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We reviewed this book on our on line magazine as one of our top 5 holiday reads:
"LET THE SOULS OF OUR CHILDREN SING by teacher and Journalist LEONORA LANGLEY is a must read for any parent, or teacher in an educational establishment. LANGLEY explores the increasing emphasis and value we place as a society on academic development at the detriment of creative exploration both in educational surroundings and at home. Could this be the link to the mental health epidemic in young people today ? How do we navigate our children's development to ensure their needs are being listened to and their specialities are being discovered and nurtured. Are creative children happier children ? I would definitely recommend this book if you are responsible for children in any way. You can really make a difference to a child's wellbeing , 140 pages long, set aside a weekend. A small book with a big message !! "
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A most insightful book for all future and existing parents and educators. I have read many similar books, all have been excellent with invaluable advice on how to understand and embrace the marvellous dynamics of raising a child. This book is in a totally different league and is a pure jewel. Leonora takes the 'tough love' concept to a deep, emotional level. A real eye and mind opener and a definite must-read.
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This book covers a highly pertinent subject in relation to children's educational upbringing and the rise in mental health problems amongst the young.
The book is thought provoking in the issues it raises and offers solutions to a better way. The Author uses her detailed knowledge and experience as a long serving teacher, journalist, counsellor and indeed mother, to offer a compelling
analysis of a system that has apparently only changed marginally in over 100 years.
All persons with the vital responsibility for the education and wellbeing of children, would find this sets the mind in motion to finding a route to a fulfilling life for future generations.
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Let the Souls of Our Children Sing' by Leonora Langley is an inspiration. Easy to read and fascinating, it puts forward ground-breaking ideas to help free parents from the constant anxiety that their children will not keep up, instilling fear and repression rather than developing an enjoyable and meaningful relationship with them. In the same down-to-earth way, Leonora Langley shines like a beacon of light into the darkness regarding mainstream education. She describes how schools can be places of drudgery that force children into a narrow, rigid straitjacket destroying their innate curiosity and creativity by overburdening them with constant testing and mounds of homework which crushes their individuality, feelings, and emotions.
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The Mental well-being of Children should be paramount
A really thought-provoking book that captures the essence of one of the most important concerns facing parents and teachers, 'the emotional and mental wellbeing of children'. This is a little book with a big message that will encourage the reader to question some of the accepted practices currently employed in the education and essential nurturing of our children.
It will undoubtedly stimulate the thought process of all those with the responsibility for developing future generations who will determine the the kind of world we live in.
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The book of the decade.
To any keen reader on the topic of helping children to blossom and find self-fulfilment, this is the book of the decade.
Forget about those guides attempting to 'manufacture a happy child', this ground-breaking book goes way beyond that and is a must-read.
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A Powerful and Inspirational Read!
As a teacher, I am all too familiar with the pressures and constraints of our current education system. This book has inspired me to take a step back and reconsider my approach within my own classroom. The chapters are packed with ideas and alternative approaches that put creativity and imagination at the centre of learning, nurturing children's souls. Langley cites plenty of practical ideas, along with theories and approaches to education, that teachers and educational advisers can put into practice immediately. Some of the suggestions, however, would require a whole-school approach or reforms to our education system as a whole. I truly hope that we can look forward to a future where these practices are the foundation of our education system, making learning a joyful process of exploration and discovery, giving children the opportunity to fully develop as creative, confident and emotionally intelligent individuals. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
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A must-read book with love at its heart for all who care about children and learning.
Every sentence, every paragraph is a gem. Let's make sure this becomes part of the teacher training experience in all our universities and schools. It must become a handbook for home educators.
Thank you Leonora Langley for this gift of a book.
Elizabeth Coleman-Ainley retired secondary school headteacher and university lecturer in special needs and school management.
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An outstanding book, a very insightful read.. Thank you 5*.
This book is outstanding and one I have struggled to put down. It really does give you an insight into our children's mental health and psychological development. Times are different for our children what once used to be climbing trees, playing board games.. has now turned into a mass of social media with less creative play.
I have noticed how social media has taken over our children's lives.
I'm glad someone has recognised this too. Thank you, I hope this book reaches parents/teachers/adults far and wide... highly recommend it.
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The book parents and teachers have been waiting for...
Hearing Leonora Langley on the radio prompted me to get a copy of her recently published book. Many of us already knew her from her earlier book ‘Let the Children Sing’, published in 2004, of which the present book is an extensively revised and updated edition. Many more of us know her as a charismatic teacher who, by putting into practice the principles she now writes about, has turned around the lives of many. There is nothing eccentric, new-fangled or even frighteningly radical in these principles, which are based on common sense, a child-centred perspective and the wisdom of enlightened thinkers and practitioners through the ages. Basically, she is highly critical of parenting styles which neglect the development of the child’s emotional well-being, and of how, in her words, ‘mainstream education undervalues the nurturing of children’s souls over academic achievement’. In response to this, she offers ‘an innovative model where the sciences and arts go hand in hand putting creativity and imagination at the heart of all learning’. There is nothing fancy or pretentious about this book: it is clear, to the point, and exceptionally well-written. It should be read by every parent and teacher.
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The book every parent, teacher, and educator should read.
A most insightful book for all future and existing parents and educators. I have read many similar books, all have been excellent with invaluable advice on how to understand and embrace the marvellous dynamics of raising children. This book is in a totally different league and is a pure jewel. Leonora takes the 'tough love' concept to a deep, emotional level. A real eye and mind opener and a definite must-read.
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A relevant, inspirational-a must-read for every parent & teacher.
Amazing book-every parent & teachers should read this book.
With our children’s mental & emotional well being in overload during these strange times, this book is a useful tool for inspiration & guidance.
So relevant at the present time.
A truly great read.
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This book is an absolute must-read; for both parents and anyone looking to better understand themselves and the emotional development of children, within an educational setting.
Through its insightful philosophy and enlightening content, I gained a better understanding of my childhood experience, moreover, crucial developmental processes that were suppressed by the educational system in its current format. Totally thought-provoking!
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This is a seminal book about nurturing the emotional well-being of our children. Leonora Langley writes with love and compassion, free of judgment and fear, to create an invaluable handbook for parents, educators, and carers of the young.
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Being a child of the 1950s, I wish someone had written this book for my teachers. My experience at school was traumatic. I needed nurturing on a level that was not provided for my creative nature. I did not fit into star charts and exams so was left feeling sub-standard.
For all the children that are now going through that experience, I sincerely hope and pray that teachers, parents and anyone who influences young people's precious lives, will pick up this amazingly truthful book, which is full of wonderful insights, and put them into practice.
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Absolute must read!
This book is emotive, intense and relatable to many people. Probably people who wouldn't have thought they could relate to it. Coming from a 23 year old this book really captures a variety of audiences. It talks about many issues including education and how children are taught and how the education system needs reviewing and changing for the generations of children to come. It also is full of psychology and talks about how children engage with adults and other children. This book has made me understand myself in ways I never used to and I encourage parents. grandparents, educators and anyone interested in the welfare of young people to read it.
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A loving book, a must read for everyone. Its author, Leonora Langley, thinks with her heart and feels with her brain. Every sentence is gold dust for us all, regardless of age.
