You're All Right Author:Joy Wilt The Ready-Set-Grow Series. Weekly Reader Books presents You're All Right, A Children's Book about Human Similarities. Illustrations by Hergie. — From the Introduction: — You're All Right is one of a series of books. The complete set is called Ready-Set-Grow! — You're All Right deals with human similarities, and can be used by itself or as part o... more »f a program that utilizes all of the Ready-Set-Grow books.
You're All Right is specifically designed for children four to eight years of age. A child can either read the book or have it read to him or her. This can be done at home, church, or school.
You're All Right is designed to involve the child in the concepts that are being taught. This is done by simply and carefully explaining each concept and then asking questions that invite a response from the child. It is hoped that by answering the questions the child will personalize the concept and, thus, integrate it into his or her thinking.
A lot has been written about the importance of each child having a positive self-concept, but very little has been said about how a positive self-concept can be deleloped. If children are to think well of themselves, they must realize and accept the fact that they are human beings - persons.
Once they have grasped this concept, they can begin to understand that because they are persons, they share similarities with other people and that the similarities they share are "all right"!
This can be redeeming for children because there are many things about a child's body that embarrasses him or her and, thus, hinders him or her from having a positive attitude. A child can find comfort in the fact that the bodily functions that often embarrass him or her are also experienced by other human beings.
It is also affirming for a child to know that just as he or she has accidents, makes wrong choices, and makes mistakes, so do other people. This is the same with so-called negative feelings. Everyone has them. They are a real part of every person. A child needs to know that feelings, in and of themselves, are neither good nor bad. It's how one handles one's feelings, or what one does as a result of feelings, that makes a good or bad situation.
Children, for obvious psychological and emotional reasons, need to be allowed to express their negative feelings. Our responsibility is to help them learn to express their feelings in acceptable ways. There is right and wrong behavior, but value judgments on the rightness or wrongness of specific behavior lie outside the scope of this book. Behavioral standards, while necessary to the moral growth of children, must first find the fertile ground of a positive self-concept before they can be effectively internalized. You're All Right seeks to prepare a child for making these standards his or her own.
You're All Right has a specific goal: Building a positive self-concept within a child by affirming his or her membership in the human family.« less