A research project has found that
teachers who read for pleasure have better book knowledge and feel more
confident, calm and stress-free in the classroom
Should reading for pleasure be part
of teacher training? Researchers say trainee teachers should be
encouraged to read as part of their professional development.
Research has shown that there is value
in helping teachers become reading role models for the pupils they
teach, and that developing teachers’ subject knowledge of children’s
literature can contribute to a child or young person’s enjoyment of
reading.
As lecturers in initial teacher training
on a PGCE primary programme, we believe that this habit should be
developed as an integral part of teacher training. Teachers who read
themselves and share their love of books in the primary classroom can,
in turn, encourage children to read more.
So, we set up a year-long children’s
literature blog with our PGCE primary trainee teachers which was
originally designed to support them in widening their range and
knowledge of children’s literature and to develop their confidence to
share and use texts creatively in the classroom. We asked them to review
three children’s books during the year, based on their own enjoyment of
the book, the age range of children they had used the book with and
ideas for use in the classroom.
The blog generated lots of data for us.
And there were two particularly interesting trends; firstly, it enabled
us to measure whether we were successful in supporting the trainee
teachers to develop their own subject knowledge of children’s literature
– which it did. We ended the blog period with a focus group and this
was where the second trend emerged; as well as looking at how we could
improve PGCE trainees subject knowledge of children’s books, we found
that they had used books diagnostically to support their own wellbeing
in the primary classroom.
Reading for pleasure among the trainee
teachers during the blog, was a common feature. The trainee teachers
were also using children’s books, of all genres as a form of escapism
from the stresses and strains of teaching in the primary classroom.
During the focus group we asked the
trainees a range of questions about reading for pleasure and what had
made them become a reader. The joys of reading became apparent, namely,
how they had enjoyed “getting totally lost in a book” or “absorbed” by
the narrative. It also became evident that they had close personal
associations with certain texts from their own childhoods, and the fact
that they could turn the page of a book and by knowing what was on that
page gave them comfort and confidence to share that book with their
class.
The term bibliotherapy is becoming more
widely recognised, increasingly moving away from its original medical
model – whereby practitioners ‘prescribed’ self-help books to patients
suffering from depression or eating disorders, for example. New ideas on
reading for wellbeing are now increasingly looking at the use of books
as a form of escapism.
In order for reading to have wellbeing
affects, readers should identify with the characters in a story and form
an emotional connection with them. By doing so it is then easier for
the reader to use situations in a book, to solve their own problems, and
also realise that their problems are not unique to them, nor
unsolvable.
Teaching is a stressful occupation. Our
research has highlighted that reading for pleasure can alleviate stress;
escaping into the pages of a book at the end of a busy day, can help
and support teachers.
We have also found that trainee teachers
often don’t read purely for pleasure, citing time constraints as the
reason. Our blog project forced them to read as part of their
professional development, and because they wanted to improve their
subject knowledge. Wellbeing was secondary, but nonetheless became part
of the project, almost by default. One of our students summed it up
nicely: “Books are like best friends during stressful times.”
Our findings will be shared with
delegates at a forthcoming UK Literacy Association international
conference. Encouraging teachers during their training to read for
pleasure is vital. As we have found, if young teachers read for
pleasure, it helps them to use texts creatively and gives them
confidence exploring these books with students in the primary classroom.
If they then feel secure in their subject knowledge of children’s literature, this in turn supports their wellbeing.
Time, support and professional
development for teachers to enable them to engage with children’s
literature is of paramount importance. Our research has demonstrated
that this benefits not only children’s literacy across the primary
classroom, but teacher wellbeing.
Creating a culture of reading should be
on all school’ list of priorities and to do this, teachers should have
access to new and varied children’s literature. Sitting down with a good
book is a pleasure, with gains to be made in all aspects of literacy
alongside teacher and pupil wellbeing.
Source: educationguardian
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