Inquiry 2 Findings

Wondering Question: 

How can I use literature to bring awareness to primary and junior students about anxiety?

What I What to Know:

How can I as an educator help normalize or foster anxiety within primary and junior classrooms. I want to find literature that can help students understand what anxiety is and have a deeper understanding of strategies that will help when we are feeling anxious. 

My Findings:

Although it was difficult to find articles or online resources that specifically focused on how reading literature about anxiety is beneficial in the classroom, most of findings use literature as a tool to support awareness. Finding books that address children with anxiety and incorporating them into reading curriculum can not only help students with anxiety to feel better but also can help other students in the class be more understanding. 

Natasha Daniels, a child therapist believes that children learn through stories. Therefore if students have a hard time talking about it or if we want to normalize anxiety, it is super helpful to have these books in the classroom. 

Shawn, author of the article Why Novel Reading Reduces Anxiety says the simple act of reading a novel or book can help with anxiety. The article then continues to state how good stories not only help us relate to the hero's journey, but the act of reading them actually can reconfigure brain networks. This means that not only are we able to escape from our problems while reading, it also increases compassion to another's suffering - as well as perhaps to one's own. This can be a major aid to self-growth and healing, as well as helping to decrease anxiety and depression. 

More specifically focusing on primary and junior level students books such as the following can help educators incorporate books that foster the idea of anxiety. Whether it's school, sports or social situation, every child get anxious at times. Google "kids anxiety" and you get millions of hits offering advice, including a lot of books aiming to guide children and their guardians on how to deal with anxious feelings. 

But sometimes the best books are the fictional stories showing how others have been able to work with or mediate their own fears and challenges, stories that offer inspiration or even just recognize that others face similar struggles. Stories with characters who are also anxious can help kids feel seen and understood. 

Books:

Ruby's Worry is a sensitive and charming picture book all about a young girl dealing with anxiety. Author Tom Percival tells us why it's so important for children to be able to talk about our fears. The message of the book is simple and direct, if you're worried about something, anything, talk about it to someone. 

This story is a thoughtful text with bright and warm illustrations to present a meditation on kindness and respect. The reader sees children and adults participating in familiar activities such as singing, playing together, listening and laughing. Throughout everything the characters 'hold each other up.' this is a great story as a starting point to discuss activities and shared moments that help them feel safe, heard, and supported. 

Common noises such as sirens blaring, dogs barking and parents yelling frighten the unnamed child in this book. When thoroughly overwhelmed, the child sits down, closed their eyes and tells 'the scary' to go away. These simple calming techniques allow the child to find a certain quietness, and to interact with their environment again. 

Like many children, Murray the young bear has many worries. He worries about new experiences and making new friends and just when he thinks his worries are done, a new one comes along. After listening to his concerns, Murray's sister, Molly shares her method for not letting anxiety get the best of you - write down your worries and put them in a box. Together, they make Murray a worry box of his own and although his worries still exist, writing, them down helps him find some relief so he can have fun. 

This a great book for students simply because it is relatable. We all understand the feeling of new experiences and making new friends can be scary sometimes and the use of the worry box as a tool to help overcome his worries, rather than a solution to get rid of his worries forever is realistic. 

Through many stories like the ones above, they demonstrated that it is normal to have anxieties and that with love, support, and the right tools, we can find ways to move past them and have fun. including the opportunity for students to read about anxiety helps spread the awareness and stigma about anxiety. My goal as an educator is to create a classroom environment where students feel welcomed and comfortable to help them do their best within their academics. 

Reflecting back on my first inquiry where I focused on how to encourage students to read more in the classroom I can incorrporate books that emphasize on anxiety into those activities. For example, during D.E.A.R (drop everything and read) offering these books to read during this activity can help students become more aware about anxiety feels, looks like, and what to do when you feel anxious.