EDUCATIONAL BOOKS AND TOYS FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Bibliotherapy for social-emotional learning experience

“… kids were playing in the playground. They were running, jumping, tossing a ball. Jack was playing a little harder than the others. He was snatching the ball and pushing kids around. Some cried.”

Why? What are the roots of Jack’s aggressive behavior? You might feel antagonized by it and bring him to order. Will this help? You can show empathy and ask, “Jack, why are you behaving this way?” Will this help? The answer is no. The hidden roots that hold the answers are beyond Jack’s and your reach.

Bibliotherapy is mental aid through literature. It’s a technique for increasing understanding, development and personality growth. In this process, the therapist (teacher, psychologist, social worker, counselor or parent) uses a story, chosen because it is relevant to the child’s situation and needs, as a treatment aid for the child to understand himself and enable him to solve personal problems. This guided reading in a nurturing, secure environment ignites processes that lead to confrontation with problems
The combined experience of an enticing story and a relevant toy hold the key to the hidden parts of the child, because they touch his imagination and involve more of his senses.


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SHYNESS

WHAT IS SHYNESS?

‘‘Sarah wanted to enter the mess hall. All the other kids were already seated in groups, munching their lunch and chatting happily. Sarah was afraid that people would look at her, so she hung outside, trying to muster the courage to enter. But her heart raced inside her rib cage, her palms sweated and she felt a warm blush cover her face. She was ashamed that other kids might notice it. So she left. She had lost her appetite, anyway. ‘‘

Shy people are always worried about what others might think about them, (1,2) and they mostly expect “bad reviews.” This is true in new or unfamiliar situations, but also in the everyday events in the shy person’s life. (2) Their fear is expressed through painful physical reactions (pounding heart, sweat, blushing, stuttering) that lead to excessive self-focus, negative thoughts and worry. (1,3) These uncomfortable feelings prevented Sarah from pursuing her goal, which was to enjoy lunch with friends. (1,3) This inhibition is what shyness is all about.


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