United Way’s Success By 6 Impact Council understands the crucial role that teachers and counselors play in the social and emotional development of our young children. To support their efforts, Success By 6 distributed the book, The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, to all kindergarten teachers and libraries across the 6-county United Way service area.
The Invisible Boy book story centers around a little boy named Brian, who feels invisible during the school day—the other students don’t seem to notice him or think to include him in their activities. But when a new student arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and the new student team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.
The Invisible Boy is a story of belonging, friendship, the power of being recognized, and inclusion. The Invisible Boy shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. The back of the book contains thoughtful questions to help guide discussions with students to help them better understand the meaning of the book and nurture their social-emotional skills. This book is a great resource for teachers and counselors and provides material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children and fosters social and emotional intelligence. This gentle story is a valuable resource that can be used across the Wabash Valley.
Natalie Pugh, Success By 6 Impact Council Co-Chair stated, “In a world where more kindness and empathy are needed, The Invisible Boy provides students with real ways to understand the feeling of friends who feel like outsiders and to reach out to make them feel visible. Our hope is that we could provide a positive resource for schools to have the conversation with students to help promote positive social and emotional skill-building.”
Dorothy Chambers, Community Impact Staff of the United Way of the Wabash Valley working with the Success By 6 Council commented that “The Success By 6 Impact Council is working to prepare children to enter school ready to learn, but this is more than just developing a skill set. Children need to learn how to socialize, process emotions and develop empathy for others. This council believes in developing the whole child to prepare them for a successful future and any way that we can help to cultivate that learning is a win for our community.”
