A joyous experience in my career as a school psychologist was running a monthly Kindness Club at an elementary school. Each meeting featured a speaker from a program serving the community. Following.....

Turn your picture book idea into a brilliant picture book that only you can write in just one inspiring afternoon (with a little before and after help). Join Dr. Mira Reisberg, founder of the Children...

A child is alone, friendless. And then…

Using her years of experience in different classroom settings across two countries, Debra Collins, Ph.D., G'79, G'81, co-developed the S.T.O.P. and Relax Program to help people of all ages, but partic...

June-November is hurricane season where I live. We keep an eye on the tropics, paying attention to storm watches and warnings. Whether planning our evacuation routes and destinations, packing for a...

“Make your main character likeable. Even if they are unlikeable, show something likeable about them.” This is common advice for writing a story with an unappealing protagonist. By showing the...

Imagine that your every action must be perfect. It’s paralyzing!   I observed a third-grade teacher leading her class in discussing “Sam,” the main character of a book they were reading. The...

When events are spinning out of control, when loss is unbearable, we strive to steady ourselves. Cling to a lifeline. Find firm ground and plant our feet. Ideally, we find the strength and comfort we....

What an incredibly successful event!!! Thank you to everyone who participated…whether you entered with a story, donated one of the 67 prizes, helped judge the 677 entries, or just stopped by …

You might have heard that, as far as stories, everything has been done before, and that there’s nothing truly new under the sun. Well, that’s not exactly true! Yes, it’s correct that with most tales, ...

It’s amazing what kids can do. Take, for example, this story of a young woman named Victoria who turns discarded, unwanted clothing into lovely, lively, fashionable pieces that are sold to fund a...

Picture the shining eyes of a child celebrating another milestone. “I can do it, all by myself!”   What of a pampered child who never needs to lift a finger? Does such indulgence make them...

When working with kids who are afraid of trying, lest they fail, I tell them I have a “perfect” necklace made of gold. They agree that it’s valuable. Then I ask them to look closely at my...

Original Post: 12/2/24 on CBA Blogfish.

Every day, we grown-ups are inundated with messages urging us to mistrust, exclude, and expel certain people.     How do we “grow up” to this? Children do not find these attitudes modeled in...

Why do I write this blog? As a school psychologist, I’ve worked to foster children’s social-emotional development. Referencing the CASEL framework, I highlight character-driven stories that...

​You may know the fable of the blind folk who were shown an elephant. They surrounded the animal, each touching a different part. Coming away with very different perceptions, they argued...

​Children who are easily overwhelmed have narrow comfort zones. It is far too easy for everyday situations to trigger self-protective “fight or flight” reactions, whereby the autonomic nervous...

A popular quote (author unknown) begins, “Your kindness is never wasted. Even when it goes unnoticed, even when it's taken for granted.” How nice, though, when it IS noticed. Even nicer, when it...

This month’s book highlights and nurtures social-emotional capacities of Social Awareness and Relationship Skills through metaphor, rather than a character-driven plot.

Last month’s spotlight featured a character with attributes that truly were quite different from his peers’.  In this month’s story, PAULA’S PATCHES, a girl who believes her situation is...

March 4, 2025[Note: Click on Titles to Buy Books]Point of view (POV) is the lens with which we tell a story. But choosing the right point of view can be a challenge. Occasionally, we get it right the ...

​Forming a group, by definition, involves making many into one. It’s a unit made up of multiple, non-identical elements. For the group to run smoothly, the purpose or expectations of the unit...

by Dr. Debra Collins “I am right!” “I am better!”Competition demands striving to place ourselves above.To be the highest, not the lowest.To be at the top, not the bottom.How can children learn that co...

Welcome to Debbie's Unofficial Guide To Bluesky Greetings to those finding me via the recent Vox post about Bluesky! You may already be familiar with my Bluesky tips blog post, Bluesky article in Sch…

Adults all over the world, learn to write, illustrate and traditionally publish best-selling award-winning children's books. With Board Books, Picture Books, Chapter Books and Middle Grade novels, CBA...