Kids Like Us: Using Persona Dolls in the Classroom

A guide to exploring the many differences between all of us and how to teach children to respect and embrace those differences, Kids Like Us shows how teaching young children can be more effective with story-telling, problem solving, and positive feedback. A teacher gives a doll a "persona" (including a name, family history, and other traits) that is then used to discuss issues that may relate to classroom situations. For example, a group of children may not think of accessibility for disabled children; if their persona doll uses a wheelchair, however, the teacher can lead a discussion of what they'll need to do for a field trip or other activity that presents challenges to differently-abled children. Teachers can use Kids Like Us to address emotional issues, bias or prejudice, development, or any other issue that comes up in the classroom. Trisha Whitney provides practical and inspirational tips for working with children and the doll, and she outlines five-steps for using dolls to increase understanding and nurture thinking in a variety of situations. Each step includes detailed descriptions is filled with real-life and fictional examples to make it even easier to use persona dolls in the classroom.