Understanding and Empathy Through Children's Books
By: Reading Rockets (2010)
Reading Rockets helps parents and teachers address the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti through reading and books.
How can parents and educators talk with kids about natural disasters like the powerful earthquake that just devastated Haiti?
In the wake of September 11, education websites scrambled to come up with resources on how to calm fears, provide solace, and help children cope. With recent natural disasters, like the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, the response has been more muted.
The reason for the difference is probably distance. The Haiti and tsunami disasters happened "over there," in countries that seem — to many U.S. students — far, far away as measured by miles and cultural differences.
Even so, the Reading Rockets staff wanted to do something to help parents and educators address the disaster, but what? We're not a news or international agency or counseling group, we're an organization about reading and books. And that's when we got our a-ha.
One of the best resources for discussing the natural disasters with kids may in fact be children's books.
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http://www.readingrockets.org/article/35419