Grow Through It: Fostering Resilience & Empathy Through Story

Grow Through It:Fostering Resilience and Empathy Through Story

Presenters

Susan Dee: K-5 Literacy Strategist

@LiteracyDocent

Gigi McAllister: Teacher

Lynda Mullaly Hunt: Author

Jennifer Nielsen: Author

Leslie Connor: Author

Gigi McAllisterTeacher

@gigimcareads

thelatebloomersbookblog@blogspot.com

Early Elementary

Images from Goodreads

Middle Grade

Images from Goodreads

Questions to Ask During Reading:

•Why do you think the character keeps trying even though nothing seems to be working yet?

•What choices does he/she have?

•What advice would you give this character?

Questions for After Reading:

•What could have happened if the character had given up?

•How are you like the character?

•Have you ever given up when trying to learn or do something? What made you give up?

•What is something you have had to work hard to do?

For Older Students:

•How would you describe the character’s personality?

•What were some obstacles the character had to overcome?

•How are you like the character?

•What do you think motivated the character to keep trying?

Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Author

@LynMullalyHunt

LyndaMullalyHunt.com

Traits of a Resilient Book Character.

Children who are loved at home come to school

to learn. Children who aren’t

come to school to be loved.

~Nicholas A Ferroni~

Characteristics of Resilience

1) The ability—and willingness—to push through fear and take chances. In books, we sometimes call this “plucky.”

3) At least some level of positive self–esteem –must feel real. Must impress themselves.

4) The capability to spot an adult who can help – and accept that help.

2) Understand that failure is normal, expected – and for *everyone.*

Jennifer Nielsen

Author

@nielsenwriter

www.jennielsen.com

The Impact of Writing

• Readers will read themselves into a story.

Reading Ignites Neural Pathways in the Brain.

Reading Ignites Neural Pathways in the Brain.

2013 Emory University

What? Others have emotions too?

2014 Journal of Applied Social Psychology

What? Others have emotions too?

University of Michigan

Writing Takes It One Step Further.

Writing Prompts to Explore Emotions

General Approach…

Prompts which touch on

common childhood emotions

Being Lost

Prompts which touch on common childhood emotions

Write about an animal that gets lost from his or her family. How do they get home again?

Fear of the Dark

Prompts which touch on common childhood worries.

Write about a character

who was afraid of the dark

…until they discovered

something really silly!

The Desire to Matter

Prompts which touch onthe need to feel heroic.

Write about a character who saves the class from an attack of the marshmallow aliens!

Above all…

Let the child write

themselves as the hero of

their story!

Leslie Connor

Author

www.leslieconnor.com

This little girl loved Laura Ingalls…

…and Garth Williams, too!

Thank you, Rumer Godden

Leslie Connor (is a genre hopper).

Where to Find Authors

Lynda Mullaly Hunt:Penguin Young Readers 1:00

Anderson’s 4:00

Jennifer Nielsen:

Anderson’s Booth 3:30

Scholastic Booth 4:00

Leslie Connor: HarperCollins Children’s Booth 2:30