Illness and death are realities in life that are devastating and difficult to understand. As educators, we need to be prepared to support our students when these traumatic events occur. “It is important for teachers to understand the grieving process, be able to recognize symptoms of grief, and know some classroom strategies to help young children cope with their feelings” (Wood, 2008, p.28). Children’s books are wonderful vehicles to help students relate or make them have some comfort. The focus of this blog is to focus on students in primary grades, K-2, who are coping with illness or death.
Tomie dePaola created a book on illness that is appropriate for young children. Now One Foot, Now the Other (1981) describes how one young boy, Bobby, copes when his grandfather has a stroke and has a long recovery. Because the narration is primarily in the voice of the young boy, the story is relatable to younger students, while the illustrations provide further insight to the emotions in the story. I also recommend, Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs (dePaola, 1973) when approaching the subject of death with younger students.
Since it is helpful to find out students’ prior experiences, teachers can ask students if they ever had a family member, friend, or even a pet who were sick. Then I would read Now One Foot, Now the Other (dePaola, 1981). As a follow up activity, the class can write and illustrate a personal narrative of a time when they were coping when someone they loved was sick. This reflection activity allows students to express their feelings and emotions in a positive way. Kiefer and Tyson (2014) outlined a Ten-Point Model for Teaching Controversial Issues. One step that suggests having students write to record their thought from a lesson (p.22). You can also extend this activity by having students share their writing in small groups, if they are comfortable doing so.
There are many reasons to address illness or death. On a basic level, the activity can be connected to the CCSS, such as RL.K.10, RL 1.2, or RL 2.3. However, there are reasons that are more important. As a teacher, I had a first grade student who was battling leukemia. A nurse came in to talk with the class to discuss the illness. Besides reading books, having the nurse come in and answer any questions was beneficial because for the student who was sick, questions were directed at someone else and the rest of the class had their questions answered. Personally, I lost my father when I was a sophomore in high school. Even though my focus is a much younger age group, the supportive role that teachers play is vital with any age group. Besides the support of my family, I was grateful for the compassion from my teachers.
References:
dePaola, T. (1973). Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
dePaola, T. (1981). Now One Foot, Now the Other. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Keifer, B. & Tyson, C. (2014). Charlotte Huck’s: Children’s literature: A brief guide. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards. Washington, DC: Authors.
Wood, F. (2008). Grief: Helping Young Children Cope. YC Young Children, 63(5), 28-31. http://search.proquest.com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/docview/197595904?pq-origsite=summon
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