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Preschool Lesson Plan
Reprinted
from Shapesville
By J. Andrew Mills and Rebecca Osborn
Illustrated by Erica Neitz
To find out more about this helpful book click
here.
Shapesville
not only teaches kids about shapes, but also healthy
body image and diversity. It's a great activity to use
in a preschool lesson plan. The lesson plan questions
follow:
1.
What sizes and shapes did you like the best?
2. Which character do you like best?
3. Do you think it's ok for kids to be different shapes
and sizes?
4. Do you think it's ok that kids tease each other about
being different sizes, shapes, and colors?
5. What famous people are different sizes, shape, and
colors?
6. What activities make you feel good about your body?
7. What special talents do you have that make you a
star?
8. What are the most important qualities that you look
for in a friend?
Order
Shapesville Now!
By J. Andrew Mills and Rebecca Osborn
Illustrated by Erica Neitz
Small
Book Fills Big Need for Children
By
the time children are in third grade, they already have
prejudices about weight and shape. Those with "differences"
are routinely subjected to teasing, social rejection,
and even harassment, which can lead to low self-esteem
and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Healthcare
educators have created prevention materials for adolescents
and teens, but because body image develops at such an
early age, they face an uphill battle. Unfortunately,
there have been no programs or materials for very young
children until the publication of Shapesville. (Gürze
Books, 2003) Under the guidance of internationally-respected
experts on eating disorders prevention, two college
seniors, Andy Mills and Becky Osborn, wrote Shapesville
after intensively researching the topic of children's
body image. They created a land in which characters
were a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, and worked
with illustrator Erica Neitz, whose bold and engaging
drawings brought the story to life. With input from
a team of editors, designers, and prevention experts,
every word and drawing was scrutinized for the most
positive effect.
"Before
Shapesville, there was nothing available that parents
and teachers could use to help reduce the negative outcomes
that teasing and prejudices have on kids' self-esteem
and self-image, " said Michael Levine, Ph.D., a co-author
of the clinical textbook, Preventing Eating Disorders.
"The needs met by this book are unique."
Mills
and Osborn were mentored by Levine and Linda Smolak,
Ph.D. at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH, where they began
Shapesville as an independent study project. They focused
on themes of diversity, tolerance, and positive body
image. Levine notes, "Shapesville is interesting, colorful,
and is embedded with multi-faceted messages. The power
of the book is in its basis for thoughtful discussions."
Smolak,
who coauthored Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Obesity
in Youth, liked that the authors were concentrating
on such young children. "A lot of kids at an early age
inadvertently hear comments about their bodies as well
as the bodies of others. Shapesville raises awareness
about these issues and provides a 'safe' venue for parents,
who do not have to talk about 'fat' or 'skinny.' Instead,
they can address shape, size, and color, which are much
lighter concepts and easier for children to understand."
The
authors took early drafts into first and second grade
classrooms, where it received enthusiastic praise from
administrators, teachers, and especially young students.
After reading the book and showing its pictures, they
posed questions from the back of the book. Osborn recalls
that the teasing questions received the most attention
from kids, who shared their own experiences of being
ridiculed for everything from being big to wearing glasses.
"I was amazed that the kids felt so comfortable talking
about these subjects with a stranger, but I think it
speaks well to the impact Shapesville might have on
a classroom with an adult they know and trust."
Mills
points to the value of parents using Shapesville to
help their children explore their feelings, "Ideally,
children should also have a forum at home where their
voice is respected and encouraged with regards to self-esteem
and body image." The note to educators and parents in
the back of the book explains how to effectively talk
about Shapesville's themes with kids.
This book might not have gotten beyond the college-project
stage were it not for a casual conversation at an international
eating disorders conference. As he was leaving for the
airport, Dr. Levine ran into Leigh Cohn, Publisher of
Gürze Books, a company that has specialized in
books on eating disorder since 1980, and the Editor-in-Chief
of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and
Prevention, the field's leading reference on prevention.
He asked Cohn to take a look at a photocopied version
and soon afterwards the three recent college graduates
had a book contract.
Although
editors at Gürze Books had reviewed many children's
manuscripts over the years, including one in-hand from
a published psychiatrist, they had not found the perfect
project. "We've long recognized a need for a title to
help kids appreciate and accept their natural bodies,"
said Cohn, "but Shapesville is the first one we've seen
that has just the right language and emphasis to effectively
help prevent poor body image and its related problems."
This small book fills a large need
Additional Resources:
Anatomy of a Food Addiction
Anorexia Nation
Anorexia Nervosa: 11 Areas of Advancement
Assessing Readiness and Motivation for Change: Challenges and Practical Advice
Athletes and Eating Disorders: Some Ramifications of the NCAA Study, An Interview with Dr. Pauline Powers
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