Submitted by: Shellie Hipsky
Your child looks up to you with those big curious eyes. You realize that guidance on a touchy topic needs occur. You struggle a bit trying to figure out the words that will bridge the gap towards understanding.
Where can you turn when you need to help a child comprehend difficult subjects like divorce, disability, or death? Help may be at your local library or bookstore. The section that most would seek out in a situation like this would be the parenting section. By wandering towards the childrens books instead, parents can find a world of resources that teachers and counselors have been using for years during troubled times.
Bibliotherapy according to Pardeck and Pardeck, is the use of literature to teach about the issues that one personally faces through identifying with a character in the book. In children literature, the main character is often faced with a problem. It is through listening to or reading about how this character deals with the situation that your child may begin to gain an appreciation for how he or she can deal with a similar issue. It helps kids to know that they are not the only one that has faced the problem.
Some questions that should be answered when choosing a book for bibliotherapy:
Is the story brief, simple, clear, and believable?
Is it at an appropriate reading and developmental level?
Does the story fit with applicable needs, interests, feelings, and goals?
Does it display cultural diversity and include multiple genders?
Do the characters demonstrate problem solving skills?
Once you have chosen the book to read with you child, you can either dive right in or you can follow the guidelines for bibliotherapy that have been determined by the experts. Bibliotherapy traditionally includes the following four elements:
(a) Pre-reading: Talk to your child about what you are going to read.
(b) Guided reading: As you are reading ask questions based on what the character in the story is experiencing. Ask whether or not they can predict what is going to happen.
(c) Post-reading discussion: Determine if your child was able to connect and identify with the character. Discuss if they would have reacted the same way if they were the character.
(d) A problem-solving/reinforcement activity: Your child can be encouraged to journal, role-play, or draw what happened to the character in the book.
The Drama Discovery Curriculum, which I wrote for teachers in the classroom, provides step-by-step lessons and activities for processing what the children have learned from childrens literature based on their exceptional emotional and behavioral needs.
Through the use of strong childrens literature written about specific issues that arise in the lives of kids, you can make connections to enhance their self-esteem and their ability to cope with the difficult topic.
The Three Ds: Suggested Elementary Childrens Books
DIVROCE/SEPERATION
Adams, E. & Adams, K. (2000). On the day his daddy left. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman.
Schotter, R. (2002). Missing rabbit. New York, NY: Clarion Books.
Remarriage
Hines, A.H. (1996). When we married Gary. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
DISABILITY
ADD
Penn, A. (2003). A.D.D. not B.A.D. Washington, DC: Child & Family Press.
Blindness
Rodriguez. B. (2000). Sarahs sleepover. New York: Penguin Group.
Deafness
Millman, I. (2000). MOSES goes to school. New York: Frances Foster Books, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Down Syndrome
Rickert, J.R. (2000). Russ and the firehouse. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
Physical Disability
Lears, L. (2005). Nathans wish. Morton, Ill: Albert Whitman & Co.
DEATH
Friend
Claudy, A.F. (1984). Dusty was my friend. Human Sciences Press.
Grandparents
De Paola, T. (1998). Nana upstairs & Nana downstairs. New York, NY: Penguin USA.
Miscarriage
Schwiebert, P. (2005).We were gonna have a baby, but we had an angel instead. Portland, OR: Griefwatch.
Parent
Vigna, Judith (1991). Saying goodbye to daddy. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co.
About the Author: Dr. Shellie Hipsky is a Professor of Education at Robert Morris University. Her latest book “Mentoring Magic: Pick the Card for Your Success” is a powerful tool for students around the globe to network and find, form, and sustain a mentoring relationship. Please visit
mentoringmagic.net
Source:
isnare.com
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