Stories for Gentle Lessons and Confidence: A Partner Playlist
Have you ever wondered about other Sparkle parents’s go-to stories? Stephanie Johnson, creator of The Healing Movement Program for Kids (and a Sparkle Stories enthusiast herself) walks us through some of her own favorite stories and how they support her family and work! Read all about it below.
Stephanie's playlist includes stories for supporting children through tricky feelings and fears (and one good old-fashioned tale of fun, messy outdoor time).
Stephanie tells us,
"I love each of these for the gentle lessons and confidence they build by illustrating scenarios that help children feel seen and normalize what they are experiencing."
Stephanie’s Go-To Sparkle Stories
Stephanie shares with us:
We have so many personal favorite stories with Martin & Sylvia and Libby & Dish being my son's go-to series when he was younger. We still recite an ongoing joke at home taken directly from Dish about cat toys: "Those are not toys Libby, I use them to keep fit!" It still makes us laugh each time we say that about our own cats toys all over the house!
My son, who is now in seventh grade at a Waldorf School, loved his Sparkle Stories well into his middle school years as I’m sure many children do. He still checks in once in a while for a story and that warms my heart! This is a true testament to how the stories really do touch the children so deeply.
For my playlist, I went with some of my favorite stories for supporting children through tricky feelings and fears and one good old-fashioned tale of messy outdoor time. I love each of these for the gentle lessons and confidence they build by illustrating scenarios that help children feel seen and normalize what they are experiencing. My absolute favorite on this list is “Leo the Hermit Crab.” I use it in my practice often with children who just can't seem to be comfortable in their skin. I play the story while providing therapeutic tactile input and it's a wonderful combination for helping children land in their bodies.
Stephanie’s Playlist:
More About the Healing Movement Program for Kids
Something that is so important to us all here at Sparkle Stories is that the content and resources we provide support children in ways that are intentional, responsive, and developmentally appropriate. This means a whole-body approach – mind and body – and intentional movement is such an important part of that picture.
Stephanie created the Healing Movement for Kids Program as a way to stay connected to families when the pandemic began. These activities are for all children and especially beneficial for those who show signs of needing support.
They target self-regulation, body-mind integration, spacial awareness, hemisphere integration, sensory integration, deepening the connection and bond with parents and caregivers, preparing the body for future academic pursuits or supporting academic pursuits for older children who are doing more desk and intellectual work.
Read more about the Healing Movement Program for Kids on Stephanie’s Website.
About the Author
Stephanie Johnson
Stephanie Johnson MA, R-DMT, LPC is a mother, educator, Registered Dance Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor who brings a unique perspective to education and child development. Recognizing the body’s role in learning, Ms. Johnson is committed to educating the community by drawing a bridge between early movement and all future cognitive and emotional pursuits. Stephanie spent 10 years in the public school arena as a dance specialist and worked closely with academic teachers to infuse movement into the daily curriculum. She holds a Master’s Degree from the Naropa University Somatic Psychology and Counseling program and is the Director of Sage Education and Therapy in Minneapolis where she serves children and families who are struggling with attention and learning challenges. In addition to her therapeutic work with families, Ms. Johnson is the author of the award winning book Baby Bare: A Bottom-Up Approach to Growing Strong Brains and Bodies and is the creator of Healing Movements for Kids — a widely-loved therapeutic movement subscription for home use. Stephanie’s professional development offerings and speaking engagements have been enjoyed by parents and early childhood specialists internationally and she is known for her clarity, warmth, and humor when addressing audiences about children, movement, and brain development. She lives in St. Paul with her son (who attends the Minnesota Waldorf School) and their beloved cats and city chickens.
