'Social Skills for Effective Learning' is a practical workbook to promote the development of selfmanaged, resilient learners. It is the companion volume to Personal Skills for Effective Learning and both books have been written by Annie Greef, who is a former teacher and currently a training consultant.
The book includes six units, a glossary of terms and an appendix linking the units to the National Curriculum. The units follow a common format with an overview, guidelines and
photocopiable activity sheets. They cover issues such as empathy, conflict and diversity. The author writes about the changes in family interactions in modern society and the impact they have had on children acquiring emotional competencies such as resilience. She stresses the importance of teachers as role models and claims that working through this resource
book can also prompt the reader to embark on a personal development journey. By balancing hope and a positive outlook, she challenges teachers to examine their own beliefs about themselves and about children as a starting point. There are many useful activities in this book which can be adapted to suit the age of the students; however, I would imagine that it is aimed at secondary level.

Both books are excellent. They are very relevant to what we teach in relation to 'Social Personal and Health Education'. For undergraduate students the theory/background to each area is appropriately pitched. The range and selection of activities are excellent and are extremely applicable to the methodology of experiential learning. Both books have a wide range of activities that address the emotional and social intelligence and excellent introductory reading material to the area of SPHE."
I will be recommending these as core text for our first year and second year students.

I offered to review these books as I have an interest in the area of emotional literacy and am also involved in a project using the SEALs (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) materials (DIES, 2005) in several primary schools. I was surprised to find no references to the SEALs materials or to National Healthy Schools Standard programmes, as there are clear overlaps between the topics covered. However, I found it useful that each volume has a glossary and a table cross-referencing the activities in the book to National Curriculum PSHE and citizenship outcomes and there are clear links made with emotional intelligence and emotional literacy.

The author is a Training and Development Consultant (previously a teacher), and this is reflected in the references to the workplace and employers. I would not normally have expected this in books aimed at teachers, but felt that this may broaden thinking about children as future citizens and employees and the types of skills that they would need to be successful.

The books are aimed for use with Key Stage 2 pupils, but it is stated that some activities could be used with older students in Key Stages 3 and 4. 1 felt the units on time and money management (-˜My Time' in Vol. I and -˜Money Matters' in Vol. 2) would be particularly useful for older pupils. The books also state that they are not -˜a remedial tool for fixing problem or at-risk children' but that suggested activities could -˜assist atrisk children'.

The books have a clear format, each beginning with a brief introduction and then divided into six units. In my opinion, it would have been useful to have a contents page listing each unit and its activities at the beginning of each volume, rather than -˜mini' contents pages at the beginning of each unit. This would have made the books easier to dip into and to locate relevant activities. A glossary and a bibliography are also included at the end of the books.

Vol. I focuses on -˜personal skills for learning' and includes units such as -˜Marvellous Me', -˜Emotions' and -˜Free to be Me'. Vol. 2 is focused on -˜Social skills for learning' and includes units on -˜Empathy', -˜Conflict' and -˜Moving On'. Each unit includes a list of overall objectives and six to 14 activities with photocopiable resource sheets, each with a brief teachers' guide. I felt some of these objectives were less attainable than others, and that some concepts would be less relevant for younger children and harder for them to assimilate (e.g. budget management). However, there is a- wide range of activities in each volume so the most appropriate can be chosen for the pupils involved.

The book deals with some sensitive issues such as bullying and violence. These are flagged up as needing to be carefully managed by the teacher. 1 found the information on bullying and bullies a little over-simplistic in its handling of a complex issue (e.g. -˜bullies are actually big babies', Vol. 1, p.67).

Overall, 1 felt these easy-to-read books contain a range of useful and practical activities that could be used with children and young people. 1 also envisage using some of the activities when training adults to emphasise the feelings that some more sensitive activities may elicit.



Recommended for those interested in emotional literacy and resilience or working with children on the above areas (primarily in Key Stage 2, but some activities are suitable for older pupils) and PSHE co-ordinators.

These are two new books dealing with (Vol 1) Personal Skills for Effective Learning and in Volume 2 Social Skills for Effective Learning. Both books are excellently written. In fact one astute observer noted, 'The subject matter is spot on. It is exactly what schools, up and down the country, are looking for at the moment. The way the author has set out the progression of the material works really well.

Areas covered (Volume 1) include: An introductory overview for teachers and pupils, identity, emotions, free to be me, my world and my time. Each unit contains an introduction, followed by guidelines. Learning points provide the main focus to assist understanding, complemented by worksheets and specific exercises.



Volume 2 deals with Interpersonal and adoptive skills, empathy, finding solutions, conflict, moving on money matters and diversity. The planning and progression follows the same pattern as volume 1 .The core skills that Annie Greeff details are essential for today's young people to be successful, in tomorrow's world. These books will give confidence to staff who wish to be effective in helping young people learning to cope with the inevitable challenges they face.

A very interesting and captivating read! Designed primarily to cover aspects of the PSHE curriculum, it is also suitable for a wide variety of classes, of different ages and abilities. It is well written, easy to follow and the numerous activities are extremely valuable for any teacher's `toolbox`. A very useful resource.

This volume continues in the same (excellent) style. Theory is introduced and discussed in a meaningful manner. Would recommend to every teacher.

These books have great potential especially with `working with others` and discussion purposes. They include very interesting tasks.

It would be very beneficial if the tasks were referenced towards the basic skills curriculum element numbers.



Well laid out.

Sometimes I wish I was now a youngster again, because more and more teachers are beginning to understand how learning is more and more about a whole bodied, whole mind, whole spirited experience. Annie Greeff in her two volumes of Resilience shares with educators personal skills and social skills required for effective learning.

The personal development concept of education was a grand vision when formal education was set up over 120 years ago. However, as our world has become more knowledgeable and more multi-talented, more capable of multi-tasking outside the classroom unfortunately the formal educational system has lagged behind in changing its approach to education.

The books are refreshing as a unit because they focus on developing self esteem and self confidence by focusing on personal skills first and foremost and then how to develop and encourage another person to be all they can be by applying social skills. Given that in the first world many children and adults feel a lack of connection in their relationships and sadly very often ill-equipped to live life as an adult both financially, emotionally and spiritually. Ms Greeff's books are an excellent introduction into the importance of teaching life skills at a much younger age.

The books contain useful exercises that any teacher, trainer, educator can apply and although written for teachers of young children, any adult trainer who is training company employees would also do well to read through the exercises to see how they can make their own training practices more effective by integrating personal and social skills into the learning process for adults who haven't had the benefit of such knowledge, information and training in their informative years.

I feel the contents of each of the Resilience books will not only inspire educators into helping their students retain the natural resilience of all young children when it comes to learning about their world, however it will also enhance the educators own relationships and social skills. The concepts shared within these two books are skills that the world needs right now and where better than to begin to implement them than in the halls of learning?



I would encourage you to make these two books part of your library because they are inspirational in the way they have drawn to together information, practical tips, useful ideas on how to implement and most of all, a way to begin to appreciate the magic of our differences.

I hope teachers' use this inspiring book for their pupils! Every teacher should have this book " and every parent too. It is never too late to facilitate resilience in the young. This book shows how to do it!

This companion Volume takes the concept of being Resilient into a social context. Given that learning is a social activity, teacher to learner and learner to learner the core skills that Greeff details are essential for today's young people to be successful in tomorrows world.

The skills range from developing empathy to conflict resolution and the activities are appropriate for ALL young people - but there will be some who are at risk of developing social emotional and behavioural difficulties who will benefit more.



This resource will give confidence to school staff who wish to be an effective Life Coach in enabling young people to learn to cope with the inevitable challenges they will face.

The thinking behind this work is excellent, the acknowledgement of the lack of focus in the the primary school curriculum to enable children to develop their ability as learners and also to develop those personal qualities that will enable them to deal more effectively with what life may throw at them.

The range of exercises are fascinating and creative, encouraging participants to make that extra step outside their safety zone so that real personal development can occur.

The structure of teachers notes with the exercises allows the teacher to select that which is most appropriate for their students. The exercises form a useful basis that the creative teacher can simplify, elaborate or simply use as a take off point for their own designs.

The American nature of the work, particularly in Vol 2 hints to a very different cultural outlook as to what is important in the world when compared to my own view. The age band for the work as “primary” I feel is slightly restrictive as some of the topics dealt with do not surface as concerns (in the UK) until the early secondary stage.



A very useful resource to stimulate classroom or youth work on this important topic.