Making Lemonade: Teaching Young Children to Think Optimistically

The benefits of an optimistic thinking style have slowly been seeping into early childhood teaching practice through research on resiliency, leadership, health, and what has been termed “grit.” Yet there remains a large vacuum in teacher education on both the importance and mechanics of teaching young children to become optimistic thinkers.

Making Lemonade is the first-to-market book on the topic of learned optimism in young children and provides 14 practical, hands-on exercises and activities teachers and families can use to positively affect children. Learned optimism can equip children to be more successful learners and healthier individuals.

Laura J. Colker is an international author, lecturer, and trainer in early childhood education. She is the author, or coauthor, of over 150 publications and instructional guides and has contributed to the development of more than 40 educational videos and PBS programs. Dr. Colker is a coauthor of the widely used The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, now in its sixth edition, and High-Quality Early Childhood Programs: The What, Why, and How.

Derry Koralek spent more than 14 years writing and editing publications for National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She was the editor-in-chief of Young Children, NAEYC’s peer-reviewed professional journal and creator and Editor-in-Chief of Teaching Young Children, a magazine for preschool educators. While at NAEYC, she served as chief publications officer, overseeing the publication of periodicals, books, and digital content. As the president of DGK & Company, she develops early childhood training materials and guidebooks for private groups and for state and federal clients. Derry is the coauthor of High-Quality Early Childhood Programs: The What, Why, and How.