Resource to help young pupils cope with death

Using straightforward language when talking about death is important when supporting bereaved children in class, teachers have been told.

With schools often the only place where routines are unbroken for a child who has lost a relative or friend, the message of listening with eyes, ear and heart is central to an online resource for schools from the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN).

Recent findings from the Economic and Social Research Institute’s ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ study show just how common bereavement experiences are for children, as 28% will have lost a grandparent by the age of nine.