T0PIC 5 Bibliotherapy.pptx

TSLB3093
TOPIC 5 BIBLIOTHERAPY
• Benefits of bibliotherapy
• Multicultural elements
• Developmental appropriateness
• Choice of books
2/2/2021 nmz/tslb3093/pismp/ipgkba2019 1

Do you remember?
What were some of the books you read or were read to
when you were young?
• What were the titles?
• Who read them to you?
• What was your favourite book?
• Did you read it many times?
• Why did you like it?

What is Bibliotherapy?
• Bibliotherapy book therapy
• biblio the Greek word for books and, therapy comes from
therapeia, meaning to help medically
• refers to using written material to help individuals process
difficult situations or changes in their lives
• aligned together with other similar practices, such as art therapy,
dance therapy, music therapy, play therapy, etc.

What researchers say….
• “…a process of dynamic interaction between the personality of the
reader and literature-interaction which may be utilized for personality
assessment, adjustment, and growth.” (Russell and Shrodes, 1950).
• “…help(ing) a pupil find a book that might help the pupil solve a
personal problem, develop skills needed for living, and/or bolster self-
image.” (Shepherd and Iles, 1976).
• “…getting the right book to the right child at the right time about
the right problem.” (Lundsteen, 1972).
• “Psychology through literature-reading that is used to help solve or
prevent problems.” (Stadel, 1964).

• Stamps (2003) defined bibliotherapy as, “a strategy that helps
students overcome or deal with a current problem or issue in their
lives” (p.26).
• Bibliotherapy literally involves treatment through books (Pardeck &
Pardeck, 1998).
• Guided reading of written materials to help the reader grow in self
awareness (Harris & Hodges, 1995).
• Process of dynamic interaction between the personality of the reader
and literature under the guidance of a trained helper (Shrodes, 1950).
• is the sharing of carefully selected literature with a child for the
purpose of helping the child work through a tough situation.

Types of bibliotherapy
• Cognitive bibliotherapy, which focuses on creating cognitive-
behavioural change using literature that refers directly to fears,
anxieties, and behaviour difficulties (Betzalel & Shechtman,
2010).
• Affective bibliotherapy, which focuses on repressed thoughts
and emotional self-exploration. The characters are frequently
fictional and help children connect the story to their own feelings
of emotion and pain (Betzalel & Shechtman, 2010).

Bibliotherapy
applications
Clinical Bibliotherapy
• The use of literature and facilitative processes by skilled mental health or
medical clinicians in meeting a deliberate therapeutic goal for the purpose of
assisting individuals in dealing with severe disorders and traumatic life
experiences
• used by trained professionals; meant to deal with significant emotional or
behavioural issues

Bibliotherapy
applications
Developmental Bibliotherapy
• involves helping students in their normal health and development
• used by teachers, librarians, parents; meant to help children grow
and develop
• can help teachers and students deal with everything from
behaviour problems to social issues
• teachers can identify the concerns of their students and address
the issues before problems arise
• students can also be guided through predictable stages of
adolescence with knowledge of what to expect and how other
teenagers have dealt with the same concerns (Herbert & Kent,
2000)

Who can benefit from
Bibliotherapy?
• Bibliotherapy is used with
people of all ages –children,
young adults, adults and
seniors
• Recent studies on
bibliotherapy show that it could
be successfully implemented
to help individuals to deal with
a wide range of physical,
psychological, emotional and
social issues

Why Bibliotherapy ? Benefits
• Enhance personal, social and cultural insight
• Encourage emotional catharsis,
• Promote resiliency,
• Assist children in solving day to day problems,
• Assist children to cope with developmental change,
• Assist children to cope with emotional disruptions and developmental change,
• Assist children in problem solving strategies,
• Assist children in becoming more empathetic with others,
• Assist children in learning about the world around them and our culture,
• Promote satisfying personal relationships with other people- connectedness through a shared
experience,
• Assist children in understanding that other people have faced similar problems and had similar
feelings,
• Provide information about challenges that may be faced,
• Provide recreation of getting lost in a good story about real people.

Benefits of Bibliotherapy
• The assumption of bibliotherapy is that during reading, the
individual will identify with the characters and their situations
• It is hoped that this identification will enable the individual
to develop insight, release emotions, explore methods of
problem solving and develop coping skills (Abdullah, 2002;
Davies, 2003).

Addressing children’s concerns
• children often have difficulty identifying and
communicating their feelings
• stories can help to facilitate open discussion and
self-understanding
• if children become emotionally involved with
literary characters, they are more able to
verbalise, act out, or draw pictures describing
their innermost thoughts

Bibliotherapy and children
• may not meet the needs of some children, especially those
who are reluctant to face their specific issue
• however, children’s experiences with literary characters
have been shown to be beneficial to many children

Aiex (1993) identified nine reasons an educator or librarian may choose to use
bibliotherapy in the classroom for students with and without disabilities
1. To show an individual that he or she is not the first or only person to
encounter such a problem.
2. To show an individual that there is more than one solution to a
problem.
3. To help a person discuss a problem more freely.
4. To help an individual plan a constructive course of action to solve a
problem.
5. To develop an individual's self-concept.
6. To relieve emotional or mental pressure.
7. To foster an individual's honest self-appraisal.
8. To provide a way for a person to find interests outside of him- or herself.
9. To increase an individual's understanding of human behavior or motivations.

Benefits of Bibliotherapy
Benefits to Individual
• Releases emotions and relieves emotional pressures
• Helps to develop self awareness and an enhanced self concept
• Encourages examination of moral values and stimulation of
critical thinking
• Fosters awareness that we are not alone in our feelings or the
first/only one to encounter a particular problem

BENEFITS TO GROUP
• Increases sense of belonging and reduces anxiety through the
sharing of common experiences
• Provides an outlet for students who are reluctant to seek help
individually
• Increases empathy and the ability to take the perspectives of
others
• Leads to better understanding of group norms and expectations
• Extends awareness beyond one's own family, community, and
background

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES
• Improved ability to understand and cope with problems and
issues
• Increased social sensitivity, empathy, and respect for others
• Improved personal and social judgment
• Increased understanding of human behavior and motivations
• Increased ability to transcend or seek help for personal
challenges and problems

Benefits: Information
• providing information
- using books that address a particular problem – enables the children to
gather accurate and reliable information subtle, nonthreatening manner.
• provide a base of knowledge they can rely on - avoid the child’s anxiety
• mutuality - refers to the experience of sharing. – makes the child feels less
alone
• Empathy – refers to the ability to share the feelings of another individual
• Children can both cruel and thoughtless towards those they perceive to be
different – through books – learn not only their worth but the worth of others
too.

• One cannot meaningfully teach a group of children while some in the
groups are shunned and hurting. Eg: group cooperation is impossible
if some children avoid the child with cerebral palsy for fear of
‘catching it’
• Building empathy begins with seeing others as human beings with
needs similar to our own.
• Options for action – when faced with a difficult problem, adults can
often feel in a bind with no solution – children no different
• They may be so focused on the problem that they are incapable of
stepping back and seeing the solution in a larger framework.
• books provide opportunities to observe how others view a problem –
explore various attempts by the characters to resolve that problem.

• Through books – children come to realize that there are alternative ways
for dealing with a problem.
• In discussing a story with an adult – children can learn that choices can be
made in regard to most things in life.
• It is an important and healthy life skills to be able to cultivate options in
problem solving.
• Reaffirmation of life
- When a person is faced with what appears to be a tremendous problem –
the world can seem a cold and frightening place. – true bad things do
happen in life – world is not perfect but there are many wonderful and
beautiful things abt life - caring people, flowers, birds etc
- children need to u’std this when faced with problems

• They need to be able to affirm that there are some truly beautiful
things about life
• Children exposed to many of life’s grim realities through television
and the media – they need to talk abt the fears they have regarding
some of the things they have seen – often look to adults to help
them affirm the positive aspects of their existence as people
• Example – news stories about violent confrontations between
people and even everyday observations of violent behaviour can
suggest to children that violent behaviour is a life option – it is
important to promote nonviolent behaviour to them

Bruce D. Perry (2001) suggests 6 core strengths to foster
nonviolent behaviour:
i. the ability to be a friend
ii. Thinking before acting
iii. Joining and contributing to a group
iv. Thinking about the needs of others
v. Accepting the differences of others
vi. Respecting yourself and others
- Can be addressed through many of the books used in
bibliotherapy and in story sharing time

Positive Effects of Bibliotherapy:
Socially
• Meets Needs:
Physiological
Safety
Love and Belonging
Esteem
Knowledge & Understanding
• Reassures the reader that they are not alone in the world or the first to experience a
particular problem.
• Provides a model for coping with problems and forming possible solutions.
• Prepares children for living and “experience” of emotions and situations they have
not faced.
• Helps students accept people that are different from themselves.
• Assists with the development of interpersonal relationships and values.

Positive Effects of Bibliotherapy:
Academically
• Promotes reading achievement.
• Motivates students to read.
• Students gain a richer insight and meaning of a
story.
• Avenue to developing a love for literature and
reading.

Negative Effects of Bibliotherapy
• The treatment should not be used as a single approach for a severe
need.
• The child may not be a good reader so the process becomes a turn-
off.
• Student may not be willing to read the story or book.
• A projection of the child’s own motives may be placed on the
characters; therefore it reinforces their own perceptions and
conclusions, which may be negative.
• The child may be unwilling to discuss areas that are uncomfortable.

Bibliotherapy techniques
• The facilitator should use specific probing questions to
explore a child’s feelings. Depending on the trauma,
questions should explore the story characters, ways the
child might change the story, or how the book may have
impacted the child’s perception (Berns, 2003-2004).
• Other types of questions might be “In the story, who do you
want to be, and why? If the author knew me, what do you
think he or she might have said?” (Berns, 2003–2004, p.
330).

Let’s begin the session
What is a bully? Have you ever been bullied or seen someone
else be bullied? What are some things that bullies do?

The Recess Queen

The Recess Queen – Discussion Qs
• Why are all the students scared of Mean Jean?
• Why is Katie Sue not afraid of Mean Jean?
• How do you think Mean Jean felt when Kay Sue asked
her to play?
• Have you ever been bullied? How did you stand up for
your self?

THE BIBLIOTHERAPY PROCESS
• There are four stages in the process of bibliotherapy
(Pardeck, 1993).
• 1) Readiness, in which a child’s readiness is
determined and needs are identified
• 2) Selection, when a book is selected that will
match a client’s needs
• 3) Introduction to the book, or Presentation, the
sharing of the text
• 4) Follow-up, at which point the therapist and
student engage in a discussion about the book

THE BIBLIOTHERAPY PROCESS (CONT.)
• There are four stages that the student is believed to experience during
bibliotherapy (Stamps, 2003).
• 1) Identification, when a student identifies with a character
• 2) Catharsis, in which the student experiences a release of emotions as
he/she “follows” the character
• 3) Insight, at which point students connect their lives to the lives of the
characters in the book
• 4) Universalization, the stage in which students realize people all over the
world face similar life changes

How To Use Bibliotherapy
• Identify youngster's needs. This task is done through observation, parent
conferences, student writing assignments, and the review of school/facility
records.
• Match the youngster(s) with appropriate materials. Find books that deal with
divorce, a death in the family, or whatever needs have been identified. Keep the
following in mind:
a: The book must be at the youngster's reading ability level.
b. The text must be at an interest level appropriate to the maturity of the
youngster.
c. The theme of the readings should match the identified needs of the youngster.
d. The characters should be believable so that the youngster can empathize with
their predicaments.
e. The plot of the story should be realistic and involve creativity in problem
solving.

• Decide on the setting and time for sessions, and how sessions will be introduced
to the student.
• Design follow-up activities for the reading (e.g., discussion, paper writing,
drawing, drama).
• Motivate the youngster with introductory activities (e.g., asking questions to get
a discussion going on the topic).
• Engage in the reading, viewing, or listening phase. Ask leading questions and
start short discussions throughout the reading. Periodically, summarize what has
occured thus far (to be sure that "the message" does not get lost in the trivial
points).

• Take a break or allow a few minutes for the youngster to reflect on the material.
• Introduce the follow-up activities:
-Retelling of the story
-In depth discussion of the book (e.g., discussing right and wrong, morals, the
law, strong and weak points of the main character, etc.)
• -Art activities (e.g., drawing map illustrating story events, creating collage from
magazine photos and headlines to illustrate events in the story, draw pictures of
events)
• -Creative writing (e.g., resolving the story in a different way, analyzing decisions of
characters)
• -Drama (e.g., role playing, reconstructing story with puppets made during art activity,
enacting a trial for the characters)
• Assist the student in achieving closure through discussion and a listing of possible-
solutions, or some other activity.

How are books selected for bibliotherapy sessions?
• can be fiction (fairy tales, picture books, short stories,
excerpts from novels), poetry or non-fiction (biography,
memoirs, collections of true stories, self-help books, etc.)
• the value of literature depends strictly on its capacity to
encourage a therapeutic response from the participants

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
• relevance of the content (reading and discussing the book provides
insight into the problem to be solved)
• accuracy and currency of the information on a particular medical
condition
• appropriateness of the information to the readers’ developmental level
• a high level of sensitivity in approaching terminal illness and death
• literary value
• illustrations creating a good visual image (especially books for children)
• accuracy of cultural details and interpretations

MULTICULTURAL ELEMENTS
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017
• Fourth year running
• Co-founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump
Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom
• To raise awareness on the ongoing need to
include kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home
and school bookshelves while also working
diligently to get more of these types of books into
the hands of young readers, parents and educators

What is Multicultural Literature ?
Multicultural literature is literature that focuses on:
⮚ People of color/race (i.e., African Americans, Asian
Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans –
Malays, Chinese, Indians etc )
⮚Religious minorities (i.e., Amish or Jewish, sikhs, etc)
⮚Regional cultures (i.e., Appalachian or Cajun)
⮚Persons with disabilities
⮚The aged

Research findings…
• By age three, racial awareness is evident. By ten, racial
attitudes are crystallised. Children’s attitudes toward
diversity tend to stay constant unless altered by lifechanging
events (Aboud, 1988)
• Student’s prejudices have been reduced because of
involvement with good multicultural books

Exclusions and Distortions
• Historically, children’s literature has reflected the ideology of the
dominant culture in society. This ideology, indicative of a primarily white
authorship, reinforces a selective tradition in which ‘certain meanings . .
. are selected for emphasis and certain other meanings . . . are neglected
or excluded.
• The exclusion and distortions of oppressed groups in children’s
literature not only reflect but also perpetuate societal racism and
inequitable social relations.

Here’s an
example…
•The picture book, Little Black Sambo was a very popular book in
the U.S. in the earlyand mid-twentieth century.
•It was written in 1898 by a white British woman named Helen
Bannerman. Several different illustrators have illustrated it over
the years.
•What stereotypes do you notice in the following text and
illustrations?

“Once upon a time, there was
a little black boy, and his
name was Little Black Sambo .
. .”
Little Black
Sambo

Little Black Sambo
“And his mother was
called Black Mumbo”

“And his father was called Black
Jumbo.”

“And his father was called Black
Jumbo.”
http://longislandbookcollector
s.com/2013/%E
F%BB%BFbanned-from-
american-bookshelvesthe-
story-of-little-black-sambo

What role does multicultural literature play?
• Portrays diversity in natural ways and can spark discussion
• Can enhance students’ understanding of others
• Books of diverse perspectives are found in all genres

Types of Diversity

Why Should Literature Be Multicultural?
• Makes students feel welcome if their people and perspective
are included in the texts and literature they read.
• Helps those in the “mainstream” learn about others they will
interact with.
• Fosters understanding and appreciation of other cultures,
bringing alive those histories, traditions and people.
• Develops knowledge of, identity with, and pride for one’s own
cultural heritage.
• Discovers all cultures and races having similar feelings,
emotions, and needs.

The value of multicultural literature
• Gives members of marginalised groups or recent immigrants
the opportunity to develop a better sense of who they are,
improve their self-esteem, and consequently take social action for
a better future.
• Addresses contemporary issues of race, religion, poverty,
exceptionalities, and sexual orientation from the perspectives of
these group members thus challenging prejudice and
discrimination.
(Lynch-Brown et al (2011)

BIBLIOTHERAPY… helping children deal
with issues
• physical health problems and disabilities (chronic and life-threatening
illnesses)
• general mental health problems (anxiety and fears, depression)
• stress
• isolation
• low self-esteem
• learning disabilities
• family relationships (divorce, single parents, siblings, adoption)
• death and loss
• grief and bereavement
• abuse (physical, emotional and sexual
• life changes and adjustments (immigration, refugees, homelessness)
• man-made disasters (e.g., acts of war, terrorist attacks, or school shootings)
• natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, tsunami, or hurricanes)

Issues in multicultural children’s literature
Cultural Authenticity
• Written by authors with a cultural
conscience
• Make members of the culture feel they
have been accurately portrayed and
represented
• They engender racial and cultural pride
• Do not mislead or convey incorrect
images of a culture

Insider vs Outsider Perspective
• Insider - author is of the culture
being written about.
• Outsider - author is of a different
culture and writes from association,
experiences, and research.
• Is it possible for a culture to be
accurately represented by an outsider?

Stereotyping
• Using a single set of attributes to
represent an entire culture.
• To determine if a stereotype is
true, find out if the people of the culture
embrace the attribute about themselves.

Language considerations
• Derogatory terms should not be used unless they are
essential to a conflict or used in historical context.
• Books that incorporate the language of a minority group
no need to translate a word if context defines it.
• All languages adequately serve their speakers and no one
language is better than another

Perspective of the book
• With the understanding that there is never just one
cultural experience or perspective, is the book
authentic?
• Are racial pride and positive self-image apparent?
• Do the details authentically portray the experience
of the represented group?

Overview
• It is important for teachers to know how to choose the literature that will be
pivotal in their classrooms
• Teachers who adopt and utilize multicultural literature will be catalysts for
improved reading achievement among students who are culturally and
linguistically diverse (Callins, 2006).
• Multicultural literature may be used as a stimulus for creating classrooms
where all students are valued.
• This presentation will also discuss the power of literature and teaching
opportunities with the use of multicultural literature.

Power of Literature
• We communicate through literature and we share our opinions, values,
experiences
• Literature has the power to perpetuate and dissolve stereotypes.
• Through a literature study students should not only just learn new facts, but
Takaki (1999) states they should understand and respect one another’s
cultures while recognizing the shared histories and experiences hat unite us.
• Children's books have the potential to support diversity in the curriculum and
raise consciousness on cultural issues that have been historically ignored.

Power of Literature
• It is important for students to understand that people of
different cultures are more similar than different from
each other.
• When differences are noticeable, it is equally important
for students to develop positive attitudes towards
differences.
• Multicultural literature can help students to gain skills
that foster collaboration and positive interactions.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS TO STUDENTS:-
• It can be used to help children identify with their own culture,
exposes children to other cultures, and opens the dialogue on
issues regarding diversity (Colby & Lyon, 2004).
• Multicultural literature has the profound ability to shape our
lives and our thinking.
• It offers children opportunities to celebrate who they are while
learning about others.
• Teachers need to become more sensitive to the needs of their
students and fully aware of what they communicate to them.

Globalization and Tolerance
• Wan (2006) states that from the current terrorist activities, racial conflicts and
gender differences to schoolyard bullies, most of them arise because of
misunderstandings and intolerance of differences and diversities among people.
• Given this environment, it is even more important for us to understand, accept,
and appreciate each other in school settings as well as in society.
• As globalization increases so does our interaction with people with different
cultures.
• School is one environment where these interactions may first take place. Given
this, it is crucial that these first experiences are ones of respect and tolerance.
Children form ideas that they may impact their ideas about others throughout
their future lives.

Teaching Opportunities
• Multicultural literature can also provide students with coping strategies that they
can use in their own lives to solve problems.
• When students make connections while reading, this can increase their ability to be
empathetic. They can vicariously learn how others think and feel.
• Books that have multiple perspectives, like Going Home by Bunting and Trophy or
Smoky Nights by Bunting, can help students understand different perspectives may
exist for one given situation.
• Teachers can also use books to show changes in prejudices and discrimination
overtime (Pedersen & Kitano, 2006). For example, students can read White Socks
Only by Coleman for a historical perspective and I am Malala for a present day
perspective of social injustices.
• Other books can help students recognize their culture and help them achieve a
more positive self concept. A Boy on Fairfield Street by Krull gives an account of
being oneself, standing up for what is right, and persistence.

Guidelines for Choosing the Books
✔Books should be age and developmentally appropriate for the student, as well as
at the correct reading level for that student.
✔Check for authenticity: the book should not contrived or full of inaccuracies. The
ethnicity of the author and illustrators does not necessarily guarantee the book’s
authenticity.
✔needs to contain enough cultural elements to enable students to obtain new
cultural knowledge and an increased understanding
✔Teachers need to assess the story’s perspective and determine whether feelings
are celebrated or exploited (Louie, 2006).
✔The book should not have distortions or omissions of history.

Guidelines for Choosing the Books
✔The lifestyles and speech of the characters should be genuine and complex, not
oversimplified or generalized.
✔The text and illustrations should not have negative or inaccurate stereotypes of
the ethnic group being portrayed.
✔Derogatory words should not be part of the text. Examples of such words are
savage, primitive, lazy and backward (http://www.newhorizons.org/).
✔There should not be anything in the story that would embarrass or offend a child
whose culture is being portrayed.
✔Most important of all, the book should provide many possibilities of class or
group discussion.

WHAT IS DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS?
• age?
• materials?
• gender?
• race?
• religion?
• interest?

BOOK
LIST.doc

Criteria for evaluating and selecting
Multicultural Literature
• Do the author and illustrator present
authentic perspectives?
• Is the culture portrayed
multidimensionally?
• Are the cultural details naturally
integrated?
• Are details accurate and is the
interpretation current?
• Is language used authentically?
• Is the collection balanced?

MULTICULTURAL
ELEMENTS
Book lists
• http://www.pragmaticmom.com/booklists/multiculturalbooks-
for-children/
• http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3721.Best_Multicult
ural_Books_for_Children
• http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/diverse-easy-readers/

DEVELOPMENTAL
APPROPRIATENESS
Babies and Toddlers
• Attracted by brightly coloured pictures of simple objects
• Are listeners, and respond well to books with simple texts and
good rhythms
• Wordless books stimulate them both visually and mentally, and
encourage them to create their own stories
• Delighted with board books and cloth books, which have the
virtue of being practically indestructible

Preschool and Kindergarten
• Enjoy Mother Goose, nursery
stories, and other books depicting familiar
objects and experiences
• Like listening to slightly complex
texts with good rhythm and effective word
repetition
• Are also coordinated enough to
have constructive fun with toy-like books
that may pop up, move, or provide other
astonishments

Early School Years (Ages 5-8)
• Some children may learn to read before they enter primary school
• For reading to or with children – use picture books with strong
storylines and character development.
• For independent reading – select books with straightforward stories
employing words that will be familiar from everyday use (easy readers)
• Eight-year olds able to handle stories of some complexity - vocabulary
should be relatively familiar while including some challenging words.
• Informational books - published for the early grades. Encourage
children to read about topics that interest them and to satisfy their curiosity
about complex subjects.
DEVELOPMENTAL
APPROPRIATENESS

Older Children (Ages 9 and up)
• Consider who the child is, his or her personality traits and
personal preferences.
• Make a selection with the child in mind; choose an
informational book or a novel in an area of specific interest.

Tutorial
Task
• Work in groups of 3 or 4.
• Select two books which you can use for
i. a bibliotherapy session
ii. to convey multicultural elements to a group of pupils.
• Read/share the book or significant parts of the book with
the class.
• Explain why you think the book is suitable by relating it to
an issue which could be addressed.

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