Can I Catch It like a Cold? A story to help children understand a parent's depression
Can I Catch It like a Cold? is recommended for a school or classroom library as a useful resource for creating an awareness of what depression is.
Description
Authors : Gretchen Kelbaugh , Illustrated by Coral Nault
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH)
, 2002
22 pages, colour, softcover
ISBN 0-88868-416-9
Grades : K-5
Concepts : Depression, children, mental health, family health, parental depression
Subject : Health and Physical Education
CSC Evaluation
Curriculum Correlation
Can I Catch It like a Cold? supports parents, health professionals, and teachers in leading a discussion with children about depression.
Content
The content was compiled and reviewed by professionals who are knowledgeable in their field. The use of children's authentic questions throughout the fictional story encourages and demonstrates the importance of children asking genuine questions about depression. It provides a forum for talk for those children who are experiencing the effects of depression in a family member. The story provides a sensitive means for use by professionals to deal with this topic with parents and children.
Methodology
This text provides significant opportunities to immerse students in interesting, relevant, and diverse conversations. Talk is articulated in the introduction as a key strategy in supporting children who are dealing with the issues of depression in their lives. This resource provides students with the opportunity to come to a better understanding of depression and gives them the knowledge needed to respond in a more sensitive manner with other students who are experiencing this in their family life, or to others in their own family.
Assessment
No specific suggestions for assessment accompany this resource.
Format
The picture book format is very practical for the intended audience as it provides a springboard for talk, and for making authentic connections.
Bias
This learning resource reflects an awareness of the need to provide a diverse variety of resources that may serve as springboards for conversation around sensitive issues that arise in classrooms. It sensitively presents depression through the eyes of two children coming from two different families as a disorder affecting both male and female members of society.
Review Recommendation
Can I Catch It like a Cold? is recommended for a school or classroom library as a useful resource for creating an awareness of what depression is.
Contact Information
Susan Rosenstein
Publishing Developer
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH)
33 Russell Street
Toronto, ON M5S 2S1
416-535-8501 ext. 6886
Toll Free: 1-800-661-1111
Fax: 416-595-6892
e-mail: Susan_Rosenstein@camh.net
http://www.camh.net
Read the publisher's description of this resource
Note: These learning resources are recommended by Curriculum Services Canada. However, such a recommendation is of the resource only and should not be construed as a general recommendation of the developer of such a resource or the developer's business or related activities. While CSC recommends a resource on pedagogical grounds, the end user is fully responsible for its use.