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Practical Bibliotherapy Strategies for the Inclusive Elementary Classroom

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Abstract

This article was developed to assist the regular education elementary classroom teacher in utilizing practical bibliotherapy strategies for the inclusive classroom. Using quality children’s literature for bibliotherapy helps students to grow socio-emotionally by identifying with the main character in the story with a disability which leads to personal insight and growth. Teachers will learn how to use a checklist which was developed by the authors to select appropriate bibliotherapy literature and lead classroom discussions. A top ten list of books on bibliotherapy for the inclusive elementary classroom is provided.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Elementary Education, Robert Morris University, 1808 West Penn Avenue, Connellsville, PA, 15425, USA

    Anita Iaquinta & Shellie Hipsky

Authors
  1. Anita Iaquinta
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  2. Shellie Hipsky
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anita Iaquinta.

Appendices

Appendix A

Checklist to Evaluate Children’s Literature with Characters Who Have Disabilities

  • I. ILLUSTRATIONS:

  •    (a) Avoids stereotypes and tokenism within illustration; (b) depicts children with disabilities in leadership and action roles.

  • II. STORY LINE:

  •    (a) Conveys a story that is realistic, empathetic, and sensitive to the child with the disability and thereby encourages a positive attitude; (b) enables the child with the disability to resolve the problem; (c) conveys the same story line if the main character did not have a disability.

  • III. LIFESTYLES:

  •    Encourages positive value judgments.

  • IV. WEIGH THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLE:

  •    Generates balance between children with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.

  • V. CONSIDER THE EFFECT ON A CHILD’S SELF-IMAGE:

  •    Promotes a child with a disability as a positive role-model for non-disabled peers.

  • VI. CONSIDER THE AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR’S BACKGROUND:

  •    Contains layers of meaning.

  • VII. WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE?:

  •    Consider the author’s perspective as it might strengthen or weaken the story.

  • VIII. WATCH FOR LOADED WORDS:

  •    Avoids loaded words.

  • IX. COPYRIGHT DATE AND TARGET AGE

(Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1980; Derman-Sparks & The ABC Task Force, 1989).

Appendix B

Top Ten List of Children’s Literature About Children with Disabilities

  1. 1.

    Davis, P. A. (2000). Brian’s bird. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co.

  2. 2.

    Fraustino, L. R. (2001). The hickory chair. New York: Author A. Levine Books.

  3. 3.

    Glatzer, J. (2002). Taking Down Syndrome to school. Valley Park, MO: JayJo Books.

  4. 4.

    Lears, L. (2005). Nathan’s wish. Morton, Ill: Albert Whitman & Co.

  5. 5.

    Millman, I. (2000). Moses goes to school. New York: Frances Foster Books, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

  6. 6.

    McMahon, P. (2000). Dancing wheels. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, Co.

  7. 7.

    Penn, A. (2003). A.D.D. not B.A.D. Washington, DC: Child & Family Press.

  8. 8.

    Rodriguez. B. (2000). Sarah’s sleepover. New York: Penguin Group.

  9. 9.

    Rickert, J. R. (2000). Russ and the firehouse. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

  10. 10.

    Riggio, A. (1997). Secret signs: Along the underground railroad. Honesdale, PA: Caroline House.

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Iaquinta, A., Hipsky, S. Practical Bibliotherapy Strategies for the Inclusive Elementary Classroom. Early Childhood Educ J 34, 209–213 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-006-0128-5

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