Bibliotherapy

Students with additional needs often have difficulty understanding and verbalising their thoughts, feelings and behavioural responses to situations. **Bibliotherapy** involves the use of children’s literature to explore a student’s feelings about self-esteem, the experience of living with a chronic condition, and the ability to relate to a main character with a similar condition (Amer, 1999, in Iaquinta & Hipsky, 2006). Students with additional needs may be more inclined to identify with and share in the understanding or reflection of their experience or behaviours through a similar literature character, cartoon or animal. Moreover, children’s literature can provide a channel for students with additional needs to learn how to solve problems by reflecting on how a literary character solves theirs (Herbert & Kent, 2000, in Cook, Earles-Vollrath & Ganz, 2006).


 * APPROPRIATE AGE GROUP**

Students in Primary School, Middle School and Secondary School.


 * EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS**

Aiex (1993, in Cook et al., 2006, p.93) identified the following reasons for the use of bibliotherapy with a student with additional needs:
 * 1) To show a student that the he or she is not the first or only person to have such an experience, behaviour or problem
 * 2) To show the student that there is more than one solution to a problem
 * 3) To help the student discuss an experience, behaviour or problem more freely
 * 4) To help the student plan a constructive course of action to solve a problem
 * 5) To help the student develop his or her self-concept
 * 6) To relieve emotional or mental pressure
 * 7) To foster the student’s honest self-appraisal
 * 8) To provide a way for the student to find interests outside of him- or herself
 * 9) To increase a student’s understanding or human behaviour or motivations


 * IMPLEMENTATION IN AN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM**

Bibliotherapy can be used in an inclusive classroom as a tool to promote understanding of a variety of disabilities and learning/behavioural difficulties amongst students with and without additional needs, and as a tool to model successful coping strategies and strategies for social interaction. Sridhar and Vaughn (2000, in Iaquinta & Hipsky, 2006) also note bibliotherapy can be used as an effective tool in enhancing reading comprehension for students with learning difficulties.


 * Guidelines for Implementing Bibliotherapy** (Cook et al., 2006; Iaquinta & Hipsky, 2006; Heath, Sheen, Leavy, Young & Money, 2005)
 * 1) Identify the problem, situation, behaviour, or skill to be acquired
 * 2) Select an appropriate work of literature //(many of the cited sources provide listings of appropriate literature for bibliotherapy)//
 * 3) Prereading
 * Show the student the picture on the cover and ask the student to talk about what might happen during the story; introduce the characters in the book and discuss the student’s related experiences
 * 1) Guided Reading
 * Allow time for reflection when needed; pose questions to increase the student’s connection; gauge the student’s reactions
 * 1) Processing
 * Use experiential activities to aid processing such as drawing, journaling, writing a different ending to the story, developing a plan of action, writing an original story with a similar theme, and role-play
 * 1) Follow-Up

**REFERENCES **

Cook, K.E., Earles-Vollrath, T., & Ganz, J.B. (2006) Bibliotherapy. //Intervention in School & Clinic//, 42(2), 91-100. Retrieved from EBSCO//host// on 27 July 2011.

Heath, M., Sheen, D., Leavy, D., Young, E., & Money, K. (2005). Bibliotherapy: A Resource to Facilitate Emotional Healing and Growth. //School Psychology International//, 26(5), 563-580. doi:10.1177/0143034305060792

Iaquinta, A., & Hipsky, S. (2006). Practical Bibliotherapy Strategies for the Inclusive Elementary Classroom. //Early Childhood Education Journal//, 34(3), 209-213. doi:10.1007/s10643-006-0128-5