stages 1 and 2
• PowerPoint presentations to introduce each theme
• Teacher guidance, including question prompts and class activities

Place2Be has launched a free online mental health training course for teachers providing them with skills and knowledge to support positive mental health in their school communities. Find out more and sign up.