The idea of using books as a source of strength or inner-healing has been around for hundreds of years. Today it is recognized as a tool for dealing with social-emotional issues and well suited for GT youth. Bibliotherapy is a means for helping a person to recognize and overcome problems when presented with appropriate reading materials specific to their needs. It shouldn’t be thought of as a general reading activity. Bibliotherapy can be clinical when used by mental health professionals or developmental when used by teachers and parents to address a student’s developmental difficulties (Karacan-Özdemir et al., 2019).
GT learners may have social-emotional needs stemming from asynchronous development not associated with age-peers which need attention at earlier ages. Bibliotherapy can address these needs both at school and home. Using specially selected books and following up with discussion can help GT learners gain important life skills, improved self-image, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves (McCulliss & Chamberlain, 2013). Because GT learners may experience loneliness, intense emotions, and the effects of perfectionism leading to social-emotional stress but are also often early readers with strong verbal skills; bibliotherapy can be an excellent means for meeting their needs.
What are the benefits of bibliotherapy for diverse and/or #2E gifted students? Diverse gifted students share some or all of the characteristics of all gifted children. However, due to lack of identification or representation in gifted programs may feel a lack of peers (Schroth & Watson-Thompson, 2022). Bibliotherapy can benefit diverse GT learners by providing a rich resource for learning about gifted children like themselves not readily seen in their immediate surroundings. Twice-exceptional children can reap many benefits through guided discussions with teachers and parents through very personalized reading selections. It can improve social and problem-solving skills.
As a process in the classroom, bibliotherapy begins with student preparation, introducing the book, reading, discussion resulting from relevant questions to gain insights from the material, and follow-up (Meier-Jensen, 2001). The key elements of bibliotherapy involve selecting books which are appropriate for the child’s cognitive and emotional age, and for its relatedness to the problem facing the child (Heath et al., 2005). The stages of bibliotherapy include identifying similarities between characters in the book and the reader; experiencing vicariously what the characters feel; gaining insight from what is read; and acknowledging similarities to the characters.
When should parents use bibliotherapy for their child at home? When parents recognize their child is experiencing social or emotional issues, bibliotherapy can be a good way to start conversations in order to effectively deal with their problems. Using bibliotherapy with GT learners is often best approached when parents and teachers team up to identify needs and then select the best individualized books or materials to meet specific needs. Bibliotherapy can also help parents to improve their own parenting skills by understanding how they approach their child’s gifted identification can help or hinder a child’s self-perception.
What questions can be used as bibliotherapeutic after reading a selection? It’s important to ask the right questions to ensure the process benefits the GT learner – What problems did the characters face and how did they solve them? Did the reader face a similar situation or feelings? Further questions might include: Would you have done anything different than what the characters in the book did? How would you have done things differently? (NAGC | PHP, March 2022)
A transcript can be found at Wakelet.
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About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Resources:
Benefits of Bibliotherapy for GT Kids
Turning Theory into Practice #5 – What can bibliotherapy look like with gifted children? | NAGC
The Unopened Gift: A Primer in Emotional Literacy (book)
Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers (3rd Edition) (book)
Incorporating Bibliotherapy Into the Classroom: a Handbook for Educators (pdf)
Books for Beginning Bibliotherapy
Bibliotherapy by the Campfire: Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of Students through Picture Books (pdf) | NAGC
Bibliotherapy: Helping Children Cope with Life’s Challenges
Bibliotherapy: Overview and Implications for Counselors (pdf)
Supporting Gifted Children Through Bibliotherapy
VA: Gifted Bibliotherapy | Washington County Public Schools
Nurturing Social And Emotional Development In Gifted Teenagers Through Young Adult Literature | SENG
OH: Books for Gifted Children with Gifted Characters (pdf) | Columbus Public Schools
Books Aren’t Just for Reading (pdf)
Bibliotherapeutic Literature Appropriate for Gifted Children: Examination of Three Books | Turkish Journal of Giftedness and Education
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