TOPIC 5 BIBLIOTHERAPHY: USING LITERATURE TO HEAL

5.0 SYNOPSIS

Topic 5 introduces you to the use of bibliotherapy in the classroom . It seeks to develop
your understanding on how bibliotheraphy can be used to assist children in overcoming
problems by having them read stories about characters who have successfully resolved a
dilemma similar to their own.

5.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

 raise an awareness of the use of children’s literature as a therapy
 list the benefits of bibliotherapy to help problematic children
 explain the child’s developmental appropriateness when engaging in bibliotherapy
 select the right books to use
 develop suitable strategies in a variety of contexts and
 identify and find ways to address children’s concerns

5.2

FRAMEWORK OF THE TOPICS

BIBLIOTHERAPY –
USING LITERATURE
TO HEAL

Benefits Choice Strategies

of Developmental of for
bibliotherapy appropriateness books presentation

Addressing
children’s
concerns

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Bibliotherapy
A library is a hospital for the mind.
-Anonymous
Bibliotherapy is using the reading of books as a way to heal yourself or solve a problem
(Alex.1993). In other words, bibliotherapy is the process of mending one’s life by reading
books and it is therapeutic. Although it is often associated with "self-help" books, any
kind of book, fiction or nonfiction, can be used. Bibliotherapy is a dynamic process, by
which you "meet" the author in the pages of the book. As you read, a dialog begins to
take place between you and the author. You interpret what you read in light of your own
experiences, and thus become a part of the book.

Bibliotherapy can assist children in building confidence and self-esteem. It attempts to

normalize a child's world by offering coping skills and reducing their feelings of isolation,
reinforcing creativity, and problem solving. It also gives parents an opportunity to discuss
the children's issues with their children.

5.2.1 Benefits of bibliotheraphy

Bibliotheraphy can serve as an adjunct to teaching, and there are several compelling
reasons for using literature to teach children both how to read and how to break attitudinal
or emotional barriers to learning. Bibliotherapy offers benefits beyond the conventional
methods and materials that have long been used in teaching reading. The right books
offer possible solutions to problems that create children’s inner turmoil. Also, reading
about a personal situation has the potential to sharpen perception and deepen
understanding. Intervention through a book can make the difference between an
emotionally well – adjusted child and one who may later suffer mental anguish.

Identification with a literary model can foster thought and possible resolution to a problem
such as dealing with a separation, illness, death, poverty, disability, alienation, disaster,
war, etc. The underlying premise of bibliotherapy is that interpreting stories is an ever-
changing process to which children bring their own needs and experiences. Since
students often have difficulty identifying and communicating their feelings, stories can
serve to facilitate open discussion and self-understanding. If children become emotionally
involved with literary characters, they are more able to verbalize, act out, or draw pictures
describing their innermost thought.

Use of bibliotherapy is not limited to crisis situations, nor is it a cure for severe
psychological difficulties. It may not meet the needs of some children, especially those
who are not ready to face their specific issue. Other students may be unable to transfer
insights gained from reading into their own life, or may use literature as a form of escape.

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Yet, these experiences with literary characters have been shown to be beneficial to many
children.

Teachers and parents must be concerned with the emotional aspect of learning as
well as the academic. They can sensitize children to themselves and to others through
books. Bibliotherapy is particularly helpful because it has the potential to address the
needs of the whole child. Caring, competent, and knowledgeable educators fully
appreciate how authentic interaction with literature can contribute to overall cognitive
and effective growth.

The goals of bibliotherapy are to help children:

i. identify and validate their feelings;

ii. realize that other children have problems similar to their own;
iii. stimulate discussion;
iv. foster thought and self-awareness;
v. discover possible coping skills and solutions; and
vi. decide on a constructive course of action

Bibliotherapy has provides numerous affective and cognitive benefits for children.

Affective benefits

a. Provides self-esteem and self-confidence

b. Provides Cathartic release
c. Provides psychological relief
d. Provides realization that they are not alone
e. Helps students with exceptional needs or those dealing with painful issues,
deal with their problems in an effective, realistic, and sensitive manner.

Cognitive benefits

a. Increases literacy skills.

b. Develops critical thinking (analysis, drawing conclusions, decision-making,
and problem solving).
c. Provides a vehicle for discussion of sensitive issues in non-threatening
manner.
d. Promotes self-understanding, coping, conflict resolution, and self-
evaluations skills

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5.2.2 Developmental Appropriateness

Developmentally appropriate refers to activities, lessons and materials (toys, for

example) that corresponds with a child’s mental and physical ability. For example,
a little 7-month old baby is in no way, shape or form able to ride a bike at his
age. That would be ridiculous! An exersaucer is instead “developmentally
appropriate” for him at his age and mental and physical capacity. It goes without
saying that there are predictable sequences of growth and change during
childhood because of what we know about human development. Yet, it is worth
mentioning that while chronological age refers to certain milestones, there is quite
a large range of developmental differences in any one age. That’s to say, some
babies learn to walk at 9 months and others at 14 months. Some children learn to
read as pre-schoolers and others as first graders. Because of this,
developmentally appropriate activities can be generally applied but must be
modified depending on a child’s individual differences. Developmental
appropriateness was the underpinning of how a school curriculum was once
conceived prior to no child should be left behind.

Now, take this concept and let’s add the notion of a child’s Zone of Proximal
Development. Vygotsky’s theory tells us that for a given task, there is a range in
how a child is able to do that task. On one end of the spectrum, a child needs
help to complete a particular task. On the other end of that same spectrum, a
child can complete the same task independently and without any help. What
happens as a child moves across that spectrum for a given task is called
“learning.” Let’s use little 7-month old baby again. Currently, one “task” he is
particularly focused on is standing. He is on the “help” side of the spectrum. That
is, he needs an adult’s hands, the couch or the exersaucer to help him stand
because he cannot stand on his own yet. As he is “learning” he will physically
develop the strength and balance to stand on his own. He will mentally gain a
sense of space and coordination. He will eventually need only one hand on the
couch or only one of my hands to stand. Then, he will reach the “independent”
side of the spectrum when he can stand all on his own and master the precursor to

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 walking. The best conditions for learning - whether at home or at school –
resembles an environment that has a vision of where kids need to be (goals),
knows where kids are at (assessment), and understands how to help them learn
(lessons) all within a developmentally appropriate framework. This theory applies
to essentially every skill a child learns to do – standing, walking, writing,
memorizing math facts. The list goes on

The concept of developmental appropriateness has three dimensions: age

appropriateness, individual appropriateness and cultural appropriateness.

i. Age appropriateness is based on human development research which

indicates that there are universal, predictable sequences of growth and change
that occur in children during the first nine years of life. These predictable changes
occur in all domains of development - physical, emotional, social, and cognitive.
Knowledge of typical development of children within the age span provides a
framework from which teachers prepare the learning environment and plan
appropriate experiences.

ii. Individual appropriateness refers to the fact that each child is a unique
person and comes to school with an individual pattern and timing of growth, as will
as an individual personality, learning style, and family background.

iii. Cultural appropriateness recognizes the importance of the knowledge of

the social and cultural contexts in which children live to ensure that learning
experiences are meaningful, relevant, and respectful for the children and their
families.

5.2.3 Choice of books

When choosing stories for bibliotherapy, there are specific criteria that the teacher needs
to consider :

 The child’s emotional and chronological age should be taken into account
 The teacher should know the material

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  It should be related to the child’s circumstances and feelings
 Illustrations should be clear and colourful. Characters in illustrations should
preferably be depicted in active poses rather than passively, but it should not divert
the child’s attention
 Characters should model healthy adaptation patterns
 There should be a character suitable for identification. The hero in the story should
also be portrayed realistically, for instance s/he must have feelings such as
uncertainty, fear and anger. S/he must portray unacceptable behaviour such as
being naughty, while people still accept him/her
 There should be other characters in the story that are more or less the same as
those in the child’s situation
 Long, complicated stories must be avoided as it is time consuming. It may also be
difficult to remember the whole story with all the plots. When using bibliotherapy
with children, stories should take about 30 minutes or less to read
 The teacher should know the child’s reading ability
 Unacceptable characters in the story give the child the chance of projecting
negative feelings

In using bibliotherapy with small groups of children, the same principles of book selection
should be followed. However, there must be consideration of the individual needs and
characteristics of group members. Each member of the group must be faced with the
same general problem. The teacher must also assess the readiness of each group
member for bibliotherapy, in terms of having a good working relationship with the helper.
Group members need to be fairly close in age chronologically or at approximately the
same developmental level so that any book selected will be suitable for all group
members

Once the child is ready for the bibliotherapeutic process and book selection has been
completed, the next concern is how to introduce the book. Most teachers feel that it is
best to suggest books rather than prescribe them to the child faced with the problem. The

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ideal situation would be for the teachers to have on hand several appropriate books
dealing with a certain problem that the child could choose from.

5.2.4 Strategies for presentation

The first step to implementing bibliotherapy in your classroom is to choose an appropriate

book. Books chosen must address the needs of the student(s) you’re focusing on and the
main character must have similar problems. It is also important to choose books where
characters make good choices when solving their problems, students should not imitate a
bad model. Books should be brief as often students with E(emotional)/BD (behaviour
disorder) have short attention spans and working with a longer book requires a great deal
of concentration. Once a book is chosen, one must decide the setting in which the
bibliotherapy will take place; select if the book will be read by the whole class, a small
group, or an individual.

There are four main steps when engaging in a bibliotherapy. Students should never feel
as if they are being taught during any of these steps. The teacher should act as a
facilitator to direct questions and elicit student thought. These steps are “pre-reading,
guided reading, post-reading discussion, problem-solving/reinforcement activity”,. Before
reading the story selected, a teacher must activate background knowledge. This should
be done creatively in a manner that introduces the theme and allows students to compare
their experiences with those in the book as well as make predictions. Following pre-
reading is guided reading and this typically involves an adult reading the story aloud to
the student(s). After the story or a portion of it is completed teachers allow students to
journal or reflect in some other way before discussion begins.

Next, is a post-reading discussion of the story. One model that is useful in discussing a
story was the “I-SOLVE” model developed by J.W. Forgan. The steps include having
students identify the problem, find solutions to the problem, look for obstacles that might
get in the way of the possible solutions, look at the solutions again and choose one, very
good, try the solution, and evaluate the outcome. This model, while being used for

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characters, is being imprinted into the memory of the students who will hopefully use the
model for insight into their problems.

The final necessity of bibliotherapy in a classroom is a reinforcement activity. This should

vary according to the interests of students and may involve skits, small group work,
artwork, or anything else to reinforce the lesson of the story in an engaging manner .

There are activities that can be conducted using bibliotherapy as follows:

 Booktalks
 Creating a sequel to the story to share
 Read aloud of key passages with discussion and commentaries
 "I am" Character Poem or "I know" character poem
 Character Webs
 Dramatic presentation of the issue or conflict in the book with
alternative resolutions
 Panel debates
 Reader-on-the-street- interview
 Collages representing different characters
 A new character for the book
 A new ending/resolution for the book
 Telling the story from the perspective of a different character(s)
 Use of the Internet to build background knowledge
 Inquiry done on the Internet in response to questions generated in
response to the reading of the
 Letters to or from a character
 An Interview with the character (Hot Seat)

Classroom Application of Bibliotherapy

Today, there is a diversity of children in schools, and an influx of children who deal with
very serious: (a) social, (b) emotional, (c) economic, and/or (d) academic issues.

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Societal and social issues present children with a number of difficult choices and
situations. The choices children must make, and the problems and issues they face
affect teachers everywhere. Regardless of the degree of risk, whether that is minimal,
remote, high, or imminent, teachers must address the issues of their students.
Bibliotherapy can be used as:
(a) a prevention program,
(b) an early intervention program,
(c) a treatment program.

Classroom teachers can use bibliotherapy to help a specific child or children in a specific
situation or as a general method to teach appropriate social and developmental skills in
their classrooms. Finally, if available, classroom teachers should collaborate with other
school personnel such as counsellors, psychologists, and librarians. Ideally, children
could work with bibliotherapy material in the classroom, discuss their feelings about the
book in group settings, and discuss with a school counsellor more intimate feelings and
emotions that were elicited by the book. Unfortunately, not all schools can offer the help
of counsellors and psychologists, in which case, by themselves, teachers must provide for
the children opportunities to grow and learn through bibliotherapy.

Steps to Implement Bibliotherapy

There are 10 steps guide for the implementation of bibliotherapy into the classroom.

i. Develop rapport, trust, and confidence with the student .

Teachers must create a trusting relationship with students before they begin
bibliotherapy. Students are unlikely to share deep emotions with an adult they do
not trust.

ii. Identify other school personnel who may assist. It is important for teachers to
obtain help from other school personnel. Possible help may come from: (a)
counsellors, (b) psychologists, (c) administrators, (d)social workers, (e) nurses,
and/or (f) special education teachers

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iii. Solicit support from the student‘s parents or guardians. Parents can be a huge
support and source of information in regard to his or her child‘s behaviours.
Parents can offer advice as to what works for the child and what does not.
However, one should be cautious if the student‘s issue is strongly connected to the
parent.

iv. Define a specific problem the student is experiencing. Teachers should observe
student behaviours and talk to students about feelings they may have about: (a)
school, (b) social situation, and (c) other concerns.

v. Create goals and activities to address the problem. Bibliotherapy should have a
specific goal and defined outcomes. Bibliotherapy and its activities should be
evaluated for their effectiveness.

vi. Research and select books appropriate for the situation. Books should be
selected based on: (a) appropriateness for the developmental age and
reading ability of the student; (b) the portrayal of the topic of interest (e.g.,
homelessness);
(c) realism and honesty of character portrayals, and (d) literary quality.
vii. Introduce the book to the student. In the introduction of bibliotherapy
materials, care and sensitivity should be employed. If the literature to be used
in bibliotherapy is intended only for one child or a small group, the teacher
should present it only to those students. The teacher should explain to a
student that he or she has noticed a specific behaviour, and suggest working
on it together through an activity (i.e., bibliotherapy).

vii. Incorporate reading activities. It is important for students to interact with the
bibliotherapy literature as they would with any other literature. Teachers can lead
activities used for all other books with bibliotherapy books (e.g., vocabulary,
questioning, etc.).

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 vix. Implement post-reading activities“. Teachers should lead students through
discussion of the bibliotherapy book and encourage students to discuss how the
book relates to their own lives and situations. Also, students can make other
creative projects related to the story. Finally, once students have finished all post-
reading activities, the teacher should meet with the student individually to discuss
the work done and the student‘s feelings about the book.

x. Evaluate the effects of bibliotherapy on the student. Once the student has
completed the bibliotherapy book and projects, the teacher should reflect on
the effectiveness of bibliotherapy for that student. In addition, the teacher
should note successes and areas for improvement.

This 10 step guide can be used in the classroom for any students along the continuum for
risk. This format can be easily applied to the everyday classroom, but for it to be
effective, teachers need to provide carefully selected materials for students.

5.2.5 Addressing children’s concern

Emotional and Behavioural concern

There are many terms used to describe emotional, behavioural or mental disorders.
Currently, children diagnosed with such disorders are categorized as having a serious
emotional disturbance, which can be characterized by: an inability to learn; an inability to
build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships; inappropriate types of
behaviour or feelings under normal circumstances; general pervasive mood of
unhappiness or depression; or a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears
associated with personal or school problems.

The causes of emotional disturbance have not been adequately determined. Although
various factors such as heredity, brain disorder, diet, stress, and family functioning have
been suggested as possible causes, research has not shown any of these factors to be
the direct cause of behaviour problems. Some of the characteristics and behaviours
seen in children who have emotional disturbances include: hyperactivity; aggression/self-

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injurious behaviour; withdrawal; immaturity; and learning difficulties.

Children with the most serious emotional disturbances may exhibit distorted thinking,
excessive anxiety, bizarre motor acts, and mood swings and are sometimes identified as
children who have a severe psychosis or schizophrenia.

Many children who do not have emotional disturbances may display some of these same
behaviours at various times during their development. However, when children have
serious emotional disturbances, these behaviours continue over long periods of time.
Their behaviour thus signals that they are not coping with their environment or peers.

i) Using Children’s Literature to Build Social-Emotional Skills

“As a children's author, I don't just write stories. I build bridges with my words to
connect young readers to the characters in my stories, to themselves, and to other
readers. I carefully construct dialogue for children to gain insight into others' thoughts,
feelings, and actions, as well as their own. My objective, after all, is quite simple: to help
children and the adults who work with them address tough issues that kids face in their
everyday social world”. - Trudy Ludwig
(Ludwig, 2012)

The notion that books have therapeutic value for readers is not new and it can be traced
back to ancient Greece. Inscribed over the door of a sacred library in the tomb complex of
Ramses II was the phrase psyches iatreion, "healing place of the soul." In 1916,
Reverend Samuel McChord Crothers coined the term bibliotherapy to describe the guided
use of literature to help people understand and solve problems relevant to their
therapeutic needs.

For years, adults have used children's literature as an adjunct tool to help guide a child's
thinking, instil moral values, strengthen personal character, and shape behaviour. More
recently, however, children's books have taken on an additional role: empowering young
minds with critical thinking skills to foster social-emotional learning (SEL) in a safe social
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setting, in the classroom, and in the counselling practitioner's office to foster empathy and
perspective in children. Through the imaginative process that reading involves, children
have the opportunity to do what they often cannot do in real life—become thoroughly
involved in the inner lives of others, better understand them, and eventually become more
aware of themselves. And the more competent children are in their SEL skills, the more
successful they will be in school and in life.

Well-written, developmentally age-appropriate literature offers wonderful teachable

moments that allow children to:

 identify with the story's protagonist

 acquire insight into the characters' thoughts, feelings, and actions in relation to
the particular issue
 experience catharsis (the release of pent-up emotional feelings) upon the
realization that they aren't the only ones who have this problem
 explore other possible ways of working out their own problems by seeing how
the characters handled the problems themselves and how their actions or
words played out
 share personal experiences as a natural progression of discussion

NOTE: Complete the task and keep a record in your portfolio

Task

1. Prepare a graphic organiser to show the benefits of bibliotherapy

children.
2. Find other reading resources or surf any website and search for any
related articles pertaining to the benefits of bibliotheraphy.
3. Surf related web sites and look for further information on the criteria of
selecting bibiliotherapy book for problematic children.
4. Refer to the url listed, read the articles and list down other
stages/steps on how to go about using bibliotherapy with children.

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 a.http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?

b.http://www.recreateiontherapy.com/articles/bibliotherapy.html.

C.http://www.cfchildren.org/advocacy/aboutus/newsletter/articletype/articleview/arti

cleid/3163.aspx

REFERENCES

Norton, D. E. (2003). Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s

Literature.(6th Edition). Pearson Education Ltd. New Jersey.

Anderson, N.A.(2002). Elementary children’s literature: the basics for teachers and
parents (2nd ed). USA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Alex,N.K. (1993) Bibliotherapy. ERIC Digest.(ERIC Documentation Reproduction Service

No. ED357 3330)

Ludwig, T (2012). Using Children’s Literature to Build Social-Emotional Skills. Retrieved

from http://www.cfchildren.org/advocacy/about-us/e-
newsletter/articletype/articleview/articleid/3163.aspx

Anti-Defamation League (2005). Words that heal: Using children's literature to increase
empathy and help students cope with bullying. ADL curriculum connections: Anti-bias
lesson plans and resources for K–12 educators. Retrieved from
http://www.adl.org/education/curiculum connections/winter 2005/Words that
Heal1.asp

Committee for Children (2011). Self-regulation skills and the new elementary Second
Step program. Second Step: Skills for Social and Academic Success. Retrieved PDF:
K-5 Self-Regulation Skills.pdf

Myracle, L. (1995). Molding the minds of the young: The history of bibliotherapy as
applied to children and adolescents. The ALAN Review, 22(2). Retrieved from
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/winter95/Myracle.html

Rozalski, M., Stewart, A. L., & Miller, J. (2010). Bibliotherapy: Helping children cope with
life's challenges. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(1), 33–37.

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Shechtman, Z. (2009). Treating child and adolescent aggression through bibliotherapy.
New York: Springer, 26–37.

Sullivan, A. K., & Strang, H. R. (2003). Bibliotherapy in the classroom: Using literature to
promote the development of emotional intelligence. Childhood Education, 79(2), 74–
80.

Take a break before you move on to the next topic.

Kurotol Aini binti Muhamad Mukhtar

IPGKTHO

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