Open the Door for Reading: Challenging Social Inequality - Bristol

 Sharing stories with children has not only been demonstrated to enhance reading, maths and cognitive skills but also arouses curiosity and constructs our view of the world around us and our place in it. This workshop will reflect on a range of children’s books and consider how they can raise questions for children about inequality, otherness and difference. We will explore the challenging nature of picture books, which through the skilful use of illustration and words, provoke the big questions about life, for the child and adult alike.

Challenging social inequality through the power of the picture book

Economic inequality

Inequalities because of sexuality

Inequality because of disability

Inequalities because of gender

Inequalities because of age

The role of literature – some things we will consider How do we see ourselves?

How are we represented (are we represented) in the books we read and the books read to us?

How do we see others?

How are people represented who are not the same as us?

How are we helped to see ourselves in others?

The role of the mediation of text with children and young people

‘Literature can inspire, inform and expand the horizons of young people, challenging their thinking and provoking creative responses....it enables ....reflection upon universal themes of existence, such as love and hate, envy, greed sacrifice, loss and compassion’ Cremin (2009 p.101)

It starts with what is important to the child • What do you see?

• What do you think?

• What do you wonder, what are you curious about?

Likes

Dislikes

Questions

Connections

•Is there anything you would like to ask Colin or Lee?

•In your day to day life – do you think you are more like Colin the carrot or Lee the pea?

Have you ever felt like Colin – the carrot?

•What questions do you think the children you work with would ••Do you know anyone like Colin – the carrot? have?

•Does the theme of this book link to wider issues of social inequality?

•Is it useful (or not) for the characters to be vegetables rather than people in this book?

•Does this book exclude certain cultures…which groups might be more familiar with peas and carrots

•Do you have books that you use that are similar to this?

•What connections do you encourage children to make?

Empathy as the first step in challenging social exclusion “understanding a person from his or her own frame of reference rather than one’s own, or vicariously experiencing that person’s feelings, perceptions, and thoughts.”

Empathy encompasses one of the four key aspects of emotional intelligence and is considered predictive of a person’s ability to achieve success in and out of the workplace

“while empathy itself may not always be valued highly as a leadership trait, those characteristics that are directly affected by a higher degree of empathy, such as conflict resolution, teamwork, and collaboration are prized.”

(Rowe, 2018) "The “Novel” Approach: Using Fiction to Increase Empathy,"

How reading affects the mind • Transportation • Identification • Permanent changes in perception

“You get to feel things, visit places you would never otherwise know.

You get to learn that everyone else out there is a me, as well.

You’re being someone else, and when you return to your own world, you’re going to be slightly changed.” Neil Gaiman (2013)

The picture book as mirror, window and door

Voices Minds Hearts

Connect two blame

isolation war kindness solidarity hope future anger needs mistrust protection difference sanctuary friendship fear change other trust hope loneliness

“Critically reading the word and the world” (Freire, 1970) What is? Who benefits? What if?

Empathy is not enough to challenge social inequality: •Importance of critical thinking and questioning •Why are things as they are?

•What is the change we want to see?

•What are the many perspectives and opinions?

•How can we take action?

The little girl says mother is never scared. Is this true?

Look at the mother’s tears – where do they fall?

Can you spot the eyes and the hands hiding in the forest ? What might they mean?

How the past can teach It is not just who we see in pictures but who we don’t

Where is the colour in this picture? Why?

Where are the cyclists looking? Why does one seem to be looking away?

Why doesn’t the train have windows? Who does this benefit?

Look at the hands….who do they belong to? Why can’t we see them?

Step into someone else’s shoes

If books are a mirror – are they a mirror for all children?

Ensuring

Be aware some texts can reinforce cultural stereotypes. How do we discuss and mediate?

texts we share show children of all ethnicities mirroring our cities

And gender and sexuality?

What do our books say about gender?

Ways to respond to and interact with books

• Children/families make their own book jackets for books when they have finished reading them • Leave a book mark with thoughts and comments • Leave a post-it note in a books: favourite bits; calls to action etc • Diversity of readers – a slot each week (parents, visitors, sharing books, stories in home languages) • Reading Ted – goes home with different children each weekend. Read to Ted, take a picture and share • Children buddying and sharing books – across a school/setting and between schools and settings • Read bits of books as well as the whole book – tasters

Working with and interacting with text • See, think and wonder – develop curious minds • Use likes, dislikes, questions and connections to start discussion • Transport children to other lives (physically stepping into someone else’s shoes– help children to identify • Use the hearts, minds and voices to develop empathy • Read the pictures as well as the text • Audit your books – who is represented and in what ways?

• Use drama – gossip in role, conscious alley, freeze frame • Think about: what is? Who benefits? And What if?

The Old Man As I take you through the story use your picture of the old man to jot down your thoughts….

•Do you think he was always homeless?

•What are the clues about his life before?

•What might the old man be feeling?

•What might the old man be thinking?

•What might the old man be saying …is he saying anything?

•What did one smile and one sandwich do?

•On your own pick three words from your pack that describe the book in some way

Your name, please?

His name? He doesn’t remember ‌.Easier to leave.

The sky darkens. It looks like rain.

Want some?

Do you want my sandwich?

You’re funny, you look like a teddy bear!

The little girl smiles.

It’s the best sandwich in the whole world.

Your name, please?

Teddy!

The Old Man A moment to finish and then to share.

•Share the three words you picked from your pack that describe the book in some way •Do you think he was always homeless?

•What are the clues about his life before?

•What might the old man feeling?

•What might the old man be thinking?

•What might the old man be saying …is he saying anything?

•What did one smile and one sandwich do?

What is?

Who benefits?

What if?

Call to action

“Literature mirrors our perception of life; we see in stories reflection of our own … values, disappointments and dreams. We view both our inner and outer worlds…An author invites us to look through a window, and we respond, to see the world through another’s eyes…Literature’s windows on the world look upon the full range of human experience, including our joys and sorrows, our virtues and vices.” (Cremin, 2011)

Starting with a story – and some questions!

1. As you see each page of the picture book – tell your partner what you see.

2. As more and more pages go by, tell your partner what you think is happening here.

3. As we go further – what do you predict might come next?

4. What are the messages that you could take from this book?