Helping Children Cope Through Literature (Report‪)‬

Introduction In our society children are exposed to violence, instability, and other stressful factors. As a primary school educator, I have witnessed the impact literature can have on a child's life. On September 12, 2001, three children in my class sobbed, explaining that a parent never came home the night before. As these three first grade students cried, others discussed how "cool" the planes looked as they flew into our World Trade Center. To discontinue the morning "chatter" immediately I announced that it was "morning carpet time." One of the children handed me a book and asked me to please read it to them, as the rest of the students voiced their approval. During this traumatic time in our history, a book instantly and uniformly bought tranquility back into my classroom. It was at this moment that I knew the bridge between coping, expression, and healing for my students would be through children's literature. Individuals of all ages appear to lose themselves in stories. I have read picture books to five year olds, as well as Master's degree candidates. Both groups of students will display disapproval if I discontinue reading in the middle of an interesting book. Story-telling is a timeless teaching tool. Expression through text offers readers of all ages the opportunity to find solutions through the characters and conflicts within a story, and thus within themselves. As educators we can utilize this avenue of expression to provide the guidance and resources required by our students to securely pave the road to coping and healing, consequently enabling academic and emotional progression.