Should Elementary Schools Involve Counselors?

“A person trained to give guidance on personal, social, or psychological problems.”

“The elementary years are a time when students begin to develop their
academic self-concept and feelings of competence and confidence as
learners. They are beginning to develop decision-making, communica-
tion and life skills, as well as character values. It is also a time when
students develop and acquire attitudes toward school, self, peers, so-
cial groups and family.” -American School Counselor Association

Why it is a good idea to implement counselors

• Academic support, self organization, study and test-taking skills
• Education on understanding self and others relationships, coping
strategies and effective social skills
• Substance abuse education
• Academic planning
• Understanding self strengths and weaknesses
• Conflict resolution with school students
• Individual/family/school crisis intervention
• Parent education
• College/career awareness programs
• Extra school safety for the children

By: Matthew Goddard

Solutions besides counselors Frequent Q&A
• Increased teacher involvement • What if I don’t want someone I
don’t know telling my kid how he
• Classes on how parents can
thinks he should think? A: Counse-
help their children more than
lors will associate themselves with
they already are
the parents before talking about
• Voluntary counseling anything with the student.
• Elementary classes on mental • What if I don’t like their
health counselor ? A: every campus
• Increase after school programs should have at least 3 counselors
that you can choose from.
• School nurses
• Could I be a counselor ? A: Par-
• Multiple teachers for one class
ents should be able to apply for a
• Increased music and art in- counselor position if proper skills
volvement and training are applicable.
• What kind of counseling would
the counselor do? A: Academic
support, self organization, study
and test-taking skills, guidance on
personal, social, or psychological
problems.

Works Cited

Association, American School Counselor. The Essential Role of elementary school counselors. New York City: American School Counselor Association, 2017. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Careers-Roles/WhyElem.pdf.

IASEVOLI, BRENDA. Plenty of credits, no diploma. Webpage. California: The Hechinger Report, 2015. March 3 2018.

Steven L. Paine, Ed.D. Why Elementary School Counselors. Webpage. Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Department of Education, 2002. http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/why-elementary.html.