Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom [Hardcover]

Diane E. Levin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1994

The second edition of this highly acclaimed book is a must for early childhood educators, parents, and policy makers. It helps teachers create a Peaceable Classroom where children learn peaceful alternatives to the violent behaviors modeled for them in society. This extensively revised and updated edition features new material for a post-September 11th world including a new chapter on helping children deal with violence in the news. This new edition is an essential resource for anyone who works with children.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Levin, a teacher and a therapist calls for the creation of a "peaceable classroom" to counteract the overpowering effect of violence in the media and community. Before offering her own solution for teachers and parents, she examines how violence in entertainment, news, and neighborhoods affects small children. Specifics on role-playing, group discussions, puppetry, and peaceful games are spelled out. Appended are relevant official statements from the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Concerned Educators Allied for a Safe Environment and a commentary on the Power Rangers. Levin is the coauthor of Who's Calling the Shots: How to Respond Effectively to Children's Fascination with War Play and War Toys (1990). Denise Perry Donavin

About the Author

Diane E. Levin, Ph.D., is a Professor of Education at Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts, where she teachers courses on children's play, media, and violence. Dr. Levin is also a Research Associate at the Center for Peaceable Schools at Lesley University and a co-founder of Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment (TRUCE), and the coalition to Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children (SCEC). --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: New Society Pub (October 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865713154
• ISBN-13: 978-0865713154
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,628,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars must have for teachers who struggle with violent play, May 29, 2005

By 

Erin L. Wood "ppg_2003" (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom (Paperback)

This is a comprehensive book about creating a safe and productive classroom in an otherwise unpredictable world. Edited after the 9/11 attacks, the book opens with a discussion about violence in the media and at home and how young children are affected. From there, she addresses difficult issues that arise in the classroom, such as gunplay, and relates these issues to children's exposure to violence and media. Levin introduces guidelines to promote a healthy mini-society within the classroom which she calls the "Peaceable Classroom." These guidelines are not rigid, but ever evolving to meet the needs of children. She highlights the need for open dialogue between the children and teachers, something that can only be achieved if the children feel safe enough to speak. She does not advocate providing the children with adult-sized solutions to issues that arise in the classroom. Instead, she promotes an open forum between the children and teachers to arrive at the best solution to a problem. In addition, she discusses accepting children's thinking about tough issues while challenging their concepts about violence, sexism, and racism during open dialogue and through Piaget-like activities.

I believe that anyone would benefit from reading this book, but I particularly recommend it to anyone who has trouble dealing with violent pretend play or gunplay in the classroom. Levin demonstrates a realistic approach to dealing with such problems without banning them outright. She has clear examples of conversations and activities meant to encourage a safe community that are easy to follow and adaptable to a variety of situations. She does a wonderful job of shedding light on an issue that is more complex than meets the eye. This would also be a good place to start in creating a classroom community from scratch or when working in a school system where the children may have been exposed to violence in the home or surrounding community.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical How To Book for Teaching in a Caring Community, August 7, 2009

By 

Susan Fitzell "Educational Consultant" (Manchester, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom (Paperback)

The background and developmental information provided in this book enhance its effectiveness as a source. The basic concepts can be adapted to older children. Teaching Young Children in Violent Times is a useful resource for creating a peaceful learning environment in your classroom. This is not an activity book. It is a practical "how to" book.